The Path To A Better Life

“When things go wrong, don't go with them.” – Elvis Presley

The mind certainly remains a mystery. However, as neuroscience and technology advance, we are discovering new and valuable information about what makes that soft, squishy, and very fragile human power center light up. Subsequently, we’ve been able to shed light on why we do what we do and what we can do to change those things about us that may not be constructive or aligned to the future goals we have for ourselves.

What we have learned is that our thoughts, big, small, positive, and negative, can greatly influence our quality of life and our ability to achieve the life we envision for ourselves. As it turns out, we are learning that believing we can achieve the life we envision for ourselves plays a signific role in making that life reality.

Fixed Versus Growth Mindset

Most people fall into one of two categories when it comes to their belief about their abilities. We either believe that one’s ability or IQ is either fixed at birth or can grow with effort and experience.

Those with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges for fear of failure and possibly being judged as such. They fear that if they fail their limited intelligence, or their lack of skill or ability will be revealed. This mindset leads to behaviors that limit their ability to reach their full potential. As a result, behaviors such as giving up early and being unmotivated to strive for goals they may have for their life become their norm. Even though it may not always be outwardly noticeable, fixed mindset people tend to lack self-confidence.

On the other hand, growth mindset people tend to embrace challenges and see them as opportunities to learn, grow and become better. They are driven to succeed and overcome obstacles. They see failure as an opportunity to learn, grow and create a better path to achieving their dreams.

Fixed Mindset

• I can only go as far as my failures allow me. I will stick with what I know I am good at.

• I am either good at something or I am not. Practice will not make me that much better, so why try?

• I don’t like challenge or to be challenged because I fear I may fail

• I am jealous of the success of others because they were gifted with abilities I do not possess.

• I do things the way I’ve always been done because I know they’ve worked for me in the past and changing may lead to failure.

• I view setbacks as an indication of my limited abilities. I should’ve known better than to step out and try. I knew I would fail.

• When people tell me how I may be able to do something better I view it as a personal attack, not constructive criticism.

• Things happen to you. I cannot control my destiny.

Growth Mindset

• I view failure as an opportunity to grow. By failing I learn what worked and what I need to do differently next time.

• If I put in the time and effort, I can learn to do almost anything.

• I believe that challenging tasks and problems can help me grow and become better in more areas of my life than just the area that challenges me.

• I see the success of others and am inspired. I know I can achieve that level and beyond.

• I will try new things so that I can learn more about myself and my abilities.

• I view setbacks as temporary and necessary and an indication of my growth opportunities.

• Feedback helps me learn and grow. I view it as important to my success.

• Things happen for you, not to you. I will determine my destiny.

As you can see, how we view ourselves and our abilities can have a major influence on our ability to achieve the life we envision for ourselves. If we see ourselves living a life with limited opportunity, then we will most likely become stagnate and accept the life we’ve been given or the cards we’ve been dealt. However, if we believe there is more to be achieved, we will likely find ourselves living a more expansive life and one that goes far beyond what even we thought possible.

The way we think about our abilities and intelligence not only affects the way we think about ourselves, but it also affects the way we feel. It influences our success in both business and life. It also has a huge impact on those around us and their ability to reach their full potential as employees, colleagues, and people. Growth mindset people tend to be more intrinsically motivated and possess a few common attributes. Grit, self-discipline, and belief.

Grit, Self-discipline, and Belief

Grit is our ability to stick with something and see it through to the end, no matter how challenging it may be and no matter how many times we fail. Grit requires that we be self-disciplined, another common attribute in successful people. Staying the course, keeping your eye on the prize, and not giving up is one attribute, but being disciplined enough to keep pushing, even on those days you don’t feel like it, is another.

Growth mindset people also know that not everything will turn out as planned. They accept that there may be a different solution that leads to a better outcome and one that may be different than they envisioned. They also know that everything they do leads them down a path toward discovery. They may discover a new and better way. They may discover that something they wanted for themselves isn’t as they thought it would be. As a result, this discovery may cause them to pivot and take a path that makes more sense and leads to a better outcome.

One well-known example of a growth mindset individual is Colonel Sanders. Harland David Sanders turned a long string of failures into success because he believed in himself and his abilities. He also knew that it was through failure that he would find his path to success. A at 62 years old the Colonel overcame failure after failure too finally realize the success he knew he could achieve for himself.

Before Colonel Sanders found success with his Kentucky Fried Chicken recipe, he had failed career after failed career. He failed as a lawyer. He failed as an insurance salesman. He failed as a tire salesman. He failed as a houseware salesman. It has been reported that he experienced over 1,000 rejections when he was attempting to get someone to buy his now famous recipe. In fact, it wasn’t until his 1,010th sttempt to sell the recipe that he got someone to buy-in. Had Colonel Sanders had a fixed mindset the fast-casual food industry and franchising in general would be very different today.

Stories like Colonel Sanders abound. Thomas Edison, Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, Samuel L. Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley, Ray Kroc, Albert Einstein, J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Cuban, Isaac Newton, the Wright Brothers, etc. all experienced what some would call epic failures. However, all persisted. They did not allow failure to stop them. They used failure as an opportunity to learn and grow. They used failure as motivation to work harder while also using what they learned to help them work smarter. Can you imagine the world today if each of those unique and very different people quit at their first, second, third or one thousandth failure?

As J.K. Rowling shared in her Harvard Commencement Speech, “Failure meant a stripping away of the inessential...rock bottom became a solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” Here’s a reality we all should consider when contemplating our future. If you want to see God laugh, tell him your plans. While it is the vision we have for our life that starts us down a path toward our dreams, we must realize that our vision is limited by what we can imagine. It is the experiences, learnings, and a never give up mentality that will lead us to discover our true calling, which is usually much better and sometimes very different than we ever imagined.

Randy Stepp is a Principal with Renaissance Leadership Group. RLG is a full-service business and franchise development company whose purpose is to help business owners realize their dreams of independence and freedom.

Visit Renaissance Leadership Group at www.renaissanceleadershipgroup.com to learn more about business development