When I was young, I was convinced that I was special and that I could do anything that I put my mind to. I was taught by my parents and teachers that I could achieve anything, no matter how hard it seemed. I was also told that nothing was impossible and that if I set my mind to something, I could do it.

While we know about the power of positive thinking, from Descartes's proclamation of “Cogito ergo Sum” to Buddhist and Hindu ideas of mindfulness, as we go through life, we accumulate some self-limiting beliefs.

The mindset that we have is incredibly important when it comes to our success in any career field. Whether you are looking to start a new business, find a new job, or just achieve your personal goals, having a growth mindset is essential.

What is a Growth Mindset? A growth mindset is a mindset that believes that our ability to learn and grow is unlimited. We believe that we can always improve and that we have the power to do whatever we set our minds to.

In contrast, the “fixed” mindset is the belief that you either have it or don’t. In other words, those skills are inherent and not learned.

As the Author and researcher Carl Dweck put it:

“The hallmark of successful people is that they are always stretching themselves to learn new things”

How to Develop a Growth Mindset? There are a few things that worked for me to help develop a growth mindset.

1. Believe in Your Abilities One of the most important things that you can do to develop a growth mindset is to believe in your abilities. When you believe in yourself, you will be more likely to take on challenges and achieve goals.

If you start with a “learn it all” mindset, you will learn and get better at anything you put your mind and effort into. Not saying that you will be the best at it - but starting with a “I can’t do it…because….” is a much worse starting point.

2. Be Patient and Persistent The old saying goes - how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

We live in an age of instant gratification, where we see overnight success all over social media. What we don’t see is the decades of journey to instant success.

Persistence is crucial to attaining your objectives. Don’t expect everything to be accomplished instantly; take things one step at a time!

3. Stay Motivated Staying motivated is essential if you want to develop a growth mindset. When you have a goal that you are working towards, keep yourself motivated by focusing on the positive aspects of the journey.

Think about the benefits of achieving your goal, the feeling of accomplishment, and the satisfaction of having achieved something that you once thought was impossible.

One of my tricks is to remember to celebrate small victories along the way.

4. Be Open to Feedback and Constructive Criticism Feedback and constructive criticism are essential for personal and professional growth.

The Agile methodology we use focuses on iterations and feedback for a better way of developing software. Similarly, self-improvement - no matter what the context - can also benefit from feedback.

Being open to feedback can help you to identify areas for improvement and learn from mistakes.

Additionally, constructive criticism can help to motivate and inspire you to work harder and become better.

5. Embrace Challenges Don’t be afraid of challenges, embrace them! Having a growth mindset means being willing to take on challenges and learn from them.

Challenges can be uncomfortable and difficult, but they are a crucial part of growth. They can help you to expand your skills and knowledge, while also helping you to become more resilient and confident.

By developing a growth mindset, you will be able to face challenges and learn from them, rather than shying away from them. You will be able to push yourself to reach higher levels of success and be confident in your ability to improve and grow.

Conclusion In conclusion, having a growth mindset is essential for achieving success in any field. By believing in your abilities, staying motivated and embracing challenges, you can be on your way to developing a growth mindset. Additionally, being patient, persistent and open to feedback and constructive criticism can also help you to reach higher levels of success. With these tips in mind, you can start developing your growth mindset and begin to reach your full potential.