Growth Mindset and the ability to handle challenges and setbacks

A few years ago I was working with a client who had gone through extraordinary amounts of setbacks in his life. As a Coach I was grateful to work with this man that had struggled with massive financial loss which led him to question his abilities. As we worked through the sessions what struck me the most about this client was his capacity to become open to the concept that his perception of his situation could be transformed.  As we progressed further I began to understand that despite my client’s setbacks and questioning his abilities, underneath his raw emotions he had an important characteristic of growth mindset. He didn’t have the tools needed to change his perceptions and thus create a different outcome immediately. However, he had the desire to remain open to exploring new possibilities. An open mindset is the counterpart to a growth mindset!

Life by its nature presents us with challenges and setbacks whether they are big or small. How we rise to these challenges establishes the nature of our lives.  Over the course of my coaching and counselling experience I have witnessed emerging themes which are synonymous to the characteristics of growth mindset.  What I have learned over the course of the years, through my own personal and professional challenges and challenges faced by my clients are the following:

Be Open

When we fully open our mind and our heart we are able to create a space for new possibilities to take shape. Being open to the possibility of a different way of seeing a situation and a different way of thinking and behaving requires real and consistent effort.  There is comfort in maintaining the status-quo, its familiar and familiarity is consoling.  Openness asks us to be vulnerable, take risks and be curious about different perspectives.  It pushes us out of our comfort zone but in time it shows us a different path if we are willing to suspend our status-quo.

Be Prepared

When we are prepared we are able to focus our attention and energy on understanding what we really want to achieve. Preparation asks us to pause, reflect and set clear goals. It also demands us to examine our thoughts, feelings and behaviours in having a deeper understanding of ourselves in relation to the challenge.  Ask yourself what do you need in order to move past the challenge?  What structures, guidance and support do you need to help you with clarity and steps dealing with the challenge?

Take Action

Clarity creates a direction and a starting point for taking action! Be committed to the process of change, review progress, learn from mistakes and celebrate victories. Have support from others to help you steer your emotional well-being as you take action and most importantly be gentle on yourself as you progress.

Become resilient

Resiliency is the ability to recover from a setback and become adaptive to a changing environment and it requires self efficacy and self awareness.  Moving out of your comfort zone, nurturing your needs, prioritising self care, building strong relationships and managing your emotional triggers are all things that you can practice on a daily basis to build resiliency.

There is a lot of information written about the difference between a growth mindset and a fix mindset and numerous psychological studies have been conducted on how each mindset deals with challenges and setbacks.  What I have found in my experience is that the ability to face a challenge or a setback starts with one small step – the desire to be open to new possibilities.