Have you ever wondered what separates successful people from the unsuccessful? Or what all successful people have in common? It’s all in the mindset. It may seem simple but mastering a mindset for success takes practice. Once you’ve mastered it, you’ll be surprised what a difference your mindset can make on your overall success. To get you on the right path, we’ve put together a short list of things you can do today to begin developing a mindset for success and reach your fullest potential.
Develop a “growth mindset". Have you ever wondered how the Jeff Bezos’ and Bill Gates’ of the world ended up so successful? In order to get to where they are today, they had to start somewhere, and in order to start, they first had to believe in themselves. It is important not to underestimate the power of believing in yourself. Research has shown that successful people focus more on growth, solving problems, and self-improvement compared to unsuccessful people. If you believe your abilities are fixed and unable to be changed or improved upon, you’ll never strive for improvement. Generally, people who believe that they are able to change, grow and adapt tend to be less stressed, more self-confident, and usually have better overall physical health. If this hasn’t been your mindset in the past – don’t sweat it. Research has also shown that a growth mindset can be developed, so it’s never too late to start believing in yourself.
Use your mistakes as learning experiences rather than excuses to stop trying. Did you know that Walt Disney was fired from his job at the Kansas City Star because his editor claimed he “lacked imagination”? Or how about that Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first job in television because she was too “emotionally invested”? There are endless numbers of successful people who failed before they became successful. The take away from this is that they didn’t give up. It is important to learn from your mistakes and keep going. How do you do that? It comes back to mindset and how you look at your mistakes. You need to pick yourself up, figure out what went wrong, and make a plan for how you can do better in the future. Use your mistakes as motivation rather than beating yourself up over them.
Get inspired. Set aside time as frequently as possible to expose yourself to something you find inspiring. Whether it’s listening to a song or a podcast that inspires you, reading a book about self-improvement, or getting involved in physical activity – do something that inspires and motivates you to keep going.
Develop good habits. Last but certainly not least, developing a mindset for success goes hand-in-hand with developing good habits. As Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.” If you want to be successful, it’s important to develop and implement habits that support this.
Get into the habit of telling yourself something positive and uplifting each day to support your growth mindset, learning from your mistakes, and exposing yourself to something inspiring each day. Eventually, your habits will become part of your everyday life and mindset and before you know it, you won’t even have to think about them!
“I should not be more excited about your business than you are.” - Dan Plowman