“We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves.” 

–         Gautam Budhha

A continuous process that we are always into, whether asleep or awake is thinking. We think about something or the other without any break and jump from one thought to the other in a blink. Few of our hormones also function according to our thoughts and feelings at a certain moment. Our feelings, our thoughts impose their effects on our physical health as well. The way stress causes indigestion and slow metabolism; relaxation, in the same way, is known to bring a glow to our skin and benefit our overall health. Now, thinking in a certain way would lead us to act in a certain way. If I perceive a situation negatively; my actions would never reflect positivity even if I pretend to do so.

Here, in this discussion, we are simply going to look at how our thoughts drive our actions and how we can think or look at things in a way that would lead us to become a better self. Thinking in the right direction saves our energy by channelizing it in the right way. Constructively managing our thoughts help us learn and gather experience.

The world is experiencing a paradigm shift post-pandemic. The pandemic hit world has found its unique way to cope with the situation and balance life all over again. People had to come out of their status quo and learn new skills to sustain themselves in the industry 5.0. Some people chose to challenge their capacities and have stepped into uncharted territory to explore sustainable opportunities. Also, some people believed that they cannot learn anything further and hence did not even try something new; fearing failure. This resulted in a career struggle for them – blaming the outbreak of a pandemic.

Here comes our topic of discussion in the picture. You must have noticed that the two types of people discussed above carry two different types of perspective; maybe they think differently and look at the world differently.

Everything we see around us, everything we do, and everything we say; is from our perspective. The way you look at something doesn’t need to be the way I look at it. Impossible according to me can be perceived as possible by you. It’s all in our mind. It’s all in our way of thinking and perception. By saying so, I mean that success and failure, winning and losing, developing or not developing – everything is in our mind. To be precise- everything is the game of mindset. The right mindset brings the best to you. There are two types of mindset- growth and fixed; you can choose anyone between the two that would lead you to success.

What is a mindset? Mindset is nothing but your philosophy of life. It is the set values, beliefs and assumptions you hold and practice. The more you hold onto your set of assumptions or beliefs, the more ingrained they become. On the contrary, if you are open to explore and accept changes in your beliefs, they make you cognitively flexible and adaptive. The first condition is better known as a fixed mindset while the latter one is known as the growth mindset. I hope we are now pretty much clear of what I intend to convey.

As a derived concept of Neuroplasticity, many kinds of research have been conducted on mindset. The findings were as interesting as the topic. It was found that people with a growth mindset achieved more in less time than that of people with a fixed one. People with right mindset get analytical, creative and imaginative with time and experience while people with hardwired beliefs and notions continue to function with their existing view of the surrounding world.

Let’s look at the characteristics of people with a growth mindset. People with a growth mindset are those who believe that there is no end to learning and developing further. According to them- any age, in any situation, we can learn new skills and execute new tasks given that we are cognitively functional. Growth minded people are those who are adaptive, flexible, and helpful. They are always open to change and new ideas. The concept of Neuroplasticity works effectively for them. People with a fixed mindset are seldom like the above. In particular, they do not believe in their potential and capabilities; their thought process poses the biggest threat to their growth. If the growth mindset is like a piece of fertile land where seeding results into sprouting then fixed mindset is a cemented concrete which has no possibilities for a new life being born out of it.

How can we use this concept for a better life? How can we have the right mindset for a better life? Life keeps us busy by challenging us with difficulties and changes. How we respond to the changes and difficulties decide where we head towards in life. Right mindset plays a major role in responding to life appropriately. If you wish to have a better approach towards life- all you need to do is to turn to a growth mindset; you need to start looking at your surrounding not only from your perspective but from other perspectives too. Let’s point out some do’s and don’ts to practice growth mindset and break free from the fixed mindset.

• Do try to become flexible and adjusting. Allow others to put across their thoughts and opinions. Do not stick to your notion. For an example- if you are habituated to perform a task a certain way and you suddenly encounter someone performing it some other way; do give it a thought before being judgmental.
• Leaning continues for the lifetime. Make sure you are always into the process of learning. Do explore, ask questions and seek answers. Do not believe that you have had enough knowledge of functioning. There’s always a room for improvement and enhancement. And yes, age has nothing to do with learning and development, you can ignore your age while judging your abilities and potential.
• Do say yes often than no. Ruling out is easy but taking things up to nurture is difficult. Do not give up until you believe you have tried enough.
• Do listen more, receive more. Active listeners are always good observers and orators. The more your brain receives, the more it synthesizes to add up to your knowledge.  Avoid being a selective listener.
• Do exercise, eat healthy, stay fit. A good hormonal balance helps you think in the right direction. Help others stay fit and happy. Do not let a chance to go where you can help a person even in the smallest way possible.
• Do believe in yourself. Your capability can increase substantially only if you want. Motivate and reward yourself if no one else does it for you. Do notdiscourage others. Encourage others, support others to grow.
• Do challenge yourself for smaller tasks first. Once you conquer these challenges to win over yourself; your confidence will multiply manifolds. Do not procrastinate
• The joy, the happiness, the content lies within you. If you do not look for it, nobody else would do it for you. Embrace the right mindset; take charge of your well-being. Take care of others too. Your leader is hidden within you, awaken the power and grow.

All the above are better said than done but are not impossible either. Just think that there’s a better ‘you’ waiting at the other side of these six points.

To conclude, opting for growth or fixed mindset is in your hands. Choose wisely. A growth mindset will take you a long way because it helps you grow and learn. Fixed mindset would not take you backwards but would not take you ahead as well. If you have plans to sustain in this ever-changing world and exist prominently; success would come to you only through a growth mindset. If you are yet to think about your plans- this is the right time to figure it out and start working towards it. All the best!!