5 Tips to Develop a Personal Growth Mindset

There are very few things in life that one is unable to achieve. The problem lies in that actual taking of action to achieve what it is you want. Adopting a personal growth mindset is a key factor in achieving and obtaining what you want in life. It is essential for health, happiness, and overall well-being. 

When we are children we start off very ambitious but over time after being put down, told we can't, and convinced by others that things are unachievable many of us developed a mindset that is opposite of personal growth. We were worried about being judged, failing, and looking stupid. These feelings were developed not because of actuality, but because of other people. 

Somewhere along the line, we learned that our dreams actually weren't obtainable. That we needed to take the path of the majority because that is how life is. Up until several years ago, I had a self-limiting attitude that was holding me back from feeling happiness in all aspects of life. I let fear and doubt creep into any place that it could get itself into. I believed that I was just not "that person" that was able to be successful. I had an excuse for everything. Finally, I had enough. I was sick of hearing myself complain about my life and decided to focus energy on doing something about it rather than excuses. I decided to make personal growth a priority in my life. 

Making a personal growth mindset shift meant that I had to have an understanding that I would NOT be good at everything or anything for that matter right off the bat. That being said, I knew that I would always have the tools to improve and grow in the areas that I wanted to. Adopting a personal growth mindset has not only made me a happier person, it has allowed me to meet new people and experience things that would have never been possible otherwise. Today I want to share with you 5 tips on how you can adopt a personal growth mindset and begin to change the course of your life today! 

Tip #1: Stop Making Excuses and Justifying Everything!

Instead of thinking about all the reasons you won't succeed, think about ways that you can succeed and then learn how! In addition to that, you do NOT need to justify everything you do to others. No matter what your vision is, someone will always have something negative to say about it. They will try to give you reasons why you shouldn't, and try to sway you from your path. At the end of the day, if you feel strongly about what it is you want, don't waste energy on trying to justify it to other people. Stop seeking approval from these people. When you prioritize approval over learning, you sacrifice your own wants and personal growth.  Focus on your vision, and make it happen! 

Tip #2: Make an Effort to Meet New People

Want to hear something crazy? You actually learn from people different from you! Yeah, that's right...people who are different from yourself have something to teach you. Seek out new people to have conversations with, engage with people and groups that are different from your typical way of life and embrace them with an open mind. Understanding different ways of life and people different from yourself not only expands your mindset but stimulates your creativity allowing to yourself to see beyond what's right in front of you. 

Tip #3: View Challenges as Opportunities and Open Your Mind to Different Learning Tactics

Failure no longer is the end for me, it is the beginning.  Adopting a growth mindset means understanding failures, and learning how to improve so that it can ultimately lead to success. This means acknowledging and embracing your imperfections instead of hiding them. When you hide from your weaknesses it means that you will never overcome them. Accepting them means you are able to grow. Learning and growth is different for everyone. This means opening your mind to different ways of learning that are beneficial to you. What may work for one, doesn't always work for another. It is not about HOW you get to the answers, but that you get there. 

Tip #4: Respect the Process and Develop a Sense of Purpose 

It is not about how fast you get to the end result, it is more about the process. Often when we rush, cut corners, and only focus on the outcome rather than take in the process, we miss crucial aspects of what we needed to learn to improve. I have learned that by focusing on the process rather than the end result that I am often led in a different, but better, direction than what I started out in. In addition to that, always keep the bigger picture in mind. Start asking yourself "why". Why do you want the things that you do? what does it mean? and what is the greater purpose? 

Tip #5: Take Ownership Over Your Attitude 

Once you develop a growth mindset, OWN IT! Allow yourself to be seen as someone who has a growth mentality and let it guide you through your life. When we open our eyes and our minds to personal growth we are able to see things through a different light. Let that guide you and take you to where you are meant to go. 

Adopting a growth mindset allows you to take on new things. Instead of seeing roadblocks, you will see opportunities. There will always be times of doubt...it is human nature, but having this mindset will help you to bounce back quicker. Things will always go wrong, but instead of fighting it and placing blame you will be able to focus on how to fix it and move forward.