Fixed or Growth Mindset? Find some strategies to turn your mindset around

Have you ever really thought about how your mindset can impact your daily life?

Or how your perception of the world around you may or may not hold you back?

If you think about it, our mindset has a significant impact on how we handle things. It can be the difference between whether we achieve our goals or not. A fixed or growth mindset set can make a huge difference in how we perceive things.

I must admit I hadn’t taken much stock of how my mindset affected me. It wasn’t until recently I was listening to Daily Wisdom on the Calm App, that I genuinely thought more about it. It was like a light bulb moment. I was looking at my life the wrong way. I was dwelling on the negatives rather than the positives, and as a result, I had a negative train of thought and lacked confidence. Two things I have struggled with for a long time.
Following my realisation, I’ve taken some time and looked into how our mindsets can affect us and what we can do about it.

What is a Mindset?

A mindset is a belief or attitude we have about something or someone. It can be either negative or positive, or a mixture of both. There are many different variations below. I have added a little about the three main Mindset types;

Growth or Fixed Mindset

According to Dr Carol Dweck, author of the book Mindset, there are two types, fixed and growth. Here is an example of each of these;

Fixed Mindset People with Fixed Mindsets believe that their talents or intelligence are ‘given’ and can’t be extended or changed. They will see a test result as measuring their actual intelligence rather than simply being a take on their skills at the time.

Growth Mindset People with a Growth Mindset believe that they can grow and develop their talents through time, effort, and dedication. Moreover, they see new things as a challenge and always go for the most complex problems to solve. A poor test result is an indication they need to strive for more; rather than a sign they aren’t good enough.

Abundance vs Scarcity Mindset

A person with an abundance mindset will realise there will always be more. Whereas a person with a scarcity mindset feels there will never be enough

Abundance Mindset, A person with an abundance mindset often thinks big and is accepting of challenges. They also strive to grow while freely sharing their knowledge with others. They will often embrace change and believe there is enough room for everyone to achieve their desires. Showing they are both generous and considerate.

Scarcity Mindset, On the other hand, A person with a scarcity mindset resents competition and is fearful of change. They will often refuse to share knowledge or help others and are suspicious of those who do. With a think small and avoid risk mentality, they usually won’t achieve their ambitions, further reiterating their feelings of failure.

Positive vs Negative Mindset

This one is relatively self-explanatory. Most people will lean toward either a positive or negative mindset, with the positive attitude being the most desirable. A positive mindset allows us to see the best in things and will enable us to brush ourselves off and get back up when things get us down. A negative mindset is quite the opposite; it leaves us feeling deflated and often inadequate. It is certainly possible to train your mind to see the positives over the negatives, like everything though it takes time and practice.

Can we change our mindset?

YES! Although we may identify with certain mindsets, they aren’t set in stone and can be changed. Learning how we can change our thought processes will help us tackle life with more of a growth mindset. For example, here are some great ways to help improve your mindset;

• Try being more open-minded and curious

• Be open to learning new skills

• Learn from your failures rather than hiding from them

• Focus on what you are learning rather than the achievements

• Keep trying. The more you work at it, the easier it gets

Mindset is everything; when you go from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, everything changes.

With some self-reflection and some mind fullness practice, we can often change our perspective. As a result, I have found some beneficial things you can do to improve or change your mindset. These include daily meditation or reflection and journaling, which can help us let go of nagging negative thoughts. Meditation helps us quiet our minds and become more present in the moment; My favourite is the Calm app; I have found it highly beneficial in helping me through rough patches and sleep issues. Journaling is also a great release, and it allows us to write down and let go of thoughts and ideas that may be bothering us. If you struggle with anxiety and worry, The Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal is a great resource; you can get yourself a copy here.

Furthermore, some other things I have found helpful myself are meditation and aromatherapy, reading and learning.
I like to diffuse essential oils; aromatherapy is a great way to improve your positivity. Choosing suitable oils and blends can have a significant impact on our mindset. As a result of using essential oils, I have improved my mood considerably while diffusing specific blends. ECO Modern Essential has a lovely Mindset range that can help evoke many positive feelings. The mindset collection is one of my favourites to diffuse. Its range of different oils will help you hit the ground running; pick a blend to suit your moods and needs: Courage, Rise, Empowerment, Strength, Nurture, Optimism.

Want to learn more about how essential oils can improve our mood and mindset; check out my other blog here
Dr Carol Dwerk’s book Mindset is an excellent and informative book if you want to learn more about mindset types. Grab a copy here.