Today’s post is short, and I’m writing it on my iPhone notes at 10 pm to make sure I get my daily post in, but it is important nonetheless.
Have you ever had that little voice in your head say the words, “you can’t do ___.” Sometimes you feel like you are about to make a breakthrough and then that damned voice diminishes you and your accomplishments and your limitless potential. It has happened to me, and I’m sure most of you can relate.
That’s the voice of a fixed mindset. And it is indeed possible to flip that switch.
What is a fixed mindset?
A fixed mindset is a mindset that is exactly that, fixed. Optimism and hope for things to be better don’t really exist with this type of mindset. Those with a fixed mindset believe that what they were given at birth is all they have.
While it’s true that we have some innate intelligence, that doesn’t mean it can’t change. That doesn’t mean we can’t improve it. That doesn’t mean we have an innate worth. The amazing thing about being human is that, unlike the rest of the animals, we have a fantastically powerful brain and we can train it to become better, stronger, and faster.
We can teach it and train it towards a growth mindset.
What is a growth mindset
A growth mindset is one in which anything is seen as possible. The only limitations are those that you place on yourself, and even those can be changed through awareness and deep inner work.
A growth mindset also gives you the power and responsibility over your life. Having this type of mindset requires you to realize, “holy crap, I’m in my current situation because of me, it’s my job to make it better.”
This is the mindset you want to have. This is how you want to start thinking because once you have the power, once you have the responsibility… that’s when you will take action.
How can you foster a growth mindset?
There’s a lot of ways to foster a growth mindset and a lot of people may really struggle to be finding any hint of optimism in their lives. One of the greatest tools to get started is gratitude. Practicing gratitude will rewire your brain, make you happier, and if done consistently, will transform your life.
Saying aloud or writing down what you are grateful for each day primes your brain to focus on the positive and through the Reticular Activating System (RAS) find more positive things that match.
The power of gratitude
There’s the really cool part of the brain called the RAS, and it works as follows. You buy a new red Honda Civic. You drive home to your neighborhood and you notice that a bunch of your neighbors also have red Honda Civics! You’ve never noticed them before, but they’re definitely here now.
That’s your RAS in action. It makes sure you aren’t filtering out important details. When you buy a new car, that thought is placed at the front of your consciousness and the RAS tells your brain to focus more on these!
When you practice gratitude, you bring those same feelings of positivity, optimism, hope, and compassion to the forefront of your mind. Your RAS has no choice but to look for more.
You will literally start to see more opportunities and feel more positive all the while building a growth mindset. You will manifest what you want because your brain will start to pick up on these new stimuli that it once filtered out. It’s amazing!
Practicing gratitude
It’s as simple as 6 sentences a day. When you wake up, write down, “I am grateful for _____.” Do this 3 times.
At the end of the day, do the same thing.
Crazy easy action with crazy huge return.
What are you waiting for?
Write down three things right now! Then share them in the comments.
