Dear Happy Investor, when psychologists developed the concept of the “growth mindset" versus the "fixed mindset," it revolutionized the field of psychology. Since then, "growth mindset" became a buzzword in many major companies, and some schools began to search for methods to change their students' mindsets from fixed to growth. There are many ways to develop a growth mindset, and here are some daily practices that can help you with that.
Towards long-term success!
What is a growth mindset?
A growth mindset is a way of looking at challenges and failures. People with a growth mindset feel that their abilities aren't fixed, even if they struggle with specific tasks. They believe that by working hard, their abilities can increase with time.
People with a fixed mindset believe that their skills are what they are and will not change.
Mindsets do not have to be fixed. At times, people may have a growth mentality. While at other times, they may have a fixed mindset. They may take diverse approaches to certain problems. And their perspective may shift over time.
Having a growth mindset has a lot of advantages. It enables people to redefine their attitude to problems and stay motivated to develop their abilities. They believe to themselves, "I can't do this yet," rather than "I can't do this."
People who have a growth mindset aren't usually born with it. Kids and adults might acquire the belief that things that are difficult today may not be so difficult in the future.
8 Daily practices for growth mindset
There are some small, daily actions that you can take towards developing a growth mindset. Here are some of them. Below you will find 8 daily exercises for growth mindset. Applying these daily exercises does not take much time. On the other hand, it will change your life for the better. At first this will require dedicated focus, but at some point you will develop a growth mindset.
From then on, it will happen naturally: you will experience the world to grow. And in addition to you, the people around you will grow as well.
Exercise 1. Set goals to grow
A growth mindset is about becoming better every day. And If you want to do that, you need to set yourself daily objectives to get closer to your goals.
Plan your year, your month, your week, and your day. What do you want to achieve? Each day, you can create goals that will take you closer to the person you want to be.
You can get a journal to keep track of all of your goals.
It's necessary to break down your big goals into smaller steps. When you have a huge dream, it's easy to become intimidated. But when you break it down, it seems more achievable.
Read more about how to achieve goals
You can also use the law of attraction to attract more money.
Exercise 2. Take a look back at your day
It's not only about setting goals. You need to take accountability.
Every day, before going to bed, you can remember your whole day like a movie, from finish to start. Remember your entire day until you can see the first moment when you open your eyes that morning.
Don’t feel frustrated, angry, or sad for the difficult moments. Also, do not get carried away by the happy moments. See your whole day objectively. Then, acknowledge what you did right and what you did wrong.
If you yelled at someone when you were angry, or you could not overcome laziness, whatever it is, you need to identify it.
When you identify what you did wrong, you know how to improve the next day.
Everyone can acknowledge their successes, but not everyone can see when they did wrong and improve it. Practicing a growth mindset only succeeds if we know where to improve.
Exercise 3. Read a lot (and not only about practices for growth mindset)
If you want to become better, you need to nurture your brain with literature. Books can show you many things that you may not see by yourself. In other words, they can open your mind. This is daily practice for growth mindset. Simply by learning, your brain will grow (literally). Scientists call this brain plasticity.
So, always dedicate a moment of your day to reading a book. Some books may change your life.
Here are some self-help books that can help you to start.
- The Secret by Rhonda Byrne (2006)
- Introduction to Gnosis by Samael Aun Weor (1961)
- Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill (1937)
- You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay (1984)
- The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. Wattles (1910)
This is also how Happy Investors was founded. By reading a lot about investing in stocks and other ways to financial freedom, the Happy Investors ideas were born.
Exercise 4. Acknowledge your mistakes
If you want to develop a growth mindset, you need to acknowledge your mistakes. But that also means saying sorry when you hurt someone or expressing that you made a mistake. This is not the most fun exercise for growth mindset, but it is an essential one.
Often, pride is what prevents us from growing. It does not let us see our own mistakes or how we can improve. Therefore, we must develop humility.
Humility is not the same as having low self-esteem. Humility means that you recognize that you are human and you make mistakes. Having a growth mindset is about not having a fixed idea of who you are. Instead, you become aware that you can always become a better version of who you are right now. This is how to grow!
Exercise 5. Identify what parts of your life need some improvement
Maybe you are doing great at your job, but you are not the best parent, spouse, or friend. Maybe you are super productive right now, but you are not taking care of your physical health. Or maybe you are eating healthy foods and exercising every day, but you are not paying attention to your mental health.
We all have aspects of our lives that could improve. It seems hard, but it is possible to find balance.
To develop and practice a growth mindset, you can make a daily evaluation of how you are doing in different aspects of your lives.
If you see that your relationship with your family could improve, you can do something about it and call your parents.
If you feel like your health could improve, you could make some changes to your diet and do some exercise.
But any changes that you make come from identifying that you need an improvement in any aspect of your life. Therefore, it's essential to check how your life is going every day. In this way, our mindset can also grow in the right direction.
Exercise 6. Strive to be better and learn to say "no."
It’s hard to acknowledge mistakes. However, it’s also relatively easy in contrast to making something to change them. The real effort comes when you begin to do something to improve who you are. That means you have to let go of what is no longer serving you.
For example, If you want to have a healthier lifestyle, it means that you have to give up what is harming you: Junk food, watching TV all day, wrong friends, etc.
In other words: it means saying “no” to old habits, thinking patterns, or behaviors.
Everyone can say that they want to become a better person, but not everyone makes that effort. Daily exercises for growth mindset are only effective with commitment. Deliver the commitment, and you're halfway there.
Exercise 7. Develop a positive mindset
Having a growth mindset starts with thinking positively. You need to develop a worldview that is more positive and constructive. That also means developing healthy self-esteem. Don’t be afraid when challenges appear. Instead, see them as opportunities to learn. Thinking around opportunities and learning moments is one of the strongest exercises for growth mindset development.
You may make mistakes, but it’s a part of the process. What matters is that you learn from them.
Shifting from a negative to a positive mindset it’s an essential part of developing a growth mindset. But it does not happen overnight, be patient. And keep learning about personal development.
Read more about how to develop a positive mindset.
Exercise 8. Enjoy the process
Becoming who you want to be is not about reaching a final destination. When you accomplish your goals, you will realize that now you have new goals. So, be patient and enjoy the process.
This way, you can become better every day. You will learn to enjoy life more.
Maybe you find it difficult to live in the moment or are always worried about the future. If this is the case, you can learn to meditate or practice mindfulness. You will think more clearly, you will learn to keep focused, and it will help you to live a more balanced life.
