Practicing Self Gratitude: Why Mindset is Everything?
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Written by: Jonette Dyer
When it comes to achieving success in life and relationships, one of the most important deciding factors is your mindset. In some ways, mindset is everything. Your mindset will dictate how much effort you are willing to put into achieving your goals, and it’s also going to directly impact your happiness along the way. Here’s a closer look at what mindset is and how it impacts your success and happiness.
What is Mindset?
Your mindset refers to a set of beliefs that goes far in shaping how you view both yourself and the world around you, according to Verywell Mind. This important belief set impacts your thoughts, feelings and actions. It also has a direct impact on whether or not you can push through challenges or choose to give up when problems strike. People can have two main mindsets: fixed mindset and growth mindset.
Fixed Mindset
Someone with a fixed mindset believes their abilities are fixed within themselves, and they cannot change them. This person believes that talent and intelligence alone are what trigger success, and effort has a very small, if any at all, impact.
Growth Mindset
Conversely, someone with a growth mindset believes they can grow their talents and abilities with time. This is tempered with a healthy sense of reality, which means someone with a growth mindset knows they may not achieve the status of genius with just effort, but they do believe they can become more successful if they put in effort.
What Does Success Look Like?
In order to decide if you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset, you must first define what success looks like. The answer to this is highly personal. Sometimes, success is tied to money. Other times, it’s tied to happiness and family. Some factors that most people will define as success include:
- A work-life balance
- Financial freedom
- Making an impact on the world
- Health and happiness
- Accomplishing your goals
Once you define what success means to you, you can start to improve your mindset and develop a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset is everything when it comes to success and happiness.
The Wrong View of Success Can Lead to Unhappiness
Your perception of success serves as a pivotal factor in determining your overall sense of happiness. If success in your mind is synonymous with reaching a specific income level, the journey toward that financial milestone might be time-consuming and arduous, potentially leading to a sense of discontentment along the way. The prolonged timeline to attain the set income goal can inadvertently overshadow smaller victories and milestones achieved during the process.
Furthermore, if one's definition of success is anchored in ideals that are unattainable or unrealistic for the average person, it can become a perpetual source of frustration.
Struggling to align with unrealistic expectations may hinder personal satisfaction and impede the ability to appreciate the incremental achievements that contribute to a fulfilling life.
A constructive approach involves cultivating a view of success that is not only realistic but also embraces smaller, attainable steps. By breaking down the overarching goal into manageable milestones, each accomplishment becomes a cause for celebration, fostering a continuous sense of happiness and contentment. This perspective encourages a healthier and more sustainable approach to personal and professional growth, allowing for the recognition of progress and the enjoyment of the journey toward success.
Why Mindset is Everything for Success and Happiness
When you have a growth mindset, which states that your effort can help you attain success, you will work harder. This, in turn, increases your chances of attaining your goals. In other words, a growth mindset is the key to success.
It's also the key to happiness. With a fixed mindset, you feel as if the realities around you are connected to exterior factors. There’s nothing you can do to change your circumstances. With a growth mindset, you can take charge of your circumstances. That agency leads to a feeling of happiness.
How to Develop a Growth Mindset
The good news about mindset is that you can change it. Some strategies to help you move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset include:
Embrace the Word “Yet”
When you can’t do something or achieve something, teach yourself to say, “I can’t do this yet.” This helps foster the mentality that you can continue working, and you will be able to do the thing.
Learn Self-Reflection
Reflect on your journey and find areas where you need to improve. Being self-aware will help you feel in control of your success.
Praise Effort
While you can’t control external praise, you can improve your internal dialogue. Encourage yourself by praising your own effort rather than the achievement. Surround yourself with people who do the same. Look for a coach who has the ability to see and praise your effort, too.
Celebrate Mistakes
Someone with a growth mindset understands that mistakes are a key factor in growth. Learn to embrace and celebrate your mistakes and the learning that comes from them.
Growth Mindset Leads to Stronger Relationships
While much has been written on the growth mindset in regard to learning and work success, it also has a direct impact on your personal relationships.
When you have a fixed mindset, you might think, “My partner should know how to love me well.” This can lead to frustration and resentment. In contrast, if you have a growth mindset, you may say, “My partner can love me well if I communicate my needs and desires.” You can clearly see the difference in how these two mindsets affect your interactions with your partner. You also start realizing you don’t have to manage your partner’s emotions.
Finally, a growth mindset causes you to realize that you, as a couple, have the ability to grow, change and improve. If you’re struggling with this mindset shift, relationship coaching could be a key factor to help you make it.
Attaining Guidance to Cultivate a Positive Mindset
When it comes to success, mindset is everything. If you are stuck in a fixed mindset, making the shift to a growth mindset is possible, but it can be challenging. This is especially true if you’ve had a fixed mindset since childhood. One way to help yourself make the shift is with personal life coaching from a coach who understands the importance and dynamics of a growth mindset.
Jonette Dyer is a life coach who can help you challenge your thinking to move from a fixed to a growth mindset. She offers
personal coaching,
mental health coaching,
relationship coaching and
life coaching services, all of which focus on mindset shifts. She will help you define success, identify your current mindset and make changes to embrace a growth mindset. Learn more about
Jonette, or
start your journey today.
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