Why Mindset Matters?

Mindset: why managing your mindset can unlock your limitless potential

The dictionary definition of MINDSET is;

1.    the established set of attitudes held by someone.

 However, I’ve been doing some mindset work of my own of late and am challenging part of that definition… the use of the word ‘established’.

You see, the word established conjures up feelings of permanence and stability. Possibly even something that can’t be changed.

 However, I believe that mindset is infinitely changeable. All you need is to understand how and why.

 To help with that, I would highly recommend taking a look at the works of Dr Carol Dweck. In particular, the recently updated copy of the book Mindset.

 Why change your mindset?

Here’s the thing, even before I read the book, I was a HUGE advocate of manifestation.

Manifestation is the belief that, by trusting in the universe to provide you with what you believe you deserve, you will receive what you truly deserve.

 The reason I hold that belief is that I see it every.single.day!

 When I work with clients, like you, I see people who either achieve, or are held back, by their inner belief of what they are worth.

 So, here’s the magic. Changing your mindset can quite literally, change your life!

 Of course, that’s all very easy to say, but can be much harder to do, consistently, for the rest of your life.

Do you need to change your mindset?

This is the time for you to be brutally honest with yourself. Because if you’re quite happy as you are and you don’t yearn for anything to change, then maybe you don’t need to bother.

 However, if you feel imposter syndrome, anxiety, a pressure to ‘live up’ to people’s expectations, to prove yourself or in any way like you are being judged for who you are, then maybe there’s some work to do to make ‘being you’ feel more comfortable and fulfilling.

 The truth is, we are all a work in progress. With investment in areas of our lives that we want to improve, it’s all there for the taking.

 In the Mindset book I mentioned before, Dr Dweck talks about ‘fixed’ and ‘growth’ mindset.

With a fixed mindset, you would typically think that who you are, what you are good at, what you achieve is all set in stone. They’re all traits that are part of you and you just have to live your life accommodating them.

 By contrast, a growth mindset would see you fostering the belief that you are infinitely capable of improving any of those traits with time and effort being invested to do so. 

To use an example from the book, do toddlers give up learning to walk the second they stumble?

 No. They carry on practising and learning until they are brilliant at walking, running and (often to their parents’ horror) climbing…. or any other skills they weren’t born with. 

 Why? Because they see the people around them doing all this amazing stuff and they want to do it too. So, they invest bumps and grazes and time and energy to learn.

 We are, quite literally, born with a growth mindset. Yet somewhere along the way, for some of us, we lose it.

 What I’ve learnt from Dr Dweck

At this point, I’m going to put my hands up and admit, I had previously considered myself to have a growth mindset. After all, my whole life is built around helping clients to release themselves from learned behaviours that were stopping them leading the life they dreamed of.

However, what I discovered was that whilst I am really good at helping others change their thought patterns, I wasn’t so good at noticing when my own fixed mindset was getting in my own way!

 If you need help to develop resilience in your personal or professional life, please get in touch.

Unleashing the power of YET

YET…

 Such a short word but so full of power and potential!

 Whatever ‘it’ is that you want to be better at, try adding the word ‘yet’ to any negative statements you make about the skill, trait or knowledge.

•  I can’t cook becomes so much more positive when you add YET.

• I don’t know how to be a good parent, is instantly transformed with YET.

• I don’t know how to communicate with my teenager………..You’ve got it – YET.

• I don’t understand business finances……. YET.

 If you’d like to find out more about how my range of therapies and techniques can combine to help you manage your mindset and unleash the power of YET in your life, call 07557668729 or email me to arrange your free initial consultation.