Professor of Psychology, Carol Dweck (the famous developer of the idea of a “growth mindset”) has dedicated her life to researching what motivates successful people. Her many years of study revealed that people can have various degrees of two mindsets—a fixed, or a growth mindset. Having a fixed mindset involves believing that we are all born with specific talents and abilities that do not change. People who employ this way of thinking are challenged by others’ success. They do not believe in the usefulness of making an effort, and they always want to show how smart they are because they feel threatened by others. Dweck found that most people who had achieved great success in life have a growth mindset. These people believe that talents and skills can be learned, they celebrate others’ success, and they work hard to achieve their goals. Developing a growth mindset is just one of many habits you can pick up when embarking on your academic life or professional career. Below you will find more research-based
means of “making it big.”
Having A Strategic Mindset
A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that many successful entrepreneurs, students, athletes, and more, tend to employ a “strategic mindset” in their day-to-day life.
Having a strategic mindset means asking yourself questions like, “How else can this be done?” “Is there a better way I can achieve this goal?” “Would this work better if we adopted another procedure, or if we switched royals?” and similar. The good news is that strategic thinking can be learned. Challenge yourself frequently, analyze how well your processes are working, and be open to new approaches that are working well for others.
Harnessing The Power Of Mindfulness
To ensure you give your best at school, college, or work, and to enhance your focus and memory, invest your time in daily mindfulness meditation.
A 2019 study showed that when entrepreneurs are feeling exhausted, they can replenish their energy through mindfulness. Just 70 minutes a week can have the same benefits as sleeping an extra 44 minutes per night. To enhance the benefits of meditation, head to a green area like a park or forest. Doing so for just 10 minutes per day significantly lowers levels of stress hormones, lifts your energy, and puts you in the mood for achieving great things.
Learning to breathe mindfully can also enhance your health and wellbeing. Controlled breathing exercises are centered on using your belly (instead of your chest) to take in a big amount of oxygen through your nose and exhale it slowly (through your nose or mouth). Learning to breathe well can stand you in good stead when times are tough and stress levels are through the roof.
Listening To Your Gut Feeling
University of Cambridge researchers have discovered that, in areas like financial trade (which involve the need to take risks), listening to your instincts is a crucial component of success. Financial traders are actually per se used to relying on their intuition—something many people ignore or are barely aware of. In trading, professionals are required to assimilate large amounts of information, rapidly recognized price patterns, and make important decisions in a split second. By choosing the option that “just feels right,” you can actually seal a profitable deal.
If you wish to be successful, start by adopting a growth mindset. Know that you can improve, learn, and gain a bevy of talents and skills through practice. Employ strategic thinking, asking yourself how you can achieve more optimal outcomes. Try to make time for daily stress relief in the form of mindfulness activities like meditation and controlled breathing. Finally, try to be more in tune with what your body and mind are trying to tell you; in other words, trust more in your intuition!
