The Power of a Growth Mindset: Unlocking Your Potential

Do you ever think to yourself, "My situation has always been the same — I'm stuck, and I just need to accept what I have"? If you have thought this, you are holding yourself back with a fixed mindset. A growth mindset means that you grow and improve despite challenges because you see them as opportunities to change and don't see failure as defining who you are.

Things that don't work out how you wanted are chances to learn, grow in all areas of life, and develop your abilities further. Your intelligence, talents and wisdom need setbacks to truly grow and transform.

We all know the saying "No pain, no gain." Arnold Schwarzenegger took this to the next level by comparing training pain to the feelings during sex. What if we looked at life's pain and difficulties as training to improve, with all outcomes being positive? We'd welcome the pain as today's challenge and remember how good it feels when we overcome them. We wouldn't get discouraged or give up when facing problems; we would expect obstacles as normal.

Why not give up? Because anything is possible with the right mindset, determination and action. Early in his career, Arnold struggled getting work because of his strong accent. His voice was dubbed over in one of his first movies! He could have given up on acting, but instead he took voice lessons and improved. He then became famous, successful, and applied that success to almost every part of his life.

Sometimes when people are unhappy with their life situation, they think moving somewhere else will fix things. They might say, "If I lived here instead of there, everything would be okay." However, they often find their original issues and challenges came with them after moving. If they had a fixed mindset before and after relocating, they may be happy for a little while, but soon their struggles will return. No matter the situation, a growth mindset wins out.

Have you ever been stuck alone somewhere isolated for a long time? I know someone who developed significant skills, lost 70 pounds, got healthy and started two businesses while alone for almost a year during Covid-19. For them, the "pain" of being alone was ultimately a gift they used wisely.

The key to real change is often elusive: changing your mindset, being happy with what you already have, and being grateful to wake up each day. Sounds simple? Often it's not. When several challenges arise, it's normal to feel overwhelmed. After a while, we can feel like boxers taking one blow after another, especially if we get caught up in negative sensationalism that's often in the news. It can make us think the next hit is coming.

Instead, we need to fight those thoughts daily and expect the next thing happening to us will be positive. Being surprised and delighted when something nice happens, and treating it as undeserved, will completely change our life. Doing this, especially during meditation and personal reflection, will change outcomes for us. It's essential to make time for this reset.

For example, if we start each day with a growth mindset, keep it going as needed, and review it before bed, we'll live a far better life. This takes effort but is worth it. Living, talking and breathing positivity will attract beneficial opportunities often seen as impossible. Our thoughts become actions which become impacts others will notice. A kind word naturally emerging from this energy will open new doors. Actively being positive can radically change "what happens" to us for the better.

Many think money will solve all problems. However, having lots of money won't last if you have the wrong mindset. For example, many highly paid professional athletes go bankrupt within five years of retiring.

Without the right mindset - to focus on investing not spending - you'll always struggle with money. A growth mindset guides thoughts and actions to "how can I grow my money and learn from mistakes?" A fixed mindset may lead to unwillingness to delay gratification, thinking "we'll spend it while we have it."

A growth mindset allows luxuries later, bought with investment profits not salary. This shows how a growth mindset and investor mindset are linked, demonstrating Mark Cuban's advice "live like a college student" can lead to lasting success.

Positive thoughts lead to real action, and positive action will eventually lead to positive results. Relentlessly staying positive and maintaining a growth mindset is key to lasting success. This perspective will clear out thoughts of feeling like a victim, and instead we'll see obstacles overcome as another chance at victory, making us the victor.