1. The key to achieving whatever you want to achieve in life is to start with the right mindset. Yes, you need practical ideas and support as well, but without the mindset, you won’t be able to enact any of it.
2. By mindset, I mean the beliefs you hold that influence how you think, feel and react to the world around you. Every time something happens to you or around you, it’s your mindset that directs how you respond. It’s clear it’s something that deserves a lot of your attention.
3. One potentially useful way to conceptualize mindset is through the ideas of “fixed” and “growth” mindsets. The first is when you think that your characteristics are immutable and can’t be changed. You’re good at something or you’re not. Obviously, this approach makes it much harder to improve. It even discourages you from trying.
4. A growth mindset, on the other hand, is open to the idea that you can become better. It may take time and patience, but there’s always room for improvement. Even a failure can be seen as a learning experience. Many experts recommend cultivating a growth mindset to try to meet your goals.
5. So where does mindset come from? Evidence suggests that it starts in childhood. The way you praise your children can make a big difference in how they think about themselves and the world. You can still change your mindset once you reach adulthood, but it takes a lot more effort.
6. If you tell a child they’re smart for doing well on a test, that encourages them to think of smartness as an immutable thing. That feeds into a fixed mindset.
7. On the other hand, if you congratulate them for studying so hard, that tells them that they did well because they put in the work. That’s more in line with a growth mindset.
8. How to change an established fixed mindset? Well, you need to make an active effort to redirect your thoughts. Every time you think “I can’t do it”, try to replace it with “I can’t do it yet.” Challenge your negative thoughts.
9. Challenging yourself is a good idea more generally. Rather than dwelling on potential or actual failure, teach yourself to look for opportunities in every situation.
10. Get the mindset right, and everything else should follow.
