Is Your Mindset Working for You or Against You?

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

Your mindset is how you look at the world and the place from which you make your decisions. What’s your mindset doing for you now? Look around you. Are you in the place you thought you would be when you were younger?  I know I’m not. So… what happened?

How Your Mindset Is Formed

From the very beginning of our lives, we have been influenced by those closest to us, then by friends and neighbors, then by teachers and others in the outside world. Studies have shown there are some very distinct influences that can determine whether a child wants to learn and grow or give up.

I find this fascinating because the specific things they talk about also apply to us as adults. We can change what influences our brains and therefore the decisions we make in our lives.

“When we have a growth mindset, we bring our game to new levels.” – Eduardo Briceno

Are you ready to bring your game to a new level?

Eduardo Briceno explains the concept in the TEDtalks video below.

After watching this video, I wanted to know more. I sensed there was something very particular here for me. Eduardo Briceno referenced work done by Professor Carol Dweck. She has a video on YouTube called Teach a Growth Mindset. In her video she is able to go more in depth, just what I wanted.

I’ve embedded the video below so you can watch for more info as well.

NOTE: The video says it’s almost 44 minutes long. It’s NOT. It’s actually just under 23 minutes with 20+ minutes of black screen and dead air.

Teaching A Growth Mindset

Fascinating, isn’t it? I can relate to both children who are interested in learning and those who have a fixed mindset. Why? Well, I’ve had both influences in my life. You probably have too. The difference is the extent of the various influences in your life. How did you receive them? What choices did you make?

Important to note here is that there is no blame. Nobody tried to fix your mindset so you were rigid or felt there was no hope for change.

I often heard that “You’re so smart, you should be doing better.” I was praised for my IQ and test scores, not for my desire to work and learn. It wasn’t until I went to college as an adult that I started getting mostly A’s in my classes. I was there because I did indeed want to learn. I had a goal in mind and I was willing to work for it.

This information has me looking at other areas of my life. What areas am I not happy with and what can I do to change that? What have I accepted as true that may actually come from a false mindset, one I can replace? Hmmmmm…… Very interesting? There is hope.

Think and Grow Rich

Have you ever heard of the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill? That is just one of many books I’ve read which goes a long ways towards improving your mindset if you follow what he says. I’m so very happy that Will Smith chose to have his children read this book. What I would have given to have been exposed to such reading materials at a much younger age.

Notice that it was his oldest son who brought up the book and the value it brought to him already. Incredible! I am so blessed to be part of a community that values improving your mindset. Three specific resources for doing just that are:

1. A daily phone call Monday-Friday at 9am EST which discusses Think and Grow Rich and a couple of other great books in order to help each other.
2. The Superwomen Connection which has daily calls at 3pm EST designed specifically to support women in their own businesses, with a book club on Fridays, and so much more.
3. The Inner Circle, filled with audios.

Now’s the time for you to take a look at your own mindset. If you find room for improvement, I urge you to do something about it. Take the next step to connecting with our community so you can step up to the next level for you.

Will you take the next step?