Do you have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset? Do you believe your abilities and talents are something you are born with? Or something you learned? For those of you believing your abilities, intelligence, and talents are just fixed traits –  This is the hallmark of a fixed mindset and a perspective limiting your potential and growth. 

When you believe that your talents and abilities are inherent, you have created an invisible ceiling on your potential. 

But what if you could shift this mindset? What if you could unlock a world of possibilities simply by changing how you view your capabilities?

Understanding the Challenge

The fixed mindset is comfortable. It’s safe. It tells you that effort won’t change your intelligence or talents. But this comfort is a cage, limiting your ability to learn, grow, and face new challenges. The growth mindset, on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as an opportunity to learn. 

The Opportunity 

The shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset isn’t just beneficial; it’s transformative. When you start to realize and step into the world where there is no end destination or capacity on your goals or dreams or on what you can learn – that is when you start to realize that anything really is possible: for your business and life.

My Story 

I used to have this belief that people were just born good at things. When I was little, I was fast to pick up new things… you could say it was a talent of mine. But what I wasn’t good at was turning the new things into consistent things. 

My mom would sign me up for anything I wanted to try

• Ballet 
• Horseback Riding
• Piano
• Guitar
• Summer Camp
• Theatre Camp
• Modeling School
• Tap Dance 
• Gymnastics
• Singing Lessons 
• Rowing
• Baseball

And usually about 2 weeks in, when you start to move up to the next level…. I would quit. I was never good at the next part because it was new… so I assumed that I just wasn’t talented enough to be successful. So I would quit. 

[P.S. I was REALLY good at quitting.]

➕➕ On the plus side: Things I excelled at I REALLY excelled at. I had decided I wanted to be a writer, director or actor. And so I put all my energy into that. 

➖➖ On the negative side: I started to pick up the habit that when things got challenging and I started to doubt myself or abilities, it was ok to quit. And I’m not sure if anyone has ever told you this, but life is full of challenges. 

I was fixed in this way of thinking until I was 33. It was the cause of my anxiety, my panic attacks and my depression – and finally I had had enough. I constantly felt like I was trapped, because everything I wanted was outside of what I could do (or so I thought).

Once I started to understand that ANYTHING can be learned and the secret to success – my entire world shifted and I felt like I could breathe again.

How to Cultivate a Growth Mindset

1. Acknowledge Your Fixed Mindset Voice: Recognize when your inner critic is speaking from a place of fixed mindset. Acknowledge it, but don’t let it control your actions. 
   TIP: Watch out for absolute words like; Should, Must, Should Not, Absolutely. 
   And try swapping them out for words full of possibility like: Could, May, Possible, Invite, Might 
2. Embrace Challenges: Look at “problems” as challenges. And challenges are opportunities for you to test your skills, step into discomfort and grow. Every challenge I face I know I get stronger, so I welcome them with open arms.
3. Persist in the Face of Setbacks: Understand that setbacks are part of the learning process, not a signal of your inability. They are an opportunity to teach you grace and humility. 
4. See Effort as the Path to Mastery: Appreciate that effort and hard work are essential to mastering new skills. I’m not sure who started this lazy train that’s been in circulation for the bast couple of years – but someone needs to put a stop to it. There is nothing wrong with working hard. There is pride in putting your best foot forward. 
5. Learn from Criticism: Use criticism as a tool for learning and development, rather than as a personal attack. 
   TIP: If you do feel under attack – take a breath and ask yourself what story you would need to believe in order to feel how you are feeling. 
6. Find Inspiration in the Success of Others: Instead of feeling threatened by others’ success, use it as motivation to grow and learn.
   TIP: If you feel threatened or triggered by someone else – use this reaction as a guide. What are your emotions trying to tell you? What story is happening in your mind to create this reaction in your body. This exercise will help you expand and understand different parts of yourself instead of sitting in a fixed emotion. 

Taking the First Step

Begin by identifying areas in your life where you operate with a fixed mindset. Choose one small step you can take to challenge this perspective. It could be learning a new skill, asking for feedback on a project, or tackling a task you’ve been avoiding.

The Path Forward

Shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset is a journey, one that requires patience, effort, and commitment [all skills you can learn and strengthen 😉]. The rewards are immeasurably worth it and it is a necessity if you want to achieve success.