Cathy's blog

I'd never seen myself as an entrepreneur - only as an (eventually disgruntled) employee.

 

I was stuck in my own definition of who I was. And on top of that - I believed that this was fixed, unchangeable.

 

I had discovered the idea of a *growth mindset* already several years ago. And I was a believer. I used it with others. I preached it. I included it in my work in any way I possibly could.  

 

Growth Mindset: "In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment." (Carol Dweck, 2015)

 

I love the idea that whether you believe it's possible to grow and learn, and become a better version of yourself, or not will actually impact the way that you learn and grow and become a better version of yourself.

 

 

But then I realized I didn't necessarily do the same with myself.

I'm very harsh on myself. If something goes wrong, it's very black and white:

* You're stupid. You can't do this. You will never be able to do this. Might as well give up.*

 

So for myself, I had a fixed mindset.

 

 

But how did that make sense? 

If I had a fixed mindset - how come I'd made such progress in my career? Moved up the ladder?

Decided to become an entrepreneur?

 

If I didn't have a growth mindset for myself, how come I did take those steps?

 

I discovered that I have a special version of the growth mindset just for myself :-).

I call it a *mini* growth mindset.

 

Even though I don't necessarily believe I can go all the way, that I can achieve that big goal I have in mind,

I always, always believe I can go to the next level  - that I can take the next step.

 

When I realized that,  I turned this discovery into a practical application.

And that application for me is doing experiments. 

 

Little experiments that help me - strategically - take the right next step to go in the direction of my goals.

 

One of my current goals is to be more visible on social media, to build our Impact Habits brand.

So I decided to add video into the mix. But as I've never done anything on video before, I decided to let someone help me. So I joined an online training program with Helena Bowen, called the Speakeasy. In 8 weeks, we're creating a TED-like talk, which we will then present virtually. 

Leading up to that event, we get to do many little social media challenges on video (experiments! yay! :-))

 

I love this approach, it's right up my alley. Every week I do a *better done than perfect* video, implementing the lessons learned from the previous one.

These experiments help me to learn, implement & grow my confidence. Focusing on the next step, instead of the terrifying end result.

 

I see so many of my clients do what I used to do: only think about the end goal, get stressed out, and eventually give up. 

 

Experiments are the best antidote for fear of failure, imposter syndrome, and fear-related procrastination. They're small, feasible, and even fun! And they build up your skill and confidence - so the end goal becomes a possibility. It's like breaking it down into small, simple steps.

 

So think about it for yourself, where could you start doing experiments little experiments for yourself today that will help you cultivate that growth mindset for yourself - and stop playing small?