How To Create A Growth Mindset

Thanks to Sam Laura Brown's podcast The Perfectionism Project, I now know that I think like a perfectionist instead of someone with a growth mindset.

1. AM I A PERFECTIONIST?

Listen to Sam’s episode about growth mindset here.

This podcast episode helped me realize I was a perfectionist, what that means about my personality, and how to start thinking in a different way - that it's okay to do things imperfectly - like working out or blogging.

Sam Laura Brown shares how she got into the growth mindset regarding working out - an area most of us struggle with staying on the wagon.

Ever since I realized I'm a perfectionist I've been working on focusing on the effort I put into things rather than the outcome.

I used to be an all-or-nothing thinker and it would really hold me back from trying a lot of things, and I’m still working on getting better at this.

I was scared if I put effort into something and then failed, I would feel shame and embarrassment.

When I was younger I would ask my track coaches if I could practice with the team but not have to compete because "I wasn’t a competitive person”, but really I was just afraid of getting shown up at the track meets in front of all those people.

Nowadays when I’m afraid of failing it’s usually at my job or in my own personal life.

I have high expectations of who I should be and how much I should accomplish each day, that sometimes it can get overwhelming and I don’t try at all.

This is what Sam has been teaching me to overcome by adopting a growth mindset rather than a perfectionist mindset. I’ve seen progress in myself and it’s really allowed me to love myself and respond with grace rather than shame when I don’t reach my super high expectations for the day.

Develop a growth mindset

2. SET NEW EXPECTATIONS

Re-evaluate expectations and make NEW, imperfect ones

My expectations were [and sometimes still are] SUPER high and basically always unachievable for the stage of life I was in.

I looked at the expectations I was setting for myself whenever I had a big to-do list or wanted to be ultra productive and I finally realized I was repeatedly setting myself up for failure.

I was basically telling myself "there's no excuse for me not to reach this goal in record amount of time with no previous experience". No pressure ;)

I was approaching it in a way that wasn't loving towards myself, it was a harsh "you better finish this".

3. CHANGE THE CHATTER

The way I was talking to myself is the opposite of motivating and if I think about it, I would never talk to a friend that way.

Instead I would encourage them to try their best and take it one task at a time.

A big part of adopting the growth mindset is giving myself grace just like I would a friend.

It takes a lot of mind power at first (just like learning to drive a car) but eventually it will become your new normal and your future self will thank you for it.

If this post was helpful or brought a new perspective to your life, message me! I'd love to hear what you're working on and what mind shifts you are having.

xoxo,

Allison

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