I recently read this article titled "Upgrade Your Mindset for Success" by Gustavo Razzetti, and was inspired to share with everyone. I had read Carol Dweck's book mentioned below a few years ago which discusses the growth mindset in detail. This article has succinctly explained the types of mindsets as well as the differences between the mindset and attitude. So here is the article:
Success and happiness are all about mindset. What you think you become. Your mindset doesn’t just affect how you see the world. It shapes your responses and actions even if you don’t realize it. Developing the right mindset is crucial to succeeding in anything.
What is a mindset?
A mindset is a frame of mind. It’s the sum of beliefs, opinions, and thoughts that you formed about the world and yourself. Think of your mindset as a lens through which you filter reality. Our education, religion, upbringing, and experience shape our beliefs and thoughts. That’s why our mindset is a fixed state of mind — we have our mind “set.” Thus, determine how you perceive and react to specific events. Napoleon Hill said: “There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.”
Mindset vs. Attitude
» Mindsets can change, but they tend to change slowly. It’s easier to correct our attitude than our mindset.
» An attitude is a short-term reaction shaped by our mindset. It is a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something specific.
» A mindset is a collection of beliefs and thoughts that shape your thought habits. They impact how you make sense of the world (and yourself).
» An attitude has a short-term impact. That’s why they are easier to modify. Our mindsets are deeply ingrained in our beliefs. They require extra effort to change them.
» A mindset is a fixed mental disposition that predetermines our responses to and interpretations of situations. Your mindset filters reality.
» Your mindset pre-determines your interpretations and responses. It shapes your relationship with the world and with yourself.
» Choose your mindset wisely and overcome the beliefs that limit your potential. Then you can create positive consequences instead of negative ones.
Mindsets liberate or limit our potential
Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it. Carol_Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, took education and business by storm. It suggests that our beliefs about our own intelligence determine our ability to learn.
A Fixed Mindset is the belief that our qualities are fixed traits that we cannot change. People with this mindset believe that talent alone leads to success. So, if you don’t have it in adequate amount, you just can’t do/achieve XYZ. A Growth Mindset, conversely, is believing that our intelligence can grow with time and experience. This mindset encourages us to put in extra time — effort leads to higher achievement. A Fixed Mindset limits our capacity for learning, whereas a Growth Mindset helps us reach our full potential.
Multiple Mindsets
When we think about mindset, most people think about the Growth Mindset versus Fixed Mindset. But that’s just one angle – there are many important shades of both. The problem is that Growth Mindset craze has oversimplified the notion of mindset. Binary thinking limits the conversation because we are then left with two options: we either have a Growth Mindset or a Fixed mindset – nothing else and nothing in-between. This is not true.
Remember: Mindsets are lenses we use to explore our reality. We need to discover other types of mindsets beyond the Growth one. The lenses we use affect how we deal with our emotions. A negative mindset can amplify our negative feeling. It can get us stuck in rumination.
Our mindsets create two effects on us: they either limit or liberate our potential. The mindset we use can make things clearer or cloud our perception. For example, binary thinking forces us to consider only two possibilities. We think in terms of one thing or the other. And see things through a right or wrong lens.
Understanding that there are many mindsets is vital. You’ll then become more aware of the lenses that you apply to reality. Therefore, before you change your mindset, let’s analyze the most frequent types of mindset that come to the fore most frequently as individuals, teams or organizations try to upgrade their mindset in order to liberate their high performance.
This is not an exhaustive list but a starting point to help you reflect on the lenses you use:
» Right or Wrong. We love being right. The trouble with this mindset is that we stop paying attention to other perspectives. Instead of learning, we just care about winning the argument. ‘Confirmation Bias’ is the tendency we have to embrace information that supports our beliefs. Wanting to be right makes us reject facts that might illuminate our views.
» Victim vs. Accountable. Self-pity is a dangerous choice. When we play the victim, we lose control of our life. And blame others for the things that go wrong rather than taking action. Playing the victim role is a lose-lose situation. No one will come to rescue us. Life requires that we own our actions.
» Comparing to others vs. being your own standard. There will always be someone doing better or worse than ourselves. When we compare to others, we invite jealousy and envy to poison our lives.
Comparisons are deceiving. Recover control by becoming your own standard. Focus on your progress, not on someone else’s status.
» Scarcity vs. Abundance. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey explains that when we apply a scarcity lens, we compete for available resources. Even when there is an abundance of them, our mindset imprisons us. An abundance mindset is based on the belief that there’s enough for everyone. This paradigm is grounded in generosity and self-worth.
» Stuck to the past vs. open to the future. The past can keep us imprisoned if we don’t learn to let go of painful experiences. Even positive experiences can hold us hostage. Living on past glories limits our ability to enjoy the present. We must make room for new experiences.
» Saying “No” vs. “Yes, and…”. Too many “no” kill creativity. However, that’s our usual answer when introduced to new ideas. We say “no”, even before considering their potential. We are trained to reject uncertainty and new concepts. Creativity requires a “Yes, and…” mindset. Rather than blocking the conversation, amplify creativity by building on others’ ideas.
» Divide vs. Unite. There are two ways to lead people. One is by creating an enemy and leading a crusade to conquer it. Another is finding a shared purpose, and inspiring people to be part of something bigger than themselves. The divide-and-conquer paradigm creates life or death situations. We turn everyone into an enemy. Alternatively, the Unite-and-build mindset brings out the best in people. It encourages collaboration and participation.
» Reactive vs. proactive. Reactive people believe they are not responsible for what they say or do. They don’t control their choices. And let their circumstances control them instead. Proactive people don’t waste their energy or time. They focus on what they can manage. And think through scenarios, prioritize, and focus on the future. A proactive mindset puts you in control.
» Fearful vs. fearless. Seeing life through a fear lens is intimidating. Fear will always get in our way. Adopting a courageous mindset is vital to achieving greatness. Being successful requires adopting a fearless mindset. Courage does not mean the absence of fear. But to face our fear. We move forward in spite of our fears.
» Avoidance vs. facing reality. Complaining when things go wrong doesn’t change anything. Rather than running away from reality, accept it. An avoidance mindset gets us stuck complaining about what went wrong or don’t like. Rather than fighting reality, face it. Upgrade your mindset. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It’s a necessary step to move forward.
STEPS TO UPGRADE YOUR MINDSET FOR SUCCESS
1. Become more aware of your mindsets. Accept that your thinking needs adjustment. Start by increasing awareness of your emotional state. When you react or before making a decision, which lens are you using to see reality? Are you adopting a perfectionist mindset? Or a ‘me-me-me’ one – and think that the world revolves around you? Reflect on how your mindset affects your view. If your mindset is negative, how can you re-frame it into a positive one?
2. Avoid seeing reality in binary terms. Most mindsets are deceiving. They force us to see the world in black and white terms. Binary thinking creates a false dilemma. We act as if there are only two possible options when they are actually more. Challenge your binary thinking. Avoid the tendency to split all the things into two categories: black and white, either-or, right or wrong. Binary thinking is not always bad. Sometimes it can help. Sometimes it is necessary. But, in most cases, it’s just a shortcut — a form of generalization. Not everything fits into one of two categories.
3. Reflect on your beliefs. Our mindsets are deeply-ingrained in our beliefs. To change our mindset, we must first examine our belief-system. What’s holding you back? Are your beliefs supporting you or limiting you? Identify the beliefs that are helpful and work with those that are not. Religion and politics are perfect examples of this. There’s nothing wrong with your ideology. But most people take it to an extreme. They reject anything or anyone that doesn’t agree with their beliefs.
4. (re)Define your purpose in life. We all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. What’s your life purpose? Find your ‘why.’ What does success mean to you? There’s a difference between achieving success and being successful. Achieving success is about reaching a specific destination. Being successful is a state of mind — it’s about appreciating the journey. Create your own measure of success. What mindsets will help you get there? Select the lenses that will help you achieve your higher mission in life. Finding your life purpose is not about the destination. It’s all about the journey.
5. Turn limiting mindsets into liberating ones. Challenge your existing mindsets. Go back to the analysis you did on point 1. What are the mindsets that are not helping you? Changing your mindsets is not easy. But it’s worth the effort.
We are creatures of habit. Our mindsets take a long time to develop. Upgrading them requires replacing a pattern with a new one. Your mindset is a lens that filters your reality. Upgrade your mindset. Turn limiting beliefs into liberating ones.
(Taken from https://liberationist.org/how-to-upgrade-your-mindset-for-success)
Success and happiness are all about mindset. What you think you become. Your mindset doesn’t just affect how you see the world. It shapes your responses and actions even if you don’t realize it. Developing the right mindset is crucial to succeeding in anything.
What is a mindset?
A mindset is a frame of mind. It’s the sum of beliefs, opinions, and thoughts that you formed about the world and yourself. Think of your mindset as a lens through which you filter reality. Our education, religion, upbringing, and experience shape our beliefs and thoughts. That’s why our mindset is a fixed state of mind — we have our mind “set.” Thus, determine how you perceive and react to specific events. Napoleon Hill said: “There are no limitations to the mind except those we acknowledge. Both poverty and riches are the offspring of thought.”
Mindset vs. Attitude
» Mindsets can change, but they tend to change slowly. It’s easier to correct our attitude than our mindset.
» An attitude is a short-term reaction shaped by our mindset. It is a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something specific.
» A mindset is a collection of beliefs and thoughts that shape your thought habits. They impact how you make sense of the world (and yourself).
» An attitude has a short-term impact. That’s why they are easier to modify. Our mindsets are deeply ingrained in our beliefs. They require extra effort to change them.
» A mindset is a fixed mental disposition that predetermines our responses to and interpretations of situations. Your mindset filters reality.
» Your mindset pre-determines your interpretations and responses. It shapes your relationship with the world and with yourself.
» Choose your mindset wisely and overcome the beliefs that limit your potential. Then you can create positive consequences instead of negative ones.
Mindsets liberate or limit our potential
Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it. Carol_Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, took education and business by storm. It suggests that our beliefs about our own intelligence determine our ability to learn.
A Fixed Mindset is the belief that our qualities are fixed traits that we cannot change. People with this mindset believe that talent alone leads to success. So, if you don’t have it in adequate amount, you just can’t do/achieve XYZ. A Growth Mindset, conversely, is believing that our intelligence can grow with time and experience. This mindset encourages us to put in extra time — effort leads to higher achievement. A Fixed Mindset limits our capacity for learning, whereas a Growth Mindset helps us reach our full potential.
Multiple Mindsets
When we think about mindset, most people think about the Growth Mindset versus Fixed Mindset. But that’s just one angle – there are many important shades of both. The problem is that Growth Mindset craze has oversimplified the notion of mindset. Binary thinking limits the conversation because we are then left with two options: we either have a Growth Mindset or a Fixed mindset – nothing else and nothing in-between. This is not true.
Remember: Mindsets are lenses we use to explore our reality. We need to discover other types of mindsets beyond the Growth one. The lenses we use affect how we deal with our emotions. A negative mindset can amplify our negative feeling. It can get us stuck in rumination.
Our mindsets create two effects on us: they either limit or liberate our potential. The mindset we use can make things clearer or cloud our perception. For example, binary thinking forces us to consider only two possibilities. We think in terms of one thing or the other. And see things through a right or wrong lens.
Understanding that there are many mindsets is vital. You’ll then become more aware of the lenses that you apply to reality. Therefore, before you change your mindset, let’s analyze the most frequent types of mindset that come to the fore most frequently as individuals, teams or organizations try to upgrade their mindset in order to liberate their high performance.
This is not an exhaustive list but a starting point to help you reflect on the lenses you use:
» Right or Wrong. We love being right. The trouble with this mindset is that we stop paying attention to other perspectives. Instead of learning, we just care about winning the argument. ‘Confirmation Bias’ is the tendency we have to embrace information that supports our beliefs. Wanting to be right makes us reject facts that might illuminate our views.
» Victim vs. Accountable. Self-pity is a dangerous choice. When we play the victim, we lose control of our life. And blame others for the things that go wrong rather than taking action. Playing the victim role is a lose-lose situation. No one will come to rescue us. Life requires that we own our actions.
» Comparing to others vs. being your own standard. There will always be someone doing better or worse than ourselves. When we compare to others, we invite jealousy and envy to poison our lives.
Comparisons are deceiving. Recover control by becoming your own standard. Focus on your progress, not on someone else’s status.
» Scarcity vs. Abundance. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey explains that when we apply a scarcity lens, we compete for available resources. Even when there is an abundance of them, our mindset imprisons us. An abundance mindset is based on the belief that there’s enough for everyone. This paradigm is grounded in generosity and self-worth.
» Stuck to the past vs. open to the future. The past can keep us imprisoned if we don’t learn to let go of painful experiences. Even positive experiences can hold us hostage. Living on past glories limits our ability to enjoy the present. We must make room for new experiences.
» Saying “No” vs. “Yes, and…”. Too many “no” kill creativity. However, that’s our usual answer when introduced to new ideas. We say “no”, even before considering their potential. We are trained to reject uncertainty and new concepts. Creativity requires a “Yes, and…” mindset. Rather than blocking the conversation, amplify creativity by building on others’ ideas.
» Divide vs. Unite. There are two ways to lead people. One is by creating an enemy and leading a crusade to conquer it. Another is finding a shared purpose, and inspiring people to be part of something bigger than themselves. The divide-and-conquer paradigm creates life or death situations. We turn everyone into an enemy. Alternatively, the Unite-and-build mindset brings out the best in people. It encourages collaboration and participation.
» Reactive vs. proactive. Reactive people believe they are not responsible for what they say or do. They don’t control their choices. And let their circumstances control them instead. Proactive people don’t waste their energy or time. They focus on what they can manage. And think through scenarios, prioritize, and focus on the future. A proactive mindset puts you in control.
» Fearful vs. fearless. Seeing life through a fear lens is intimidating. Fear will always get in our way. Adopting a courageous mindset is vital to achieving greatness. Being successful requires adopting a fearless mindset. Courage does not mean the absence of fear. But to face our fear. We move forward in spite of our fears.
» Avoidance vs. facing reality. Complaining when things go wrong doesn’t change anything. Rather than running away from reality, accept it. An avoidance mindset gets us stuck complaining about what went wrong or don’t like. Rather than fighting reality, face it. Upgrade your mindset. Acceptance doesn’t mean giving up. It’s a necessary step to move forward.
STEPS TO UPGRADE YOUR MINDSET FOR SUCCESS
1. Become more aware of your mindsets. Accept that your thinking needs adjustment. Start by increasing awareness of your emotional state. When you react or before making a decision, which lens are you using to see reality? Are you adopting a perfectionist mindset? Or a ‘me-me-me’ one – and think that the world revolves around you? Reflect on how your mindset affects your view. If your mindset is negative, how can you re-frame it into a positive one?
2. Avoid seeing reality in binary terms. Most mindsets are deceiving. They force us to see the world in black and white terms. Binary thinking creates a false dilemma. We act as if there are only two possible options when they are actually more. Challenge your binary thinking. Avoid the tendency to split all the things into two categories: black and white, either-or, right or wrong. Binary thinking is not always bad. Sometimes it can help. Sometimes it is necessary. But, in most cases, it’s just a shortcut — a form of generalization. Not everything fits into one of two categories.
3. Reflect on your beliefs. Our mindsets are deeply-ingrained in our beliefs. To change our mindset, we must first examine our belief-system. What’s holding you back? Are your beliefs supporting you or limiting you? Identify the beliefs that are helpful and work with those that are not. Religion and politics are perfect examples of this. There’s nothing wrong with your ideology. But most people take it to an extreme. They reject anything or anyone that doesn’t agree with their beliefs.
4. (re)Define your purpose in life. We all want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. What’s your life purpose? Find your ‘why.’ What does success mean to you? There’s a difference between achieving success and being successful. Achieving success is about reaching a specific destination. Being successful is a state of mind — it’s about appreciating the journey. Create your own measure of success. What mindsets will help you get there? Select the lenses that will help you achieve your higher mission in life. Finding your life purpose is not about the destination. It’s all about the journey.
5. Turn limiting mindsets into liberating ones. Challenge your existing mindsets. Go back to the analysis you did on point 1. What are the mindsets that are not helping you? Changing your mindsets is not easy. But it’s worth the effort.
We are creatures of habit. Our mindsets take a long time to develop. Upgrading them requires replacing a pattern with a new one. Your mindset is a lens that filters your reality. Upgrade your mindset. Turn limiting beliefs into liberating ones.
(Taken from https://liberationist.org/how-to-upgrade-your-mindset-for-success)
