The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdown, loss of jobs, closure of businesses, and the substantial increase in debt can make anyone feel anxious, stressed, defeated, and discouraged.
Life as we know it has completely changed. Nothing seems normal anymore. But through these difficult and unprecedented times, there is one thing that we need to get from a life of despair to a life of fulfillment…We need to have a growth mindset.
What is a Growth Mindset?
Having a growth mindset means believing that you can develop and improve your skills and abilities by committing yourself to work hard to accomplish your goals. It’s not some magic formula that was conjured up out of thin air. It is about having a positive state of mind that you can develop to help you achieve the results you desire.
If you’re stuck in a rut, then you need to cultivate a growth mindset to help you get out of it. By developing a growth mindset, we can achieve our dreams and goals. We can improve our relationships, get a better job, get a promotion, start a business, or get out of debt. The key is believing that you can make it happen.
5 Steps to Develop a Growth Mindset
1. Think More Positive Thoughts
We have to train our minds to think more positively. It doesn’t take much effort to think of bad things. We’re so used to complaining, thinking that nothing is going to work out, and it is so easy to give up when we face obstacles standing in the way of what we want. But we need to change our way of thinking if we want to develop a growth mindset.
The Bible says in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (KJV).
Therefore, we must train our minds to put away negative thoughts and to focus on thinking of good things and being more positive. At first, we may find it difficult to think positively because we have allowed our minds to stay focused on the negative things that are happening in our lives, but we can change that to think more positively.
It helps to write down positive quotes and read them out loud repeatedly until it is ingrained in your mind. Then when you face challenges in your life, those positive quotes that you memorized will empower you to find ways to overcome those challenges.
2. Stop Saying “I Can’t”
Whenever I was given a new task to do if I found it to be difficult, I often had the tendency to say, “I can’t do this” or “It’s too hard”. A friend of mine used to tell me, “Don’t say ‘I can’t’, say, ‘I will try’. Since then, whenever I am faced with a new challenge, I try my best to work through that challenge instead of thinking I can’t do it.
If you want to develop your growth mindset, don’t be in such a rush to say “I can’t” when you are faced with a new or difficult task. Make the effort to work on it and you may be surprised that it was not as difficult as you thought it would be.
3. Don’t be Afraid to Learn Something New
You may have been in a particular job for 15 or 20 years and this is the type of job you only know how to do. But because of the pandemic, many businesses have closed and people have lost their jobs and they find themselves wondering what they are going to do next.
For example, a person who worked in the music industry only knows how to do one thing: play music. Because this industry has collapsed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, he has to learn new skills in order to find another job.
You may have found yourself in a similar situation. Because of the pandemic and the number of times the government has been forced to make the decision to lock down the economy to get the pandemic under control, you may have lost your job as a chef, a pilot, or an actor.
Now is a great opportunity to learn a new skill so that you may find a job that suits your qualifications. It may seem like a daunting task but learning something new can boost your confidence and help you to find a job that you are capable of doing.
4. Think of What You Could Do Differently Next Time
In life we all face setbacks. You may not have gotten the promotion you were hoping for, your business suffered during the lockdown, or you missed out on opportunities to increase your education or develop your skills. This would be a great time to ask yourself what you could do differently instead of dwelling on the mistakes you made in the past. Ask yourself this question so that you can focus on what you need to do to improve your circumstances in the future.
5. Make New Goals
As soon as you accomplish one goal, make new ones. Or if you have been feeling discouraged about the state of the economy because of the pandemic, don’t let this stop you from developing yourself or improving your life. You only have one life and you need to make the best of what you have and make an effort to fight for the things you want.
If you want to live a better life, then you need to develop a growth mindset. You need to change your attitude about the way you see yourself and how you see the world in order to develop yourself. It takes hard work and dedication to improve your life and to accomplish your goals. No matter what is happening in the world today, don’t get discouraged. Have a positive attitude and believe that you have the ability to achieve all that you desire.
