the value of “Growth Mindset”
As I continue to discuss Mindset in these blog posts, I have been thinking about a concept that has truly changed my life. It is one of those ideas that I think we can all agree sounds great in concept, and many may claim to believe in. However, at an underlying level I believe that it impacts many people and their journey of wellness.
This is the concept of “Growth Mindset.” As discussed in the article cited below, “Growth Mindset” is the belief that intelligence, skillset, and ability are malleable in each individual. So how does “Growth Mindset” play into one's individual journey of wellness?
In order to create real and lasting change in any of The 4 Pillars, having a “Growth Mindset” is a must! For many years, I did not buy into this mindset in several of The 4 Pillars. For years, I never took on an intentional Physical Activity routine because I was naturally thin, and I did not believe I could put on quality muscle. For a long time, I told myself that “I can’t cook,” and that was an excuse for why my Nutrition plan did not support my wellness.
These are just a few examples of how I used to be affected by a lack of ‘Growth Mindset.” I am sure that if you take a moment, you can find a few areas of your wellness that have been seen through this lens. Since I was able to successfully adopt a “Growth Mindset,” I have been able to add 40-50lbs of muscle over the past 5-6 years. I have also been able to develop a consistent, complete, and delicious approach to nutrition through trial and error of different recipes and foods over time.
All of these changes started with a belief in myself that I would learn from my mistakes, and could get better with practice in any area of my wellness that I put my mind to!
So why do I bring up “Growth Mindset” this week? Well, with the time of year it is, I have had several conversations with clients, friends, and family lately about the Holiday season and end of the year hustle and bustle. In these conversations where I discuss with these people how they are maintaining their wellness through this busy time, I am met with statements like,
“I am just trying to survive, once January is here I will focus on my routines again.”
“I am stressed with all of my commitments, so some of my routines are on the back burner until January.”
“I know come January, I will put my foot down and work on my wellness routines.”
My challenge to all of these people (myself included), is to ask yourself the honest question, “Am I maintaining a Growth Mindset, even through one of the more challenging times of year?” In many of these conversations it is clear that the person has decided growth or positive change is NOT POSSIBLE at this time of year, which is why they say January will be the time.
I would challenge everyone to think a little differently about this approach to end the year. To do so, I love to use metaphors to the gym/workouts to help explain. When you are learning a new lift it is important to practice strong movement mechanics and patterns prior to increasing resistance. Some people do not take this approach, and end up using very unhealthy or even dangerous movement patterns, because they have focused so much on just moving the weight, not HOW they are moving it. Because they used these patterns for the heaviest and most difficult lifts, they are used in all situations, regardless of the resistance.
This time of year is “The Heavy weight,” and the routines and habits that we use to support ourselves during this time of year become the behavior pattern that we use moving out of the holiday season! So instead of putting off working on your routines, I would challenge you to ensure your Wellness is supported through this busy season with positive routines, so that you truly can catapult into January 2023 with HUGE momentum!
Do not take this to mean that adopting a “Growth Mindset” is an easy flip of a switch, and it happens overnight. The article cited above also talks about the connection between “Growth Mindset” and Intrinsic Motivation. This is being motivated by internal drives, instead of external rewards. In my experience, in order to be internally driven to create change, you need a big WHY.
All this to say, if you are striving to bring that best version of yourself to your passion in this world, then you have the BIGGEST reason to be intrinsically motivated to improve your wellness. Maybe you have a “Growth Mindset” in your area of passion, but not in The 4 Pillars of wellness?
One thing is for sure. If you can maintain a “Growth Mindset” in The 4 Pillars of Wellness, this will allow you to be more successful in working through this busy end of the year, by supporting yourself with routines and habits that keep you Well!
So, no more waiting! No more putting your wellness on the back burner until January! Build the routines and habits now, through a challenging time of year, so you can reap the benefits those routines generate as you step into a big 2023!
Sources:
Ng B. The Neuroscience of Growth Mindset and Intrinsic Motivation. Brain Sci. 2018 Jan 26;8(2):20. doi: 10.3390/brainsci8020020. PMID: 29373496; PMCID: PMC5836039.
