“Not good enough to participate in the swimming gala,” are the words that rang in my mind when my swimming teacher asked me to join the swimming team for the third time. I was a fast swimmer but was petrified of diving and therefore was not willing to learn. I could not dive. My swimming teacher said that she would teach me how to improve my diving technique. Sadly, I declined this opportunity to develop and improve my overall swimming and never took part in a swimming gala in my high school years.
Why did I accept defeat even before I tried? It is because I had a fixed mindset concerning my ability to dive into a swimming pool.
And so, to this day, I regret having a fixed mindset when it comes to diving. Fixed mindsets, as the name implies, limit our potential.
The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. As I have come to understand, it can determine whether you become the person you want to be and accomplish the things you value. Or live a life on the sidelines watching others transform themselves, and you remain just as you are …year in …year out.
The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life
Is there any truth to this? I mean, how can a single belief have the power to transform your psychology and, as a result, your life? I once heard a story told by Tony Robbins about how words can affect our emotions. Instead of using the word ‘Mad’, next time you find yourself in a tricky situation, substitute with the word ‘peeved’. In his anecdote, Tony showed how the simple substitution immediately elicits a different emotional outcome.
let me know if it decreased your level of frustration here
Fixed mindsets can be exhausting
As the name implies, a fixed mindset is a belief system that your talents and capabilities are carved in Stone. You are essentially powerless to become a better version of yourself. There is nothing you can do! It brings to mind a scarcity mentality. Here’s the intriguing thing, you will lean towards overcompensating for your perceived limited capabilities. It can become very tiring when you have to prove yourself over and over.
Growth Mindsets are liberating
On the other end of the spectrum is a growth mindset. A growth mindset is based on the belief that you can develop your talents and capabilities over time. I will be quick to point out that you have a pivotal role to play. You will need to put in the effort, adopt new empowering habits and in some cases, get help from others.
Deliberate practice mindset offers you a passage to extraordinary
In their book Peak (How all of us can achieve extraordinary things), A. Ericsson and R. Poo showcase study after case study of individuals who have achieved remarkable results in their field of expertise. The authors discuss that often when we encounter such individuals, we tend to conclude that the person is born with something a little extra .’She has a natural gift ‘.In their 30 plus years of study, the authors conclude that you and I have the gift as well. It is clear that one can shape their potential. The secret to achieving extraordinary things is deliberate practice.
The authors postulate that a deliberate practice mindset offers a very different view; anyone can improve with the right approach. If you are not improving, it is down to the fact you are not practising the right way.
The right way is to have a standard or a benchmark to measure your improvement and have a regular schedule to practice. The importance of a good guide, teacher or coach is also another essential ingredient for you to perform at an extraordinary level.
Changing the Way, You Think to Fulfil Your Potential
According to Carol Dweck in her book Mindset (Changing the way you think to fulfil your potential), everyone can change and grow through paying close attention, persistent effort towards achieving a specific goal.
If you embrace a growth mindset, you will seek accurate information on your current abilities, even if it’s unfavourable, so that you can make the leap to fulfilling your potential by filling the gap that is currently limiting.
Therein is the hope we all need, the idea that there is a way out of the frustration you endure, a way to become better at what you set out to do … I find that liberating.
Read on if you want to see how this mindset can be translated into an entrepreneurial mindset and help you achieve extraordinary things.
Tip 1- Accepting That You Have to Change Your Fixed Mindset
Acceptance is usually a sign that you have acknowledged that there is a better way to do something.
Acceptance is such a beautiful word. Acceptance is described with two opposite words: the act of taking or the act of receiving something offered.
You are the leader and owner of your online business. J. Collins, in his book Good to Great, showed that successful companies had leaders who were, in my opinion leading with humility. They were not trying to prove that they were better than others, but instead, they were constantly trying to put systems in place that would improve everyone in the organisation.
Andrew Carnegie and Henry Ford knew this to be accurate and surrounded themselves with people who were more knowledgeable than them.
How does this apply to you as an online entrepreneur? Look for mentors who can guide you along this journey of entrepreneurship.
A good starting point is to invest in your education of the online business model.
Listen to podcasts that deal with your industry. You will slowly but surely start to identify and model your business after the opinion leaders.
Tip 2- Embracing A Growth Mindset in The Areas, You Want to Improve
Today was a rather cold morning for this time of year. You know that I love running. It is my go-to total well-being exercise. As I was doing the school run, my focus was on the low temperatures and, to be honest. I would have been happy to forgo my run today. I shifted my focus only when another parent mentioned the sunshine and the clear blue skies… Suddenly it was a perfect day for a run. By simply changing my focus from the cold temperatures to the beautiful attributes of the day, it became the ideal morning for a run.
We all have a combination of fixed and growth mindsets. The mindset fusion continues to evolve as we experience different things. A “pure” growth mindset doesn’t exist, which we must acknowledge when seeking to attain the benefits of a growth mindset.
You have to be intentional about aligning your thoughts and beliefs systems to be congruent with those that will help you progress.
What are the areas in business that you need to improve? Are you just starting and want to learn how to build an online business? Do you want to grow your business now that you have your online properties all set for you?
The only way you can make progress as an entrepreneur is to focus on those areas in your business that need improvement. Remember, if you belong to the growth mindset team, you have to be willing to do a self-analysis and then put in the work.
Tip 3- Changing Mindsets and Concrete Plans
I love watching documentaries (and cartoons) that show the metamorphosis of a butterfly. Do you often look in wonder when you see the progress that you have made on a project? The process of transformation is always a thing of beauty.
In the 1960s, psychiatrist Aaron Beck worked with his clients when he realised their beliefs were causing their problems. The surprising thing was that his clients weren’t conscious of these beliefs and the effects on their well-being.
Dr Beck is the father of cognitive therapy, one of the most effective therapies ever developed. Dr Beck discovered he could teach his patients how to work with and change these beliefs to improve their welfare.
His daughter Judith Beck and granddaughter Deborah Beck Busis have used his discoveries to help many dieters escape the diet trap. Dr Beck is also the Grandfather of Deborah Beck. His legacy lives on. Their book, The Diet Trap Solution: Train Your Brain to Lose Weight and Keep It Off for Good. I would highly recommend this book if you are looking to lose weight or maintain your weight loss.
As you develop a growth mindset, you will find that your internal monologue is not about judging yourself and others. Instead, you will view your deficiencies as an opportunity for you to learn, grow and advance.
You are intentionally and consciously changing the internal monologue from a judging one to a growth-oriented one.
A goal without a plan is just a wish. You have a goal to change the internal dialogue in your mind, give yourself the grace to learn, and live out to your full potential as an entrepreneur. How are you going to achieve this mindset change? How will you stay on track?
As an entrepreneur, you may want to start growing your business. One of the most effective ways is to invest in an email marketing strategy. To find out more about Email marketing, read our previous article here. In order to start reaping the benefits of email marketing, you will need to implement a series of sequential steps. One of those steps includes using an Email Service Provider (ESP)[1].
Business growth will only happen if you follow through will all the recommended steps. Two things come into play:
- Your belief that Email marketing will help with the development of your business
- Putting in the effort to set up the required systems.
Again belief (based on evidence) followed by action to make this goal happen.
[1] An ESP is a company that provides email marketing services. Email service providers are technology companies that make it easier for people to build email lists and send emails. At the most basic level, an ESP needs to do two things: store email addresses and send emails.
Tip 4-Feeling Bad, But Doing Good
Entrepreneurship can be challenging and demanding, coupled with the fact that you are also taking care of loved ones. You are naturing the lives of your family. The demands can and do get overwhelming.
In such times, you reach out or dig deep to the reason you started the entrepreneurial journey. I found the clarity tool – an exercise that helps you narrow down your ‘Why’ to be very helpful in times of discouragement. You can access the clarity tool here.
If you know your ‘Why’: You now have your compelling reason to keep working on your business.
The next step is to make a concrete, growth-oriented plan and stick to it.
Keep churning out content (blogs, vlogs and podcasts), be consistent in analysing the content that is doing well and make more of it. If you are batching your content creation, continue with this system and simply adjust the content.
Read widely on the topic of concern. I am a big fan of audiobooks and often listen to them as I walk or fold laundry (I do not iron anymore!) at a speed of 1.3X and above. I don’t listen to audiobooks when driving because I need to pay attention when driving on the road.
Work hard to get the results you want.
Tip 5-Build Relationships That Build Others and Build You
As a growth-minded entrepreneur, you know that resources are abundant. The biggest challenge is unlocking these resources. As a growth-minded entrepreneur, you also know that you can open these resources.
You are becoming deliberate in acquiring the knowledge and skills.
Human beings are social beings. Building relationships can become a new source of satisfaction. Build others by serving them, help when and where you are able.
You will be surprised about the reciprocation you will receive from your efforts. Your peers will be collaborators who will work and teach you the tools of the trade. Your customers will support your business by buying your products or services.
How will you build these relationships? Social media is excellent for connecting and engaging with your current and potential customers.
Tip 6-Not Perfect, Not A Problem
As a growth-minded business owner, you are free to make mistakes and learn how to avoid them in the future.
I think for me, the most freeing feeling is the removal of perfection in what I do. In a previous blog, I discussed the limitations of perfectionism.
Michael Jordan is often referred to as a growth-minded athlete par excellence. Jordan talks about how hard he worked to get to develop his abilities. Here is a man who had struggled. Jordan wasn’t perfect. He put in the effort to be the basketball player that we stand in awe of and will forever remember for a long time to come. As a side note, the sneakers he wore during his first season in Chicago Bulls sold for USD 1.5 Million at an auction. Extraordinary personified!
Entrepreneurship is a lifelong journey of continuous education and experimentation. So, what if a project does not work! Go back to the drawing board, make some adjustments and put it out there again.
Do not be afraid of the effort it takes. Savour the process, and eventually, you will reap the benefits. Have you noticed that once you start improving one area of your life … other aspects of your life also improve?
Tip 7- Maintaining the Change
Maintenance of anything can be a challenge. You buy a house, get it renovated and freshly painted. As time goes by, you will need to carry out some maintenance jobs and apply a fresh coat of paint if you want your house to remain immaculate.
Once you achieve the entrepreneurial mindset, please work hard to maintain it. If you are like most people, you will forget what caused the problem in the first place as soon as you start reaping the benefits of your growth mindset.
Your adoption of the growth mindset had to be supported, or the gains you have made can disappear. Do not become complacent and stop doing what you need to do to maintain your new belief system.
Mindset change is not about picking up a few tricks. It’s about seeing and processing things in a new way. It’s a way of saying, “You’ll always be vulnerable.” So guard your mindset.
You are now the entrepreneur who practices a learn-and-help-learn framework. You are committed to personal growth, and you are wise enough to know development takes plenty of time, effort, and mutual support to achieve and maintain.
Conclusion
Change can be tricky, but I’ve never heard anyone say it wasn’t worth it.
Your whole outlook in life will change when you give yourself the freedom to learn, make mistakes, correct them and move on.
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