How does your mindset impact your career success?
The dictionary defines mindset as ‘a fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person’s responses to and interpretations of situations.’ I define mindset as your attitude and how you view things.
However you define it, your mindset has significant impact on your life, career and it impacts everything you do.
How you view yourself and the world will guide you over time in every decision your make about your career. Your attitude also greatly affects how you are showing up to others and how others perceive you. It will also greatly affect your earning potential – you normally get what you deep down believe you deserve.
People with limiting mindset are often threatened by the success of others, they blame others or events, they avoid or ignore feedback, avoid challenges, they have answers for everything, are defensive and always want to be right.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, you’ll have people with a can-do attitude, who want to stretch and challenge their capabilities, they take calculated risk, seek out feedback and learn from the success of others.
The good news is that mindset can be changed. In this article, I will give you a few tips on how to do that.
1) Learn to hear your limiting mindset ‘voice’
As you are about to embark on a new challenging project or accept that promotion, your voice might say to you ‘Are you sure you can do it? What if you fail?’ etc
As you face criticism, you might hear yourself say: “It’s not my fault. It was something or someone else’s fault.” You might feel yourself getting angry at the person who is giving you feedback. “Who do they think they are?
The other person might be giving you specific, constructive feedback, but you might be hearing them say “I’m really disappointed in you. I thought you were capable but now I see you’re not.”
2) Recognize that you have a choice in how you respond.
How you interpret setbacks and criticism, is your choice. You can interpret them as signs that you lack abilities or talent, or you can interpret them in growth mindset as signs you need to stretch yourself, put more effort in and expand your abilities. It is up to you.
3) Talk to yourself with a growth mindset voice.
Instead of saying to yourself:
“Are you sure you can do it?”
“What if you fail?”
“It is not my fault. It was someone else’s fault”
Talk to yourself with a growth mindset voice:
“Even if I don’t know to do it now, I can learn with time and effort”
“Most successful people had failures along the way. If you are not failing, you are not trying hard enough.”
“If I don’t take responsibility, I can’t fix it. Let me listen—however painful it is– and learn whatever I can.”
Then…
4) Take the growth mindset action.
Over time, which voice you listen to becomes pretty much your choice. Whether you take on this challenge, learn from your setbacks and try again, it is up to you. Practice acting on the growth mindset and see your life and career soar.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this post – please leave your comments below and if you like this article, please share it on Twitter or Facebook!:-)
These alternative comments to the negative self talk are invaluable. i like to post stuff like that all around me when I’m practicing a change list this. Thanks.
Absolutely true. Every word
🙂 Thanks
This is an excellent post Margaret, so relevant to your field
Wonderful advice Margaret! I’m sure all of us can benefit from this.
That’s so true! Sometimes a good job opportunity or a valuable chance in general can be sabotaged by a limited mindset. Thank you very much for your advice as always Margaret.
You’re v. welcome Stefania and thanks for your comment!
Great blog, I like your theme, what is the name of your theme and blog platform please ?.. I’d like to use them for my own blog,
Thanks, see ya ! 😀
I think I use headway, but not 100% sure – I can give you a name of my graphic designer if you want?