Mindset is Everything
-by Clark Hibbs
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We’re ridiculously lucky to be living in this current time period.
I know, I know… still not “the good old days” for some… but the good old days were lacking a ton of what we have nowadays.
For example: In the good old days, could you get groceries delivered to your door in less than 2 hours? Could you live stream any sporting event imaginable just from a simple google search? Could you stay connected to all of your friends and family via social media? Did they have Storm Trooper costumes for corgis?
I didn’t think so.
Even though 2020 hasn’t exactly been the best year, it’s still the best time to be alive.
However, with all of this technology, there do come *some* downsides, specifically with social media.
There are plenty that we could list, but I’m going to touch on the one I feel is most important…
Mindset. (More specifically, the mindset that social media can put us into at times). That thing that can subtly take up so much space in our brains because we’re constantly feeding it with more and more digital information every hour of every day. Constantly comparing, playing the “should” game, and always wishing for something else.
Yes, that funny little word that internet entrepreneurs or “wanna be influencers” can throw in your face at a moment’s notice.
“Mindset, bro.”
“You want to be successful? You have to be in the right mindset.”
“Your mindset is off. You’ve gotta be in growth mode. Not fixed mode.”
And while we all want to look at most of these people, laugh at their hilarious advice, and continue on our way while simultaneously comparing ourselves to them stating that “they have it so much better than I do”… they are not exactly wrong here.
Mindset is extremely important in any journey that you’re on.
For most of us, we set out on some sort of journey that is going to present a challenge. This could be a new job, working towards a promotion, a new fitness routine, weight loss regimen, etc. Whatever the journey is, it’s going to challenge you and present you with some distinct decision making opportunities. The decision is going to be: “Do you want to grow? Or do you want to stay the same?”
Of course you want to grow. I mean, why would you have set out on this journey in the first place?
But this is where people run into the fixed mindset conundrum that keeps them from reaching their full potential.
“In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort. They’re wrong.” – Robert Sternberg, American Psychologist, Cornell University.
Let’s put that fixed mindset into more relatable sayings with health and fitness.
- “I’ve never lost weight. I’ll always be heavy.”
- “There’s no way I’ll ever be able to do a pull up.”
- “I’m not a runner.”
- “I’ve tried everything and nothing has worked.”
- “Oh, that’s just not going to work for me.”
Sound familiar?
If you’ve ever caught yourself saying this, well my friend, you’re living in a fixed mindset.
You’ve spent your time documenting your perceived levels of intelligence, talent, or skill level rather than acknowledging where you might be deficient, and putting in the necessary effort to make growth. You’ve looked at the past and dwelled on it rather than embracing the challenges of the future.
Long story short, you’re holding yourself back. You’re telling yourself “No, this is what I’m capable of” rather than telling yourself, “Wow, I’m capable of so much more. What do I need to do to get there?”
Enter the growth mindset.
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” (Dweck, 2015)
Ah yes. You are who you are, but that doesn’t limit you to a certain path in life. You might have certain characteristics or traits that makes certain things tougher for you, but there are still ways to get to your goals if you truly value the goal. Dedication and effort can do some pretty amazing things to combat inherent personality traits.
We’ve seen the chronically obese become fit and healthy.
We’ve seen the introverts give amazing displays of public speaking.
We’ve even seen the chronically jaded and weary become tireless and vitalized.
These examples above are all very different people, but all had one thing in common: a growth mindset.
We tend to be our own worst enemy.
We talk negatively to ourselves.
We compare ourselves to others on social media.
We tell ourselves that we aren’t capable of something we want to accomplish…
And we couldn’t be more incorrect.
We are capable of so much more, and we are capable of the goals we put in front of us. If you truly value something, you’ll make the necessary changes in order to achieve it. You’ll live and breathe “growth” and be ready to make anything happen. You’ll accept the time and patience that it will take to get there. You’ll remind yourself daily of what you’re trying to accomplish.
And then you’ll do the damn thing.
-Clark Hibbs
