Starting something new and different can be some of the most daunting challenges in our lives. From fear of the unknown, or to just not knowing where to begin, or perhaps our thinking brain just talks us out of even giving it a go. We are the creators of the boxes we live in, whether we believe it or not.
Here we are going to expose a few simple ways to approach something new, that might seem out of reach or just not within your current mindset box you’re living in.
Growth Mindset at the Core
Our experiences in life are more than just getaways from our daily grind; they are transformative experiences, when we can have the awareness of the conscious experiences of being during these experiences. Let’s look at our life’s journey so far, can you see the growth from where you once were, to where you are now...? We are growing beings, living, learning, adapting, just being. When we put the growth mindset back at the core of our lives. Life begins to slow, smiles begin to widen, and a laser focus begins to arise on the things that truly matter to our truest self.
Professors of psychology at Stanford University describe the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset. In a fixed mindset, students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents are just fixed traits, and they have a certain amount of it and that's that. In a growth mindset, students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.
Implementing the growth mindset into everything we do is a settle adjustment within our own psyche, that has enormous positive effect in our complete well-being. Way too often, life can feel like a climb that’s way out of our current ability. But when we truly believe that we are growing beings. We can start building our new experiences onto our past ones, creating even more enriched experiences with the acceptance of the life climb we are in.
“Mistakes don’t mean failure. Mistakes are a sign that you are trying something new. You might think you have to be perfect, but life is not about comparing yourself to anyone else; it’s about measuring yourself compared to who you were yesterday. When you learn from your mistakes, they have the power to turn you into something better than you were before.”
Why do kids try - fail, try - fail and try again…partly because they don't care what others think of them. They have no shame about failing, they will fall 300 times and get up 300 times while learning how to walk. They don't feel embarrassed they just know they want to walk. As we get older, we have a harder time staying this open. We might take a singing lesson or maybe try indoor rock climbing, and if we hit a flat note or were not able to send the easy grade climb. We shrink back and stop trying and start to limit ourselves. Growing is letting go of the fear of criticism from other people, history is littered with examples of those who overcame the negative opinions of the people around them. Everyone has the opportunity to embrace the growth mindset as the core foundation of their life, fostering sustainable well-being.
Small Simple Steps
Why do we struggle so much to start something new, even when we are clear on our overall vision for our lives, and we know who we want to become. Why is it so hard to act even when we have sustained motivation in our desired end state. One of the most significant reasons that we fail to act is that we feel overwhelmed by what we need to do. The project or the desired goal is so overwhelming, we struggle to comprehend where to even begin.
“There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” Small Simple Steps; can be broken into two parts. One is to create an achievable task, a win on the way to reaching the championship of reaching the desired end state. Two is to make the task put you in a situation where you're likely to get even more accomplished once you begin. Get yourself moving towards completion, start somewhere, anywhere.
Small simple steps repeated lead to habits. Our habits are a core part of who we are. Various studies have shown that somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of what we do every day is the product of a habit.
“one step in a better direction can completely change your destination.”
Small simple steps repeated lead to habits. Our habits are a core part of who we are. Various studies have shown that somewhere between 40 and 50 percent of what we do every day is the product of a habit. Making habits of behaviors we consider good for us are important to our growth and we also know that the key to breaking bad habits is to replace them with more constructive ones. But how do you make something a habit… Just remember the acronym WIN.
W is for want. Make sure you really want it. It's nearly impossible to turn something into a habit if you don't really want to do it. I is for innate, does the new habit you're trying to adopt align well with your innate abilities? Remember that you're unlikely to make something a habit when it is consistently difficult for you to perform. N is for now, create a prompt for yourself that encourages you to perform the new habit now. Growing your life one small simple habit at a time will cultivate a natural health growth towards sustainable well-being. Be kind towards yourself and have fun with it, you are a gem being polished through your life’s experiences.
Written & Photography by James Larson
Edited by Maria Harrison
Artwork by Carolina De Los Rios
Source Reference: Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life - Book by Jim Kwik
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