Happy New Year!
As we reflect on the last twelve months, it becomes apparent that we have learnt so much. The most important lesson being how resilient we are. It was a testing year for us all but we can move forward into 2021 with the knowledge that we can deal with whatever this new year throws at us with a sense of confidence and certainty that we can handle it all. With this in mind, now is the time to set our intentions and make a commitment to locking in our mindset for the year ahead.
So, what is a mindset and why does it matter? How often have you heard someone say ‘open your mind’ or that someone has a closed mind about something? Most people have heard or said this at some point. Your mindset about specific issues and life itself is often set in certain ways as you age. If you aren’t clear on what a mindset is or why mindsets matter, you won’t know what you need to do to change or grow. In this article you’ll learn what mindset is and why it matters to your success.
Your mindset determines what you experience and the ideas you are open to. Your mindset sets your success in life, love and business. Your mindset can be fixed in some ways about certain situations and ideas or you might have a growth mindset that allows you to grow as a person and live a happier life. Mindset is the view you adopt which determines how you live your life, how you see the world and how you make decisions. In other words, it is your perspective or your view of the world. It’s your beliefs about your abilities and qualities that form how you see things. It’s your usual attitude or mental state.
Think about your strengths and talents. Are you musically inclined? Are you wise or intuitive? Are you creative? How you answer these questions defines your mindset and provides clues as to how you view the world and yourself. Your mindset shapes your reality and your perception of what you can do and what’s out of reach for you. Your mindset can be optimistic, negative or a mixture of both. It can be that of a person with a sunny outlook on life, an athletes focus on success or a business owner’s methodical way of thinking.
There are also different types of mindset. The fixed mindset and the growth mindset are the two main types that determine how you see things. You may have a social mindset, a fear mindset, a lazy or envy mindset. Maybe you have a business mindset, a follower mindset or a dreamer mindset. You could possess a creative mindset, a confident mindset or have a gratitude mindset. It may be one of greed or anger. You can also have different mindsets about different areas of your life.
Why does mindset matter? It plays a significant role in how you cope with challenges. When you were at school, if you had an open or growth mindset it helped you achieve and learn more by putting in more effort. Your mindset can determine how resilient or persistent you are. It also determines how successful you will be in every area of your life. For example, someone with a growth mindset is much more likely to succeed because they are driven and always aim for bigger and better things. Those with a closed or fixed mindset become stagnant, lacking motivation to achieve more. Your mindset is the force behind whether you thrive or avoid challenges, how you view failures and setbacks and how you persevere toward your goals. The wonderful thing about it is you can change it whenever you choose. All it takes is the decision to become more.
