Reflection on Amal Totkay

Project work

Why is it that some people seem to shine when they choose to exert themselves, whereas others don’t despite obvious talent?

That’s because of the way they choose to think about their abilities.

A person with a fixed mindset believes that his ability is limited and that can never be changed, so that person doesn’t bother to try.
A person with a growth mindset believes that with persistence, hard work, and commitment, he can develop his abilities and grow as a person. He never gives up even if someone tries to discourage him.

If you have a fixed mindset then don’t worry about it. Below are some really helpful tips that can you start implementing right away to develop a growth mindset:

Tip 1: Self-talk:

What you feed your mind, becomes your reality. If you constantly criticize yourself for not being good enough, or that you don’t have the potential or ability to do anything, then you’re never going to achieve success. This will diminish your confidence and limit your abilities, which will leave you far behind in life. So to overcome that, you need to feed yourself positive thoughts. Constantly give yourself positive reminders like “I got this” or “I can do this” to keep yourself going, and also remember that thoughts and feelings aren’t always reality.

Tip 2: Get out of your comfort zone:

If you want to grow and improve then don’t run or avoid challenging situations. Instead, go and embrace them. Push yourself to do a certain task, put yourself in a difficult situation. This will help you upgrade your mindset.

Tip 3: Create new habits:

Put that phone away, and invest your time in your personal development. Learn something new every day and jot down the points that you learned at the end of the day. This will allow you to reflect on your learnings, which will contribute to your personal development and growth.

Tip 4: Ask people for help:

It can be a little daunting to ask for help, but doing so will help you identify how much you’ve evolved as a person. It’s always better to ask for help from people who know you better and care about you, so go for it because it’s worth it.

Tip 5: Fake it till you make it:

If you act like you’re confident and capable enough to do a certain task, then that will eventually lead to improved confidence and competence. So fake it till you make it, and watch how your perception changes.

My favorite tips out of these five tips mentioned above, which I believe contribute the most to your growth mindset have to be “Fake it till you make it” and “Get out of your comfort zone”. I’ve recently started to push myself to try things I’ve never tried before, and learn things I’ve never learned before which is a huge thing for someone like me who always avoids undertaking anything new. I still struggle to get comfortable when trying new things but I’ll keep on trying new approaches until I’m no longer scared of it. There’s no button that’s pushed to magically alter everything. Change happens little by little. Day by day.

So don’t worry if you’re struggling, just start implementing these tips right away because it’s never too late. You’ve got this!