People know what success is and who are successful. But they may not be able to tell you clearly who is a successful person and what constitutes success. You will know in the later part of our discussion why people have such difficulty in defining success. For now, let us focus on what mindset success means to different people.
Mindset is an interesting concept. The mindset in a very general sense means how your mind is set or poised. Is it poised to remain fixated upon certain notions and concepts or is it flexible enough to adapt itself to the challenges of life and willing to grow and mold with time and circumstances?
Carol Dweck, a noted psychologist who did research in this area suggested that people had either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset and one could anticipate their behavior and responses once their mindset was determined. People having aspects of both mindsets, a fixed mindset in certain areas of life and a flexible mindset in other areas.
In real life, it is difficult to find such clear-cut demarcation of behavior and personality types. Human behavior is very complex and I, therefore, believe that further research may be required in this regard. The following essay is about a success mindset, and how one may cultivate it.
What is a success mindset?
There is a mindset, which says, “I am like this, I will never change, I do not want to change and this is what I am.” What this person tells you is that she is hopelessly caught in time warp, with little hope or expectation.
Then there is the other mindset, which says, “I am like this, but I do not have to be like this. I can learn. I can improve myself. I can change. I can take responsibility for my life. I can learn, improve my knowledge and skills, to deal with my weaknesses, and keep adapting to the demands of life to achieve whatever I want to achieve and humanly possible. ”
You are probably familiar with both, and you may have either of the two.
If you are serious about your life and accomplishments, your priority must be to cultivate the right mindset. With the right mindset, you can reach whatever goals you decide to reach even if you are born with certain social or economic disabilities.
Mindset means having a set of attitudes and beliefs that influences one’s thinking and actions.
The right mindset means having the right attitude, right temperament, flexibility, adaptability, realistic thinking, right resolve, belief in oneself, ability to deal with failure and willingness to grow, change and improve oneself.
Success mindset means having all these, plus the willingness to achieve your goals by taking direct responsibility for your personal growth, thinking, and actions.
Develop a Mindset
Carol Dweck, a professor in Psychology from Stanford University, identified a success mindset with a growth mindset. In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she states that basically there are two mindsets, a fixed mindset, and a growth mindset.
The fixed mindset does not offer much room for a person to change or improve. It makes one believe that one’s abilities and talents are more or less fixed and nothing much can be done about them. This makes people rigid, resigned, passive, and follow the path of least resistance.
The growth mindset makes one think exactly the opposite. It gives one great flexibility to change and improve oneself according to the demands of the situation and accomplish one’s goals and dreams. It empowers one to succeed in life by making necessary improvements and adjustments to one’s thinking and actions.
Dweck suggested that it is possible for everyone to cultivate a growth mindset to realize one’s goals and achieve success and happiness.
To know whether you have the success mindset or the fixed mindset, you have to answer a few questions such as these.
- Are you willing to learn?
- Are you willing to improve?
- Are you willing to adapt?
- Are you positive about change and growth?
- Do you believe a person can improve mentally and intellectually, and talent and intelligence are not fixed?
If your answers to these questions are affirmative, then you have the right mindset, and you are poised for success.
To achieve success in life, more than wealth and resources, you need the right mindset, which empowers you to regard yourself as the master of your life and destiny.
With the right thinking and attitude, you can take control of your life, and develop the ability to adapt yourself, according to the goals you set, the challenges you face and the life you want to lead. You learn to forge ahead, without getting stuck in the routine of your life. You keep yourself motivated and enthusiastic, as you learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, expand your sphere of influence and find ways and means to resolve your problems, overcome obstacles and stay ahead of others in the competition.
How to cultivate the success mindset?
To cultivate the right mindset that is conducive to growth and success, you have to focus upon the following.
- Belief in your abilities to change and adapt.
- Knowing that you can always learn new skills and improve your knowledge and intelligence.
- Knowing that each day is different and brings new challenges and opportunities.
- Knowing that your success and failure depend upon you and your actions.
- Knowing that with the right effort you can overcome your limitations and weaknesses.
- Willingness to learn and improve one’s knowledge and skills.
- Flexibility and adaptability to adjust and respond to the demands of life.
- Clarity of purpose.
- Dedication and determination.
- Perseverance.
- Clear and measurable goals.
- Focus.
- Vision.
- Hard work.
The following suggestions are also useful in this regard.
- Have a few goals worth achieving, and remember them until they become your second nature. Build your life around them. Stay on course until you realize them.
- Decide to be different and exceptional.
- Learn to take calculated risks, and step out of your comfort zone.
- Aim for excellence, in whatever you do.
- Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them.
- Learn to accept failures and rejections.
- Review your progress regularly.
- Be honest with yourself in reviewing your actions.
- Sharpen your skills and keep learning.
- Learn to trust your instincts in making decisions, without ignoring the feedback from people you trust.
No one ever traveled on the highway to success, without ever making a wrong turn. Having a purpose, willingness to change and grow, determination, focus, commitment, self-study, self-motivation, faith, perseverance, hope, and compassion, are a few important components of a success mindset, with which you can realize your dreams and reach your goals.
