Mindsets that Sabotage Success

Mindsets can be tricky. Of course, they’re not something we can really see, and they can often be difficult to pin down. For example, you may have a mindset operating in the background that you’ve never really pointed out but that still influences you from day to day. Though they may not be immediately obvious, mindsets are often a significant factor in a professional’s success or lack thereof. Our mindsets can play key roles in our daily actions, and those actions together can make a large impact. So, what are the mindsets to watch out for if you’re committed to success?

Fear of Failure

While a fear of failure is a natural mindset, it’s not one that we want to allow to become dominant. Evolutionarily speaking, life-or-death situations were more common than they are today, and so failure often came with much higher stakes. While failure certainly still has consequences today, that protective fear impulse can keep us frozen. A failure in your professional life doesn’t mean you’re doomed. In fact, it’s often an opportunity for learning and growth. When you operate with a mindset that you’re afraid to fail, you’ll avoid the risks and difficult experiences that can help you expand in your career. While I’m all for being cautious and thoughtful about professional decisions, it’s key to check in and see if fear is standing in your way.

Resistance to Change

Change can come with many difficult implications. It can cause discomfort, require adjustments, and put us in a period of uncertainty. So of course, many of us resist it. What we forget when we’re resisting change though is that it also often comes with the potential for great things, too. What’s on the other side of that discomfort? What if those adjustments free you up to create better balance in your life? What if that uncertainty helps you solidify your priorities? Change is growth. If you want to expand your career, you have to be willing and ready to evolve. Even more important, change is inevitable. Resisting it is an uphill battle that costs much more energy than accepting and moving with it.

Constant Competition

Many sales positions put professionals in a comparative mindset. It’s logical that to succeed, you will need to beat out the competition. But a competitive mindset isn’t how you get there. When you’re in this mindset, your focus is on your competitors. What are they doing? Why are prospects choosing to work with them? What marketing tactics are they using? Don’t get me wrong. Understanding your competition is valuable. But it’s not where the majority of your effort should go. If you really want to rise to the top, your focus needs to be on your clients, your business, and your work. A glance at the competition from time to time is useful, but don’t get bogged down looking at others. Tune into your own business and commit to doing the best you possibly can for your clients, and you won’t need to worry about the competition.

Have you noticed any mindsets that slow you down? Have any of these three come into play? How do you navigate to get out of them or avoid them? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!