A good business mindset is one of the keys to success as an entrepreneur. A good mindset can help you reach success, while a bad one can derail all of your best efforts.

To fully cover the 3 keys to a successful mindset, I will be breaking this blog post into three parts to be discussed over the next three weeks:

Part 1) Growth Mindset – Tuesday, November 8th

Part 2) Always On – Tuesday, November 15th

Part 3) Relationship with Your Subconscious – Tuesday, November 22nd

Join me for this in-depth three part series starting with today’s topic, Growth Mindset.

3 Keys to a Successful Mindset: Part 1

Growth Mindset

It is critical for a successful entrepreneur to have a growth mindset that allows for improvement, rather than a fixed mindset that assumes you already know everything you can know.

A fixed mindset assumes that you are born with your character, intelligence, and creative ability, which means that no matter what you do, you cannot change the amount or value you possess of each. A growth mindset knows that you were born with natural character, intelligence and creative ability, however, all of those traits can be changed and improved. As Carol Dweck has found through two decades of research, the growth mindset “creates a passion for learning rather than a hunger for approval.” Overall, a growth mindset frees you to continue learning and improving, while a fixed mindset traps you in a time-wasting cycle of proving what you know.

Modern psychology has shown that “belief systems about our own abilities and potential fuel our behavior and predict our success.” (Source: BrainPickings) Not everyone is born super talented or intelligent. With a growth mindset, you can grow into becoming almost anything you set your mind to. While you might not be an Einstein, it doesn’t mean you can’t be successful. Ben Hogan, the now legendary golfer, was considered to be completely uncoordinated as a child.

If you have the belief that you can learn anything, and the willingness to persevere through challenges, you will make room for future success. A fixed mindset will trap you in the cycle of constantly trying to prove how great you are. A growth mindset thrives on challenges and sees failure as a chance to improve.

Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset? If you have a growth mindset, you’re already on the path to success! Follow-up next week for my post that covers the idea of being “always on” and how that is a key to a successful mindset. If you have a fixed mindset, you may be inclined to say that you have growth mindset since its more desirable. However, your behaviours will speak louder than your beliefs. Part three of this series will discuss the importance of aligning your conscious mindset with your subconscious mindset.

Whether you’re in agreement or denial about having a fixed mindset, it would be a good idea to work with a life coach on this. Your mindset is a powerful thing, it will take some time and controlled effort to change a fixed mindset into a growth mindset. It is entirely possible, so don’t lose hope! While you wait to meet with a life coach, or if you want to try this on your own, you can visit Carol Dweck’s website for four steps to begin changing your mindset.

I’m looking forward to discussing the importance of being “always on” in next week’s blog post. Let me know what you think about a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset in the comments.

All the best,

Frank