11 Ways to Build a GROWTH Mindset

Decide the Decision. 
Making a decision to GROW is the first and biggest step. Once we make the decision to GROW, our mindset changes. I watch clients over and over again struggle with this decision, but once they decide that they’re going to go for it, they start taking action. Our decisions impact our actions. If you think the market is telling you it’s time to GROW your business then DECIDE TODAY to begin the process. Growth is a choice.
ACTIVITY: Make a decision today to grow some area of your business or your life.

Define your current growth edge. 
We can’t change everything at once—it’s too chaotic. I know from experience that trying to GROW too many areas in my business at once leads me to do subpar things. When deciding what my current growth edge is, I look for the area in my life or business that is most ripe for change—most ready for growth. My growth edge is not only the one most ready but also the one that will have the greatest impact on my growth and goals for the year.
ACTIVITY: Write down three or four areas in which you would like to grow in the next year, then choose one area that you would like to focus on for the next 90 to 120 days. 

Monitor your self talk. 
Self-talk has a way of sabotaging growth. If we decide we want to grow but then continue to tell ourselves “it’s too scary,” “I can’t do it,” or “I will fail,” we will get in our own way. We determine much of our growth in our minds before we ever do one thing. Self-talk may seem like a fluffy topic to many of you. I don’t believe it is. I believe it’s the foundation for growth. Without positive, supportive self-talk, business owners tend to get in their own way and stay small. Monitoring and then changing self-talk is a hard process. It is worth the work we put into it. The results will speak for themselves.
ACTIVITY: Keep a notebook with you for 3 days and jot down as much of your self-talk as possible. Then set it aside for a few days. Once you’ve had some time away from it, go back and write down the truth next to all the lies.

Surround yourself with positive thinkers. 
I cannot have a growth mindset if I surround myself with small thinkers. And while social media can be a good way to connect with people, it can also keep us small and negative. Choosing to surround myself with positive, growth-minded people will impact my bottom line. Positivity breeds positivity—it’s contagious. If you want to grow, you cannot afford to hang with people who bring you down.
ACTIVITY: Reach out to someone today who is a positive thinker. Thank them for being in your life and let them know how much you need them. 

Stop caring about what others think.
News flash—NOT EVERYONE WILL LIKE YOU and you will not make everyone happy. At the end of the day, you must make decisions that are right for you and your business. And in doing so, you will piss some people off. If we’re GROWING, people will not always like it. Move on. Do whatever you need to do to let it go. Getting caught up with the mental clutter of caring too much about what people think, especially if they’re not people that really matter, will sidetrack growth.
ACTIVITY: Let go of pleasing others. Identify one way you are currently doing this and make a conscious decision to let it go.

View challenges as opportunities. 
Business is full of challenges. Most days we spend the majority of our time just putting out fires or dealing with issues. This is life. Being in business will bring forth many challenges. If we can change our mindset from viewing these things as negative and turning towards viewing them as positive, we’ll have more creative energy to deal with the issues at hand. If we’re stressed or agitated, our creativity is zapped and we lose focus.
ACTIVITY: Write down one current challenge you are facing. Brainstorm and write down all the good things that could come out of this and all the possible solutions.

Delight in the process. 
GROWTH is a process. It’s not “one and done.” I spent a great deal of time in my life thinking that when I just got to a certain level or achieved a certain goal, then I would be happy. What I realized is that the joy, the beauty of owning and growing my business, is in the process. If I’m constantly looking ahead and not enjoying what’s right in front of me, I miss the joy.
ACTIVITY: Place your feet on the ground, move them gently, and remind yourself to be present right here, right now.

Redefine success. 
Many times I watch entrepreneurs avoid or sabotage their own success due to the unrealistic expectations around success. If I have such massive expectations for what success means, I will run from it at all costs. But if I can break it down into a goal that may feel like a stretch but still reachable, I’m more willing to go after it. I also find that many business owners have never thought about what success really means to them.
ACTIVITY: Without thinking too much, jot down what success means to you.

Take regular time for reflection. 
We’ve all heard that we need to work ON our businesses and not just IN them. Yet what I find to be true for most business owners is that while they know this, they don’t take the time to reflect, think, or plan. Our businesses need time. They need us to show up and think about where we want to go, to plan for what is next, and to carve out time where we are not producing so that the creative ideas can flow. Creativity does not grow in chaos—it needs time and space.
ACTIVITY: Carve out two hours in the next week outside of your office to just reflect on your business.

Change your language. 
Knowing our self-talk will not produce results, changing our language will. This requires work. We first must identify what we’re telling ourselves and then we can come up with creative words to use that are more positive, more affirming. Instead of saying “I can’t” or “I don’t know how,” use “up until now” or “I am learning to…” Our language has the power to either hinder us or fast forward growth in our lives and businesses.
ACTIVITY: Write down two or three lines you can use to counteract the “I can’ts” or the “I don’t know how’s.”

Share your growth goals out loud. Secret goals are only wishes. There’s no accountability if we keep them to ourselves. I learned many years ago that if I really wanted to grow, I needed people to help hold me accountable. If you want to grow your business this year, it may be time to step up your willingness to be held accountable.
ACTIVITY: Share one of your goals for this year with someone trustworthy today.