Well Being | How to Develop a Growth Mindset
Perfectionism can hold us back from trying new experiences or taking on new challenges in case we get it wrong. The antidote to this is developing a growth mindset, which is when we welcome challenges, failure, and mistakes as opportunities to grow.
How do you develop a growth mindset? Self-development coach Laura Rachel shares her tips…
Aim for improvement
When the goal is to improve, we lessen the fear of not getting it perfect or right. Allow yourself to be a beginner and a work in progress. When you take steps forward, you can find out what works and doesn’t work for you as you go. Sometimes we never truly know what’s right for us until we’ve done the things that weren’t.
If you find yourself thinking “I can’t do that”, try getting into the habit of adding “yet”.
Stay curious
Staying open to alternatives and trying new things stops us fixating on one specific way forward. When we’re focused on one option only, we can feel a lack of control if it doesn’t work out.
Focus on your effort not the outcome
If we only praise ourselves for positive outcomes and achievements, we’re more likely to stay in our comfort zone, where we know we get things right. Praise yourself for showing up and keep rooting for yourself regardless of the outcome.
Know that there’s no such thing as the right or wrong decision
Try to see it as making the best decision you can with the information you have at the time. Remember that any decision you make is going to lead to growth and learning.
Replace your inner critic with compassion
Perfectionists can be highly self-critical. If this resonates, try to notice how you talk to yourself. When you become aware of your thoughts, you can make a conscious choice to replace a critical thought with a more compassionate one. Think about what you would say to your younger self or someone you love and speak to yourself in the same way.
Focus on your strengths
Focusing on your own qualities and strengths helps you to feel more confident making decisions, instead of focusing on what your choices will look like to others. Ask yourself: what qualities and strengths do I love about myself? What am I good at? Make a note of these and come back to them whenever you need a confidence boost.
Affirmations
An affirmation is a positive statement that you can repeat out loud or in your head to gradually rewire neural pathways and help to change a belief. A great place to start is by creating an opposite statement to any self-critical thoughts. For example, replacing doubt about your capabilities with “I am good enough”. You could practise your affirmations just after waking up or going to sleep (during the hypnagogic state when our subconscious is most receptive to this kind of messaging) or whenever a negative thought comes up.