I often get asked, how do I know what my mind-set it.. here are 3 Powerful Questions to help you. Before I dive into the questions, it is important to remind you that the mindset can change depending upon the area of your life you are talking about. It also depends on the day, and what has been happening in your life. For example, if you are ill or have not slept well, then you may find your-self in a fixed mind-set. Who you have been spending with can also determine your mind-set.
Power Question 1: What’s your self-talk?
Are you mostly self-critical or self-championing? Consider this scenario.. you’re on a campaign to get healthy. You eat well for 5 days and then on the 6th day you have a large Donut. What is your self-talk? Is it:
- I have done so well for 5 days, I am so proud of my-self. After this Donut tomorrow, I am back in.
- I always do this, I lack discipline. I will never be able to get healthy.
When I ask this question in talks, most people will say b. Most of us are way too critical of our-selves instead of being self-championing. When you are being critical, then you are in a fixed mind-set.
There are severe consequences to being critical. At an extreme it can lead to self-sabotage. Matthew Perry said he got together with Julia Roberts when she co-starred on the show friends. But Perry’s insecurities were not far from the surface and he claimed he was constantly convinced she was going to dump him. So to avoid rejection, he broke with her.
That’s a fixed mind-set. A growth mind-set would say, this is so great that I get to go out with Julia Roberts. If things get rocky, then I’m sure we can sit down and work it out as we really have a great time together.
Power Question 2: Do you get excited by change?
Some people are terrified of change, and yet it is inevitable. We change internally and we respond to the world around us. With each age and each accomplishment, we aim to grow further.
Lean into learning, growing and evolving. Make it fun – it would be rather boring if you were doing the same thing all the time. And remember, spiritually, we are here to experience and grow.
Oprah Winfrey says, “the greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change his future by merely changing his attitude.”. That attitude is linked to your mind-set. Shift to a growth mind-set to help you change your attitude and change your life.
Power Question 3: How do you view failure?
Failure is part of grwoth and more importantly, part of being human and part of life! If you take failure personally and link it to not being good enough – then you have gone into a fixed mind-set. A growth mind-set says ‘failure is part of life. This has given me more information of what to do next time.
An example that illustrates this well is Elon Musk’s SpaceX which exploded after launching a few 100 meters. A fixed mind-set would have called it a failure. However Elon Musk called it a success. He tweeted “Congrats @SpaceX team on an exciting test launch of Starship! Learned a lot for next test launch in a few months.”20 Apr 2023
I invite you to consciously shift your mind-set to one that is ready to constantly learn, evolve and grow.
