A lot has been written recently about mindsets and how they influence our behaviour.  Each of us has a unique mindset, which although these may be deeply ingrained, can evolve as we grow and learn from our experiences. This concept of being a change agent in our own lives is key to my coaching philosophy, as I firmly below we have the power to choose what we want to change in our lives, who we aspire to be, and how to work towards developing and deepening our mindsets by creating habits and behaviours that are in alignment with our personal values.  This is all a choice.  But it starts with awareness of where we are now and where we want to be. 

So maybe it’s time to take a look at the ideas or plans that you’ve rejected regarding a decision or a next step and see if any have been cast away too soon.  Take advantage of the opportunity of a fresh perspective and seeing the problem through a new lens.  This renewed awareness can highlight perhaps a bias that made you discard a solution or present the question – and is this bias still relevant – and is a step towards a growth mindset rather than a fixed outlook.

A very interesting expert on this topic is Carol Dweck, a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and one of the world’s leading researchers on motivation and mindsets. Her work which is underpinned with decades of research, focuses on why people succeed and how it is possible to foster success and outlines why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. Try both Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential and her later book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.