7 tips will help you overcome a fixed mind-set and put you on the path to being more

BY CLEVE DeSOUZA

Why settle for the status quo when you can achieve more? Many of us dream and wish to have more, but if we don’t stay focused on our path to success, we won’t see our opportunities.

It’s proven that in order to have more, you must be more and do more. This week, we begin a three-part series focused on that equation. First, we’ll explain how to be more. Our next article will focus on doing more, and our final article will explain how to have more.

The uncomfortable truth is many of us lack the mind-set to see opportunities and won’t put in the hard work necessary to have more. The good news is we can begin changing our mind-set today.

Angie Zimmerman, the author of 7 Steps to Master Your Mind to Increase Sales and Boost Productivity, says the key is to change how you look at situations. Don’t think in terms of failures or successes. Instead, think of everything that happens as stops along the path to success.

For example, if you are laid off, what do you learn from the challenge? Instead of searching for the same job with a new company, think about seizing the opportunity to work in a new industry. Could you expand a hobby into a career? Or maybe now is the time to enrol in a skilled trades program. The lessons you take away from facing life’s challenges help you be more.

Another mind-set expert, Carol Dweck, an American psychologist and author, encourages us to view our basic qualities as attributes that can grow and change over time. For example, Dweck argues we aren’t born with a predetermined intelligence level. Instead, our intelligence grows as we learn. She calls this belief a growth mind-set. Those who have fixed mind-sets and believe growth isn’t possible don’t grow.

These 7 tips will help you overcome a fixed mind-set and put you on the path to being more:

1. Change your self-talk. Stop thinking in negatives. Instead, tell yourself that you can realize your dreams.
2. Talk to other people about what’s working in your life. When someone asks how you are, tell him or her about the best part of your day. You’ll begin paying attention to how much you have instead of what you lack.
3. Choose the mind-set you want. If your goal is to finish college, then frequently remind yourself of past academic successes. If those are scarce, then think of how much you’ve grown and learned since leaving school.
4. Read the words of experts on this topic. Try Mindset by Carol Dweck. If you’d rather listen than read, then search out Ted Talks on growth mind-sets.
5. Remember how your mom used to worry about your friends? She was right. We pick up attitudes and habits from our friends. Surround yourself with people who think the way you want to think. You’ll unconsciously pick up new, healthy habits.
6. It’s also time to consciously create new habits that support your new way of thinking. If developing a growth mind-set is important to you, then designate time every day to learn more about how to cultivate this attitude for yourself.
7. This last one may be the most difficult. Force yourself out of your comfort zone. If you stay where it’s comfortable, you won’t grow. For example, if you want to go back to school and learn a new job skill, then enrol in a class today, especially if that feels a little scary.

Of course, success takes more than just a positive attitude. You’ll suffer setbacks along the way. You need to pay close attention to what’s happening. Make sure you’re not confusing constant activity with actual progress. Keep your eyes on your end goal and make sure everything you do brings you closer to it.