Every entrepreneur, without exception, can confirm that the right mindset is a must to succeed. You can have a perfect idea and a good team to help you implement it, but if the mindset is not there, you are setting yourself up for failure.
To learn more about the topic and dive into ways on how to work on your mindset, we invited our Spinner Jolanda Tetteroo to share her insights on the matter.
There are a few key mindsets I would like to highlight in this article (outward, inward, growth, fixed, and positive) and discuss how these mindsets impact our lives.
Your mindset matters in many ways. The mindset with which you go to sleep influences the state of mind you wake up in the morning. The way you get up in the morning may determine and influence your entire day.
Your mindset has a big impact on your daily life, including and especially your work. It influences you not only on a personal level but also in relation with others. Just imagine the assumptions you may have about others, such as, “they will not listen to me”,” nobody values my input” or “I do not think that person is capable”. These assumptions straight away close the door to any interaction. It even shuts down another person trying to learn.
Inward vs outward mindset
I completed my coaching training at the American Arbinger Institute. This institute distinguishes between an inward mindset and an outward mindset.
When you have an inward mindset, you focus primarily on your own goals without taking into consideration the needs of others. Tunnel vision, stagnation and low morale can be signs of an inward mindset.
When you are aware of the needs of others, you create an outward, others-inclusive mindset. You open the way to a culture of collaboration, trust and creativity. You will see others as humans and not as a-stand-in-the-way of reaching your own goals.
Growth mindset
Having a growth mindset supports you in learning new things. You may need help from others, practice and feedback to learn new things, but the first step is to step out of your comfort zone. Take that challenge and do or learn something you have never done before! Your mindset is focused on what is possible rather than on what is not possible.
Whenever we encounter something we have never done before, our mind automatically tells us that we are not capable of taking on that challenge because we have never done it before.
I believe that the opposite is just as true; you have never tried or experienced it before, so you have just as much validation that you can take on the challenge.
A growth mindset makes you believe you can make progress, learn and grow.
It does take effort, but your focus is on the process of getting better at something instead of not being able to do it.
When you are setting up or running your own business, you may encounter new challenges each time. You may have to take on many roles, from sales and marketing to financial monitor to network extraordinaire. Having a growth mindset helps you understand that you may not be good at something yet; however, eventually, you will get there.
In contrast, having a fixed mindset blocks opportunities. It makes us believe that this is who we are and what we are capable of. We have our talents and intelligence, and we cannot change. The focus is on who we are, what kind of person: smart or not, quick or slow, creative or not, generalist vs specialist, etc. With a fixed mindset, we are creating labels instead of believing that our capacities can change.
Positive mindset
Starting the day with a positive mindset is bliss. How do I create and nurture a positive mindset?
Gratitude is the key! Before I go to sleep, I think about three things that day that made me happy. It can be something others did for me or maybe something I accomplished. Especially when I learn something new, I am grateful as it supports my growth mindset.
I practice the same thing each morning. When I wake up, I can be grateful for my health, a good night’s sleep, the exciting day ahead, or a challenging project that will help me grow.
The whole practice takes two minutes at most and launches you into a positive mindset right away.
Once you start this practice, over time, you will notice that your positive thoughts will automatically spring to mind each day, causing you to wake up with a smile on your face.
Give it a try, and let me know how this works for you.
Your inner critic
The biggest challenge is your inner critic. It sabotages your positive mindset. We all have a predominant critic, such as the judge, the victim, or the controller. Most people recognize and suffer from the critic telling them they are not good enough; this is the judge. The clients that I coach are mainly affected by this inner critic. The message in your head can be so strong that you start identifying yourself with this thought.
I coach others on how to identify the critic, to become aware and conscious of this thought in order to no longer let this thought rule your life. It takes effort to change your way of thinking, but it is possible. Approach this challenge with a growth mindset. 😊
Bodywork is a method I apply . By simply bringing the attention to the body instead of the mind, one can shift his or her thought pattern.
If you want to learn more about the inner critic and how to overcome it, I have a free resource available. https://jolandatetteroo.nl/free-resources/.
This article is a collaboration between Veronica Guguian from Spin Ideas and Jolanda Tetteroo to provide our readers with the right tools to grow their businesses.
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