Dig In: The Power of A Growth Mindset

I’m lucky to count some seriously awesome humans amongst my team - each and every one has their own passions, career goals, aspirations and hobbies.

They all have one thing in common: they just do it.

It forms part of our secret sauce that keeps us performing at a really high level.

But what is “it" really, and how can you cultivate “it”?

I think you could call it “grit”, “determination”, “courage”, “mettle”, or “bravery”.

It’s an interesting concept, and the more I think about it, the more I think part of embracing it involves learning to acknowledge your inner critic.

We all have inner critics, and they show up in different ways.

Sometimes, they’re a “should”, sometimes, a “shouldn’t”. It’s the thought in your mind that tells you what is/isn’t something that you would ordinarily do or say. Inner critics get louder, the more we push ourselves out of our comfort zone.

And as we all know, when we exit our comfort zone, we grow.

And growth is… Fun, exciting, a little bit scary, tiring, and usually, quite a mindful practice.

How many times have you counted yourself out of something, because it’s not something you could, would, or should do?

That’s what I’ve been pondering this year: put simply, how often does your inner critic stop you from performing at your best?

To get into a growth mindset, we need to acknowledge our inner critics, and it's worth saying, I don’t have a magic formula to silence inner critics. I wish I did; it would make it a lot easier to offer support and guidance.

But, I do have some tips that can help you to acknowledge, support and guide your inner critic into a sense of safety, when you’re outside your comfort zone.

This quote from William James is one of my favourites, and speaks to the power of “just doing it”:

“Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not.”

— William James

Acknowledge the thought (your inner critic) that stops you from acting.

This is a hard one, but an essential step in embracing a growth mindset. The first truth is that you won’t ever silence these thoughts, and the second truth is that everyone has them. Acknowledging them is the first step in learning how to overcome them.

Celebrate your wins. Every single win.

This is an important part of regulating your inner critic. Each and every time you take a step outside of your comfort zone, you need to celebrate the win. This teaches your inner critic that actually, you’re okay, and being outside of your comfort zone can be quite fun!

So, in summary: just do it, acknowledge that it can be hard, and celebrate all the wins along the way.

Growth is a mindset and a continuous journey: the great thing is that you will never really “be done” with growth.