Fixed & Growth Mindsets Around The Dinner Table

Being a coach, some of the questions which might be more appropriate for me to ask my clients and program members sometimes also trickle into conversation with my family and Christmastime around the dinner table at my parent’s house was no exception…

A few months back, my mum and I met up for lunch and a bit of shopping. Naturally, I asked her what she’d be doing work wise if she could do anything. My mum’s been involved in care jobs for as long as I can remember - supporting the elderly, working with those who have been involved in accidents which have resulted in brain damage, and now a physio assistant at a multiple sclerosis therapy centre. It wasn’t surprising to me when she told me that if she could do absolutely ANYTHING she’d probably be doing something pretty similar to what she does today.

However, at the time, she did mention that there would be one thing which would look a little different if she could do absolutely ANYTHING – she would do more of what she does now, but within the community.

Back to the dinner table and us discussing how things were going at work. My mum said that she’d been sharing more of her desires and thoughts on the kind of work she’d like to do and then she started telling us a story about how one of her bosses had approached some of the physio assistants (including my mum) and asked if anyone would like to go and shadow her supporting a man who has Parkinsons disease outside of the centre (in the community!) My mum jumped at the chance and even went as far as saying:

“I’d love to! I have absolutely no experience in that yet, but I’d love to learn.”

And with that, my mum began to get prepared for this new venture at work.

That conversation with my mum’s boss could have of course gone very differently if my mum had chosen not to speak up.

She could have thought to herself that her lack of experience would have rendered her too unqualified to even have a go. Instead, she went for what she wanted and got it. And that’s just the beginning.

I was reminded of this principle again last night when my dad and brother were watching a TV program which discusses the day’s football (or soccer for my US friends) scores and highlights. I wasn’t paying much attention – far too engrossed in the game of family scrabble which was taking place – but then I heard one of the commentators say this of one of the players who took a lot of chances and opportunities of which a lot of them paid off:

“When he keeps getting in there, he’s going to get goals.”

Obviously as opposed to not taking the chances for fear of missing out on scoring goals. The truth is he probably has missed loads. But he’s obviously scored loads too and it reminds me of a quote from Wayne Gretsky:

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

I tell you all of this to remind you of a principle you absolutely need to adopt if you want to start or scale your business. And this isn’t something which you wait for 2018 to take hold of either.

You’ve probably heard of the terms fixed and growth mindsets with the latter being all about being willing to take on new opportunities even if they involve risk, about willing to be stretched and to grow, to learn from the times you don’t ‘win’.

So I have a question – If you’ve operated with a fixed mindset throughout 2017 thinking ‘I could never do that’, ‘I’m not qualified enough for that’ or ‘I won’t make that, even if I try’, what are you ACTIVELY doing to change that way of thinking NOW and not in a few days time when the new year begins?

I don’t say this to offend, but to lovingly challenge you as ever – What resolutions did you make last year which didn’t come to fruition in 2017? Does a fixed mindset have anything to do with it? And what decisions could you make today to ensure that you don’t take that same mindset into the new year?

If you’re ready to get accountability and support in building your business and you’re ready to start today, it’s time to join my 6 month group coaching mastermind Building Beyond The Building.

Doors are about to close and with my ‘growth mindset’ firmly in place, I’m going to be doing things a little differently in business as I start 2018 (more on that in a day or two). This means that working with me in BBTB is the most 1:1 support you’ll have from me over the next few months! I am NOT about creating a program and then leaving you to it. The ladies in BBTB already will tell you that I’m in the group every day and am 100% in your corner. This program is going to be powerful and I cannot wait to get started.

If you’re ready to ditch the fixed mindset and receive high level, Christ-centred coaching alongside a supportive sisterhood for the next 6 months, BBTB is exactly where you need to be.

If you’ve still got questions about it, just give me a reply to this email or click HERE and drop me a direct line via Facebook messenger.

If you know you’re ready to stop doing what you’ve always done and getting what you’ve always got and instead, to take your business, blog or ministry to the next level, click the banner below and let’s do this.