It wasn’t that long ago if you told me I’d be writing a blog like this as part of my coaching business I would have not believed you. Frankly, I wasn’t even sure launching my business was going to happen. At times it seemed that there were just too many obstacles and too little time. But something kept me going.
I am guessing that you can relate to this feeling, in many ways. Starting something new is exciting, especially when it’s a business, but with that can come certain levels of anxiety and doubt. The biggest factor in being able to tame this doubt and achieve our goals is our mindset.
Think about the times you have achieved something significant. I will bet it started with a sense of belief that you could accomplish whatever it was you were set out to do. That doesn’t mean we don’t still have doubts lurking around in our minds. We don’t need to be doubt free to accomplish the big things we are working on. We just need to have one more measure of belief than of doubt.
In order to achieve our goals, we need to focus on how we think on a daily basis. A growth mindset, as described in Carol Dweck’s great book Mindset, is having the belief that your ability and intelligence is not limited to where you are today. It is a belief that, with effort and determination, you can gain the skills and knowledge you need to overcome the obstacles in your path. If you don’t naturally have a growth mindset, the thought of figuring out, let alone adopting it, can be daunting.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to make big changes overnight to make progress. Generally, the most significant, sustainable changes and progress we make in our lives happen one small step at a time. So, let’s start there.
This month try and be aware of the mindset you are bringing to whatever you are working to become, or accomplish.
Listen to how you are talking to yourself about it. Do you believe in your ability to grow? If not, how can you shift your perspective a bit? Hint, this podcast has great tips.
One Small Step:
One of my favorite tips is adding the word “yet” when you are telling yourself you aren’t something or can’t do something. Give that a try and see how that might start to shift your perspective.
My goal for this blog is to provide something of value that makes it worth your time to read. The topics I chose will be founded on my philosophy that emotional intelligence, a growth mindset, and continuous/incremental growth are the keys to success in life and business. I plan to focus on one topic each month and include book and podcast recommendations that relate.