I often wondered in the past if a growth mindset and a positive outlook could categorically be pinpointed in people’s lives as the reason for their success – or not. Over the years, I have noticed the massive difference in people’s lives with different mindsets. Even though this evidence is anecdotal, it is compelling if observed in people you know well. Was there any science backing this up? It started me on a journey of figuring out what you need for a growth mindset.

A growth mindset is best summed up as your belief in your ability to improve through hard work and help from others. We have different talents, skill sets, and intelligence. However, we can all grow and change with discipline and experience.

Is it true that your perspective on the world or your mindset affects the outcome of your life? Then, we should be analyzing the different perspectives and mindsets we hold as truth. Can we change these perspectives and mindsets? Growth mindset theory by Dr. Carol Dweck discusses the difference between people with a “fixed mindset” and people with a “growth mindset.”

She describes it: “My work bridges developmental psychology, social psychology, and personality psychology, and examines the self-conceptions (or mindsets) people use to structure the self and guide their behavior. My research looks at the origins of these mindsets. Their role in motivation and self-regulation, and their impact on achievement and interpersonal processes.”

A mindset is a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you interpret and respond to situations. In other words, a mindset is a habit. It is your attitude to life’s circumstances, your perspective, and how you react to circumstances. So, do we have a combination of a fixed and growth mindset, or are we one or the other? Can we change from one to the other, and if so, how would we do this?

I was listening to a speech the other day by Brad Lea where he was speaking about our perspective when we get up in the morning. Say a very wealthy person gave us $1 million paid into our bank account. Try and imagine how you would feel. What would you spend it on?

This feeling when the money is in your account would be something pretty spectacular. Now imagine you accepted this $1 million on the condition that you would be dead tomorrow. So you would be paid $1 million but could only enjoy it for one day. Would you take that deal?

Not one mentally healthy person would.

So when you get up in the morning, remind yourself that today is worth more than $1 million. I had never thought about life in a dollar value before. It seems odd that people would associate life with money, but it gives you a different lens. If we get up and are grateful to be alive, knowing today is worth more than $1 million, perhaps we will be more thankful throughout the day.

For me, the start to developing a growth mindset is our perspective. If we wake up grateful and excited to get going, fostering a growth mindset is the natural byproduct.

If we start with a healthier perspective, this will inevitably lead us to have a different worldview. We will be able to embrace challenges more easily. A setback won’t derail us. People with a growth mindset believe they can work towards change and grow through application. They have the one key ingredient to success in life – discipline.

Knowing what we want out of life is the start of developing a growth mindset. Set realistic and achievable goals. Take time to reflect on your direction in life. Figure out what you want to achieve and by when. Once you know what you want and what type of person you want to be, it liberates you to put a plan in place. Then, you can take action to achieve your goals.

If we have goals in all areas of our lives, a natural byproduct will be us moving towards achieving these goals – if we are serious. Taking action to achieve goals will mean we go through a process to learn and grow. We may have to develop a new skill or work to improve areas of our lives we aren’t happy with. No matter how difficult the challenge is, you can make the changes if you know where you are headed. Part of developing a growth mindset is deciding what we want, who we want to be, and how to get there.

I play guitar as one of my hobbies. I come from a family of impressive musicians. All my sisters have this innate ability to play multiple musical instruments without much practice. Unfortunately, I somehow wasn’t gifted with the same genes. It just takes me so long to learn a new song. I also forget how to play particular songs much quicker than my sisters. Why can somebody pick up an instrument and get the hang of it far faster than others?

On a holiday a few years ago, a group of us (including my brother-in-law) went to play a round of golf. He hadn’t played golf since leaving school. We weren’t expecting much from him, but he somehow won almost every hole. There were some other golfers who played most weeks in that group, and he beat all of us. How is this possible?

We all have different talents and skills. Others will have more ability than you in certain areas. People may differ in every area. What is irrefutable, though, is that we all have the ability to improve. We all know that work and perseverance will differentiate between success and failure. Even my guitar skills have improved over the years through practice and repetition. I know many people who have talents most people could only dream of. However, they waste these talents or don’t value them enough.

The good news is that our abilities are innate. If we have discipline, fortitude, and resolve, then we are capable of improving. In fact, we are capable of achieving almost anything. Even the bible in Mark 9:23 says, ‘Everything is possible for one who believes’.

Abilities can be developed. If you have the discipline, change can be made. What it takes is discipline. Once you have defined and clear goals and an unshakeable resolve to achieve these goals, you are building a growth mindset.

People with a fixed mindset believe the sacrifices required to achieve what they want are either too difficult or won’t make a difference. Fixed mindset people, may start a new venture but give up as soon as it gets tricky. This is because they don’t trust themselves. They don’t realize they have no belief in their self-worth. To embrace a growth mindset, we must commit to what we say we will do.

This is not that difficult if the correct process is followed. Make sure you are hitting your daily goals by doing the daily disciplines. People with a growth mindset see or envisage what the future could be. They set the bigger goal, drill it down into daily smaller goals, and make sure they do the daily disciplines. If you do the daily disciplines, guess what? You become accustomed to racking up some wins every day. A few wins every day, and you start to walk a little taller. You begin to have a little more pride in yourself.

A growth mindset means we value and engage in the process. We celebrate the daily wins. The daily disciplines and the daily wins become weekly and monthly wins. We grow through application and experience. So, identify what daily tasks you need to do to move you in the direction you want to go.

Even if your initial talents and aptitudes are seemingly not as abundant as others around you, you can achieve what you have set out for yourself through dedication to the daily disciplines.

The legendary football player Tom Brady’s coach, Bill Belichick, admitted that Brady wasn’t blessed with overwhelming athletic skill. Instead, it’s been learned. Through an incredible work ethic, Tom Brady has become arguably the greatest football player to have ever played the game.

People with growth mindsets believe they will eventually triumph. They don’t ask for things to be easier. They ask that they get better. Don’t avoid challenges. Figure out how to overcome challenges.

Part of the learning process, whether learning a new language or starting a side hustle, will eventually hit obstacles. A growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset is that those with a fixed mindset are more likely to give up when the obstacles start stacking up – and they will. Any new worthwhile endeavor will stretch you and will ask a lot of you. If you keep working on developing the daily disciplines to achieve your goal, eventually, you will gain personal growth you didn’t think possible. Growth mindset activities are your daily disciplines.

Cultivate a learning and growth environment. If we want to change, we need new information. We need to feed our minds daily with helpful and motivating information. Our ability to learn and grow will skyrocket if we prioritize what we feed our minds. Research has shown over and over again the importance of what we feed our minds.

Look at the success of others. How did they achieve their success? Figure out ways to work similar techniques into your life.

It is up to you whether you develop a fixed versus growth mindset. Mindsets aren’t dropped into your lap at birth. You build growth mindsets, and you create a fixed mindset. I have noticed in my own life how my perspective changed – for the worse. I slipped into lazy thinking and saw a drop in my bank balance and a growth in my waist size. This didn’t happen all at once. It was many small bad choices after getting home from work every day. Somehow, I got into the habit of lying in front of the TV and eating rubbish most nights. I didn’t see the effects straight away. But sure enough, they came.

A few years of this, you realize you are not achieving what you want in all areas of your life. Bad habits and laziness is a sure-fire way to destroy all you have worked for. You find yourself saying, ‘This isn’t what I want out of life.’

The good news is that a growth mindset intervention is possible and surprisingly simple to achieve with the above techniques. It may not be easy, but the process is simple. Anyone can apply the above methods, and with time and practice, you can change the direction of your life. Even I managed to make the necessary changes, if I can, so can you.

People with a growth mindset are more likely to have joy, peace, and trust in themselves. Developing a growth mindset is relatively simple. As discussed, it may not be easy, but it is simple. All that a growth mindset requires is:

• A change in our perspective through an attitude of gratitude and thanksgiving each morning and throughout the day. Even if you don’t feel like it, think of things you are thankful for all day. Thank God for these things continually.

• Set up proper goals (this article may help you). Once the bigger goals are determined, develop the small daily disciplines required to move you toward your goal. Make the ‘why’ so powerful you will pay the price daily. You either sacrifice a little each day for your dream, or you sacrifice your dream. Either way, you are sacrificing, so why not sacrifice for a higher life?

• Take action. Nothing is achieved without the thought, the plan, and then taking action. People who take action tend to achieve their goals. Stop seeking approval from others and start celebrating the small wins you are stacking up each day. Make sure your daily goals are achievable, and then work smacking them out each day. You and anyone you know can achieve what you want out of life.

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