One of the many things this year has shown us is that change is constant, disruptions are everywhere, and stress is unavoidable.
The good news? Despite the tough environment we find ourselves in, creating success doesn’t have to be an uphill battle. You can take control and even master using stress and volatility to your advantage. It starts with rewiring your mindset to one of growth and possibility.
In a fascinating TEDx Talk, Dr Alia Crum, Associate Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, shares resounding proof that what we think and believe about something has more influence on the outcome than any other factor.
But changing our mindsets doesn’t happen overnight. Shaped by our upbringing, education, opinions and beliefs, our mindsets result in deeply ingrained ways of thinking that determine how we will interpret and respond to situations.
This is particularly challenging when our mindsets become negative and we view the world around us in a limiting way. It takes attention and deliberate effort to adjust how we perceive and react to things. In particular, we need to learn how to recognise situations in which our mindsets are holding us back, limiting our ability or making our lives more challenging than they need to be.
How to reset your mindset for growth
Become aware of your mindsets What beliefs do you have about yourself, your stress and your capabilities? Are these mindsets serving you well or making life harder? To get started, increase your awareness of your mindsets by paying attention to your thinking. Before you react to a situation or make a decision, think about the lens you are using to see reality.
Clarify your ‘why’ Give yourself time and space to ask the big questions. Think about what you want to accomplish in your personal and professional life. Use what you’ve learned in this reflection time to set your goals for the year. Determine what success looks like to you and write down the mindsets that will help you get there. When confronted with obstacles or stressful situations, try to select the lenses that will help you achieve your life’s purpose.
Turn negatives mindsets into positive ones Around 65 000 thoughts go through our minds daily. Unfortunately, for many, the majority of these thoughts are negative, or limiting. In fact, “Automatic Negative Thoughts” (ANTs) occur so often that you’re probably not even aware of them. To turn this around, challenge your existing mindsets. Pay attention to negative or limiting beliefs and thoughts. Once you’ve identified limiting thoughts, look for evidence that contradicts it and reframe the negatives to positives. For example, stress can be harmful but it can also enhance performance. Both of these mindsets are true, but which one will serve you best?
Start small, practise daily As John Maxwell once said, “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily. The secret of your success is found in your daily routine.” Begin with small exercises that help you adopt and apply the new mindset. For example, reframing the physical sensations of stress – racing heart, knotted stomach, sweaty palms – as your body’s way of letting you know something important is on the line. Then unpack why this is meaningful so that you can take it on with a ‘challenge stress’ response that opens you up to learning and development.
Get comfortable with the “F” word Embracing a growth mindset means being comfortable with the F word: FAILURE. Reframing challenges as opportunities and pushing the limits of your abilities can be daunting. When we face challenges, receive criticism, or fare poorly compared with others, we can easily fall into insecurity or defensiveness. This response inhibits growth. Rather, it is about acknowledging failure, learning from the setbacks and doing things differently next time.
How we can help
At the heart of 2Collaborate is a growth mindset. Our purpose is to create value for businesses and their people by focusing, aligning and unleashing their potential for high-performance. We transform the ordinary into the extraordinary through our dynamic High Performance Formula.
Whether you're looking to develop your own Growth Mindset or embed it into your company culture, one thing is clear: learning and change readiness are key to growth.
Explore how our high-impact leadership, engagement and change readiness programmes can help your employees master these skills and unleash their full performance.
About the author: Hennie Brittz, Director and Head of Marketing and Technology at 2Collaborate
Hennie has spent 13 years in business and consulting conceptualising, designing and implementing large-scale performance improvement processes. An entrepreneur at heart, he founded the design and internal communications agency, Elevate, in 2019. Shortly, thereafter he co-founded GameChangers, a business consultancy that brings you the best from the sports field and boardroom.
Get to know more about Hennie on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/henniebrittz/
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