These 3 Questions for A Growth Mindset for Success

Here are three questions you need to ask yourself if you want to embrace a new mindset for success. Instead of relying on a fixed mindset, use a growth mindset, one that encourages effort and learning. Every day people plan to do difficult things, but then they don’t do them. They say, “Well, I really can’t today, I’ll start tomorrow.” I hear this from people in my work as a coach. And I’ve done it many times myself.  Changing our habits takes concentrated effort. You and I both know that even intense vowing is useless. Especially when the next day comes and goes and the excuses and rationalizations go on and on. Truth is, we only make ourselves feel worse when we fail to take action. Acquiring a growth mindset, according to experts like Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, is key. In applying a growth mindset about your goals, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

1. What can I do that would advance the knowledge and skills I need to be successful at my goal?
2. What can I learn about this task so I can achieve it?
3. Who can I ask for help or feedback with this goal?

The difference between successful people and those who are not is often as simple as asking yourself these three questions: what can I do, what can I learn, who can help me? This is how a growth mindset starts to take hold in your brain. Instead of putting things off, or finding reasons and rationalizations for why you’re not succeeding like you think you should, answer these questions and then create a plan. It’s not enough to dream, although that helps to have a clear picture of what you want. You also need to visualize and articulate what you’re going to do, when you will do it, and specify the details. And most importantly who are you going to be accountable to! Otherwise, you’re not really going anywhere. Early on in my career as a coach I turned to other successful coaches for advice and guidance for becoming a successful coach.  With their advice and counsel I asked myself three questions. What could I do? What did I need to learn? And who could I get to help me? The next step was to create an action plan that included who, what, when and where.  And most importantly who did I need partner with to hold me accountable which resulted in me hiring my first coach.  I have had many coaches over the years each with gifts and talents that held me accountable for my continued growth as an individual and a professional coach. I know I cannot succeed alone. If this makes sense to you, why not apply a test, a little experiment? Think of something you need to do, or a problem you have to confront. Create a plan. When will you follow through on your plan? Where will you do it? How? Who will hold you accountable? Visualize it in vivid detail. The idea is not only to shift your mindset, but to create real change. The best mindset in the world does not hold a lot of value if you do not take action toward the change. If you want help, just ask.