To achieve anything, we need to take a series of actions. To achieve anything that is beyond our comfort zone it takes what I call a ‘growth mindset’ and sustained motivation.

A growth mindset is an openness to continuously evolve and master your toolkit for success; A keenness to always learn more, push boundaries and constantly challenge yourself.

While many are born with a growth mindset, some are not. However, it is possible to develop this way of thinking. How do you do that? Here are some factors to bring into your routine if they don’t come naturally.

 

Develop a consistent desire to learn. 

Read, learn online, listen to podcasts, soak up as much information as possible. Schedule time weekly to do so. Get out of your comfort zone by leaning into opportunities that challenge you. Say yes instead of no. 

That means taking action. You’ll feel the emotional rewards when you take action. Confidence follows competency and not the other way around, unfortunately!

 

Embrace failure

Seeing failure as just part of your journey and an opportunity to learn is a growth mindset fundamental. Taking a risk, going for it, and completing something is in itself a success – whatever the outcome.

If you are not failing, you are not challenging yourself enough. Allow yourself to fail and know that it is just learning along the way.

Build habits for success

Successful individuals build daily habits and ways of doing things that lead to their goals.

To achieve personal growth, you have to build on your existing habits with new ones that help push you forwards. For example, you could say: ‘I’m going to do X for the next few weeks.’ But if you don’t build in small habits to your lifestyle to help you build up to doing X, it won’t happen. 

Then you will see the ‘compound effect’. For example, if we spent time each week ensuring that we are spending wisely, over time the benefit of this will build. We will have more money. If we ate a chocolate bar each day, after some time we would put on weight without noticing the action.

This is the same for productive habits that support your journey. Do them enough and over time the positive effect will build.

So, that’s your growth mindset, how about the motivation?

The key to staying motivated is to be inspired enough by what you need to do so that you complete the task regardless. Here’s how.

Identify your ‘Why?’

Be honest about what would motivate you and why and bring in a gentle habit to support that. (Taking time to understand what motivates you is very important!). It’s likely that it isn’t an individual task which motivates you, but the bigger outcome of becoming successful in your industry. 

Another driver is to be motivated by your purpose, values or something bigger than yourself.

The next time you are struggling to complete something, ask yourself, ‘what is the ultimate reason that I am doing this?’ or ‘What will it lead to if I do?’

 

Be clear on your current goals

Often, without knowing, we can end up spending time doing things that are no longer interesting or challenging – or even linked to our long-term goals. Subsequently, this affects our motivation. 

So be clear on your current goals and what you need to do to achieve them. If it is developing a growth mindset, what are the to-dos to get there, and how can you bring them into your week.

Just get it done

For getting the best out of your time, my philosophy is: If it’s a quick thing – do it now. We so often just add something to a list or say, ‘I will do that later.’ 

If you don’t act at the moment, it can become another item to do in the future. This can hinder our productivity. 

Getting used to completing tasks is very powerful. You know those days when you get a lot done and feel super motivated to do more? Zeroing in on that mindset daily will bring great results.

Get used to being dynamic and action-orientated. Notice the level and amount that you can achieve!

Develop a ‘go to’ toolkit

Understanding how to get things done productively and what is the most efficient way for you personally to do things. This will keep you on track when motivation is lacking.

For example, one successful CEO I worked with used to start each day writing five things on a post-it note to focus on that day. These were his top priorities and he completed them each day.

Something I do is use my electronic diary to put in what I should be doing, when. 

Find your groove with how you can get stuff done productively and make these your success habits.

Recall your achievements

For a success and growth mindset, it is also vital to take time to recall all the things that we achieve each day, rather than just focussing on what we haven’t accomplished.

At the end of each day say, ‘today I was great because I…’ This is an effective tool to make sure our subconscious mind is taking on board what we have achieved, and programming us for future success.

 

About the author:

Sian Winfield is an entrepreneur coach and motivator, and founder of CoStartup & Go