Happy New Year! I hope you all are doing well!

Typically when entering a New Year, I’m used to hearing people say, “ New Year, New Me” and other related phrases, but this year my phrase is New Year, New Mindset. This is my phrase because when envisioning the big plans that I have for this year, some habits, attitudes, actions that I held last year won’t exactly get me to those big plans this year. Additionally, I recently heard a sermon that that said we can’t expect new results, with the same mindset.

What is Mindset?

According to Dictionary.com , mindset can be defined as, “ a fixed attitude, disposition, or mood.” These attitudes are developed from our upbringing and daily experiences, and go on to shape our worldview, behavior, the action we take, and the results we get.

We can explore mindset further by exploring the two types of mindset as identified by Carol Dweck, PhD. People with a fixed mindset believe that their qualities, like intelligence or talent, are unchangeable traits (Quintero, 2015). While others with a growth mindset believe that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work (Quintero, 2015).

Here’s a quick quiz. *Which ever you identify closely with, that doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with you, I believe both mindsets are unique and present opportunities for improvement.

Tips For Shifting Your Mindset

Like any change, shifting our mindset isn’t an easy task at all, however, it can be done and is worth the investment. Before I go on any further, I want to encourage you to be patience with yourself, go at your own pace, and celebrate your progress.

Here are 7 Tips to Improve Your Mindset:

1. Embrace setbacks- I recently heard someone say, “ it isn’t a “setback”, but instead a “setup” for something better.”

2. Challenge Yourself- Crush your fear little by little and whether it be each day, each week, or each month, challenge yourself to do something that will help you step out of your comfort zone.

3. Keep trying and give your full effort each time- We will fall plenty of times during life, but that doesn’t mean stop! Feel your feelings, get back up, use the wisdom from your last fall, and try again with your full effort.

4. Ask for help- At some point we all learn that we can’t do it alone. Yes, we all may have had bad experiences with asking for help in the past or come from cultures and backgrounds that view asking for help as weak and I see how that can be difficult. We need to move forward from the past and release those views that no longer serve us.

5. Collaborate with others - I love the African Proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” There’s so much that can be learned and gained from working with others.

6. Always seek out opportunities to learn- It’s really true that you learn something new everyday and yes new information can be overwhelming, but you never know when that information could come in handy. So make yourself open to receiving the knowledge that surrounds you each day.

7. Be open to receiving feedback (both positive and negative)- Why should we only appreciate the positive feedback? Negative feedback doesn’t mean we aren’t enough or aren’t capable, it means that there are some areas for improvement that we can take advantage of to further our growth.

Mindsets and Wellness

Whether its wellness goals or something else you want t to accomplish in your life, our mindsets play a critical role in what we’re able to achieve.

For example, let’s say you want to incorporate journaling into your daily routine and you choose to journal 3 days a week. One week you might miss 2/3 days or all three days, but that doesn’t mean you’re a failure. Each new presents a new opportunity to win, so be patient with yourself, learn from the challenges of the previous week, and try again.

For me personally, I saw the biggest shifts in my life when I began working to shift my mindset. This looked like being openminded, being open to learning and trying new things, learning from everyone, networking with different people, being open to feedback, practicing gratitude, and more.

Give the tips above a try and you will be amazed that overtime you will begin to shift your mindset and create change that you want to see in your life!

Quintero, N. (2015, March). Transforming the mindset: Psychology professor Carol S. Dweck, PhD, speaks at the United Nations. Psychology International. http://www.apa.org/international/pi/2015/03/transforming-mindset