The past few years have shown us that our work and day-to-day lives can change at a drop of a dime. Through unforeseen changes, many of us had different outlooks on how our futures would proceed and what our jobs would look like. These ideas cultivate from the mindset we give ourselves and can make or break our motivation, growth, and skills down the road. How we think about ourselves and our abilities creates the foundation for how we will grow. A growth mindset is necessary to ensure that we are giving ourselves full opportunity to grow and persevere through even the wildest of challenges.
A growth mindset can be the first step to achieving the goals you might see as impossible. In 2023, we have no way of knowing what we are walking into, but we have to believe that we are capable of taking on whatever is thrown at us. A growth mindset can help us plant ourselves in reality and be open to new skills, developments, and abilities along the way.
What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is where someone believes they can continue to grow in their skills, attributes, and abilities over time. This mindset allows people to look for more out of themselves and their situations so they can grow into better people, both professionally and personally.
These growable moments happen from hard work and dedication, guidance from others, and the right strategies. Compared to a fixed mindset, where some may feel like they are born with their talents and that someone either has them or doesn’t, a growth mindset allows people to go towards challenges with an open mind and curiosity about the subject. Even when failure happens within a growth mindset, it only means that there is something to learn from the experience and to continue through with perseverance.
Unlike a fixed mindset, a growth mindset welcomes challenges, hardships, and opportunities for growth. As we move into the new year, having a mindset of curiosity for the challenges to come can be proactive and effective in your professional development.
3 Ways to Cultivate a Growth Mindset for 2023
Turn Negatives Into Opportunities
Whether you face criticism or a challenge in the workforce, this is a crucial moment for cultivating a growth mindset. These two things might bring your day to a halt, but it is important to change your mindset and see these as opportunities for growth.
Criticism is your chance to hear how someone else might have done something different, and, in the end, you can make something better. When you are open to hearing more perspectives, you are more likely to learn and grow from the situation. A challenging project or task is the same deal. Don’t look at them and dread having to complete them, but look at them as a chance to grow your current skills and an opportunity to overcome something difficult.
Understand The Term “Yet”
The main difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset is the outlook on skills and attributes. To start the new year off strong, getting into the habit of using the term “yet” can keep you motivated and open to the new skills to come. We might catch ourselves saying, “I am not very good at this,” or “I haven’t mastered this new program,” and while these don’t seem too harsh on the surface, they can ultimately put us down and dampen our self-motivation.
Adding the word “yet” at the end of those sentences leaves the door open for growth and improvement. Becoming perfect at a skill immediately is rare, even though many wish it would work that way. Since it doesn’t, acknowledging that it will take time and effort to get better at the task at hand can ensure that we continue on and find our way to success over time.
Just Be You
A growth mindset entails having the trust and confidence in yourself to persevere and overcome challenges and unforeseen obstacles. Over the past two years, we have watched the workforce change from 100% in-person to suddenly all remote. Whether you were a leader or a team member at that time, it could have been a stressful experience. Having a growth mindset would have allowed you to see it as a new opportunity and something for you to learn and improve in. A growth mindset means being truly authentic to yourself. Pretending to be someone you are not is diminishing who you really are. Once you are able to find yourself and see where you stand in your skills, profession, and attributes, you can have a clearer idea of the steps you need to take to grow.
This can also mean to stop seeking approval from others. You must learn to trust yourself. With a growth mindset, you want to cultivate self-acceptance and self-approval. This means you understand where you start and don’t get upset when you may not excel at the rate you expect. You will get there with time and effort; you must trust yourself to do so. In the end, you are the only person you should focus on.
Going into 2023 with a growth mindset can start you on the road to success. If you have any questions or want to learn how to get there, reach out to the team at Wickham James.
