Today I’m sharing a post by the talented Abbi Perets. She has wonderful insight on how to change your mindset so that you can succeed in business.
You can’t do this. You don’t have what it takes. You’re going to fail, and everyone is going to laugh at you.
This voice? Well, this is the voice of a fixed mindset speaking to you, and you’re going to learn how to banish it from your life and do all the things you’ve ever dreamed of doing — without fear of failing.
If you have a fixed mindset, then one of your core beliefs is that people have a set amount of intelligence and ability, and that’s it. Either you’re good at something, or you’re not, and nothing you do will ever make a significant difference.
People with fixed mindsets tend to avoid taking risks for fear of looking foolish or failing. Best not to try, they tell themselves. That way, no one will figure out that I’m not really very talented.
You may have a fixed mindset because of things your parents told you as a child — but not necessarily in the way you think. When you brought home an art project, did your parents declare you a genius? An artist? Amazingly talented? That A+ on the math test prompted everyone to comment on how smart you were, right?
People said, “Wow, you did that so fast! You’re so smart!” or “Whoa, your drawing is AMAZING, you’re such an artist,” or “You’re like a prodigy on the piano!”
But what you heard — what you internalized — was, “If it takes me a long time to learn something, that would mean I’m not so smart.” or “I better only draw pictures of horses, because I won’t look like an artist if I try to draw anything else,” or “I should only play the easy piano pieces, because otherwise, they’ll figure out I’m not that great.”
Your brain linked your intelligence with your results — rather than with your effort. If you got that A+ because you’re smart, what does it mean when you pull a 72 on the next test?
Your brain tells you that you’re not so smart after all.
But it’s more likely that you got a lower grade because you didn’t bother to study. You figured that you were smart, and you didn’t need to study. Unfortunately, when you were 8 or 12 or 18 or even 27, you didn’t know what was going on, so you believed that voice in your head.
So you shoved that test in your backpack and never showed it to anyone — they might find out the truth. They might discover that you weren’t so smart after all.
That fixed mindset voice sticks around, and it stops you from doing anything that might call your intelligence into question. Instead of trying to get into medical school — way too competitive — you set your sights on a liberal arts degree. Instead of aiming for the high-powered executive position, you settle for the cubicle and the work you know you can do.
And when that business idea starts to tickle at your brain, you shove it back down, just like that old math test.
When you believe that your ability is set in stone, that you can’t change anything about yourself, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of disappointment. You’ll never try new things because you might not be good at them, so why bother?
Why launch that business? You don’t have the skills. You’ll never get the clients. You don’t have what it takes.
That ends today. That ends right now, because YOU are AMAZING, and you absolutely have the skills to do this. Heck, you are a superhero! You totally have what it takes.
Today, this minute, you start to cultivate a growth mindset. Today, you begin to believe that you can do just about anything if you put in the effort and hard work. You know that your ability isn’t fixed. That you can improve and get better and recover from mistakes, day after day, by showing up and doing the work.
Here is a simple, 3-step process you can use to overcome your fixed mindset and cultivate a growth mindset that will allow you to succeed and live the life you want.
- Hear the way you talk to yourself. “I can’t balance the checkbook because I’m lousy at math.”
- Change the message. “Balancing the checkbook is hard for me, so I have to put in extra effort to get it right.”
- Add a positive message. “I’m putting in the extra effort and I’m improving daily.”
When that voice in your head tells you, “You can’t do this. You’re not talented enough,” change that message to, “I can do this. I’m working at it every day. I’m putting in the work, and I’m going to be successful.”
It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about your ability to communicate with your teenager (which, in fairness, is pretty much impossible for everyone), your ability to make fluffy white rice (my personal nemesis), or your ability to write a killer sales page. Just SHUT DOWN that fixed mindset voice and stop it from taking control.
Abbi Perets is passionate about teaching moms how to have it all. She teaches mothers how to break into freelance writing and land high-paying jobs while they’re at home with kids. As a mom to five kids, including one with special needs, Abbi knows the unique challenges moms face every day, and she works to empower them to pursue their dreams and live a life they love. Learn more at .