Smartvibes : Who Am I And Why Is A Growth Mindset Important To Me

Today I want to welcome you to a new series of emails about developing a growth mindset. I hope you’ll get a lot out of this. This concept of being open to learning and improving constantly has been a game changer for me. I hope to pass the same concepts that are making such a difference in my life on to you.

Over the next ten emails, I’ll be sharing some of my best tips and strategies with you here. You can also go deeper and read more about developing a growth mindset over at

The first step is to recognize when you slip back into a fixed mindset. Here are a few things to look out for including:

● You think you don’t have the talent to do something.

● You think making mistakes is a sign that you’re on the wrong track.

● You think that no matter how much you try, you won’t get better at what you do.

● You think it’s okay to take the path of least resistance and cut corners.

● You’ve stopped learning and trying new things.

Be on the lookout for any of these signs. Recognizing them is the first step towards changing from a fixed mindset to a growth one.

Getting that growth mindset that helps usget better at what we do, reach those lofty goals, and at the end of the daymake us live happier and more fulfilled lives. Today I thought we’d focus on the one thing that roots us firmly into our fixed mindset - fear.

That’s right. Fear is the biggest enemy of a growth mindset. Because it paralyzes you. It keeps you stuck in that little box that feels nice and comfortable.

Back in the day, fear made a lot of sense. And there are times now where a fear response is appropriate. It motivates us to get our taxes done and keeps us from running a red light no matter how late we’re running. Fear has its place, but it’s very bad at judging modern day threats.

Trying something new, putting ourselves out there is uncomfortable. We don’t know what the outcome might be. We could fail.

Fear is what keeps you from striking up a conversation with the pretty girl at the bar. It’s what tells you that applying for the new job or sitting down to write that novel is a bad idea. It won’t work. It’s a waste of time. Or worse, it will embarrass you. Fear keeps you firmly stuck within your comfort zone. If you let it.

Ask yourself this question. What’s the worst that could happen? Play the scenario out in your head. Once you do, the fear will start to recede and you can make a decision. Is it worth the risk, knowing what the absoluteworst outcome could be? If so, go for it.

Suddenly, talking to the girl at the bar doesn’t seem so bad anymore. The worst that could happen is that she tells you she’s not interested. Applying for that promotion is easier once you realize that the worst thing that could happen is that your boss tells you that you didn’t get it. At least you put yourself out there and you showed initiative.

Other times, this worst case scenario shows you what’s really bothering you and you can find a way around it, to mitigate the risk.

Let’s say you’re afraid your novel will bomb and your family and friends will make fun of you. Create a pen name and don’t tell anyone about it. Put your work out there and see how it’s received. If your readers really think you’re a horrible writer, you take the book down. No one who knows you in real life will know. But what if it doesn’t bomb?

One of the best ways to do that is to work towards your goals consistently. When you’re always striving to do better, always learning, always focusing on the next thing, you can’t get stuck in a fixed mindset. It isn’t possible. So consistency is the key and here are my tips to help you stay consistent.

Tip #1 - Start Small

It’s much easier to stay consistent when you have a small daily goal. Something that you can accomplish even when you’re having a bad day, or you don’t feel like doing the thing. Let’s take writing a novel for example. It’s a daunting task and something that doesn't seem possible. But you can write 200 words per day. Do that every day and at the end of the month you’ll be several chapters into that book.

What’s a small daily goal you could set for yourself to move in the right direction? Don’t try to be too ambitious. Make it easy. You can always increase your daily efforts later. For now, focus on daily consistent action.

Tip #2 - Keep Track

In addition to taking small daily action, I suggest you write down what you’re doing. Keeping track helps you stick with it longer. The idea here is to create a chain or streak, and then not to break it. Write down what you did that day.

Change Your Subconscious Money Mindset , change your life

Are you ready to step up and change your subconscious beliefs about money? So many people are held back by their subconscious beliefs about money, work, and deserving.
Do a quick check of your own money mindset.
Do you think that it’s hard to get rich?

Maybe you can’t see a way out of living from one paycheck to the next. Perhaps you dream of ‘one day’ clearing all the bills and being debt-free.
The good news is that your mindset can be changed. Let looks at various points the journal will provide some guidance

Most people tend to think that their finances are impacted by external factors that they have little or no control over. But the most important factor in whether you stay in Struggle Street or move into wealth is where you expect to be. Somewhere deep in your subconscious, you have several money goals or set points. They set your expectations for how much money (and debt) you expect to have. You have control over these beliefs.

Most of your beliefs about money were set by your childhood experiences. How did your family experience money?
What were the messages you received?
Chances are your family’s money mindset was like many others – money is hard to get, doesn’t grow on trees, and only the lucky few are rich.
If there were hard times, was there an expectation that they were temporary and better times would come?
Or was money seen as elusive or scarce?
Once you have identified where your money mindset came from, you can take back control and reset it for abundance.

Root out past Financial Failures
Everyone goes through bad times, but it’s up to you how you deal with the legacy. Maybe past failure continues to haunt you as a reminder and reinforcer of your former negative money messages.

Feeling guilty or sad about past failures is not an excellent way to build a positive future. Acknowledge your past mistakes and move on to focus on better things.

There are some very effective ways you can use physical methods to shift old belief patterns that are no longer serving you. Techniques like Tapping (Emotional Freedom Techniques) use gentle tapping on acupressure points to help focus your mind on unblocking negative emotions.

Once you have cleared away old beliefs, you can set new, positive money goals. You will have the freedom to make positive choices. Instead of focusing on the difficulties of paying bills, you can change your expectations and focus on the wealth you want.

Set aside some time every few weeks to look back on what you've tracked. Seeing how far you've come in such a short amount of time will motivate you to keep going.

Tip # 3 - Plan Ahead

Last but not least, it’s a good idea to plan ahead. When you know what your next step is, it’s easier to get started in the morning. When you are anticipating obstacles, it’s easier to find a way around them. Planning ahead keeps you from being tempted to give up or take a day off.