It is never ending to hear that success in any career is not just about hard work or having the right skills. It’s about having the right mindset.
Your mindset shapes the way you think, act, and respond to challenges. If you have the wrong mindset, no matter how talented or hard working you are or claim to be, success will always feel out of reach.
In this blog post, we will be discussing how shifting your mindset can help you achieve success in your career. We will also look at different examples to show how you can apply these mindset shifts to your own professional growth and life’s journey.
Sit sight as we unravel the great potentials inside you.
Understanding the Power of Mindset
Before we start, you have to know that the mindset is your attitude and belief system. It influences how you see the world, your career, and yourself. Psychologist Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, describes two types of mindsets:
- Fixed Mindset: People that have a fixed mindset believe that whatever ability they have is fixed and cannot become better.
In their head they’ll think it’s either I’m good at this or I’m not. This would then create fear of failure making them not to stretch beyond what they know already.
- Growth Mindset: The second according to Carol is the growth mindset of individuals. They believe that through effort and learning,they can become better and improve in the process.
They see failures as an opportunity to grow better. Their mindset is that I can learn and get better if I work on it.
6 Key Mindset Shifts for Career Success
1. Shift from “I Can’t” to “I Can Learn”
Many people fail in their careers because they believe they are not good enough. They say things like, “I am not a leader,” or “I can’t speak in public.” This attitude is the fixed mindset attitude.
If you believe that you’re not good enough, you’re limiting the potential in you and once you step out to make it work, you’d be surprised that the power to accomplish it is inside you.
So instead of telling yourself I can’t do it, tell yourself, “I may not be good at this yet, but I can learn.”
There was a young marketing professional named Jane, she was afraid of public speaking. She believed she was bad at it and avoided presentations whenever she worked with her team.It became a burden as her career became affected negatively.
One day, she decided to develop a growth mindset, and take the bull by the horn. She took a public speaking course, practiced regularly, and asked for feedback from those around her. Within a year, she became confident and even gave a keynote speech at a conference.
You can be like that once doubt is removed and you take those brave steps to improvement
2. Shift from “Failure is Bad” to “Failure is a Lesson”
Fear has eaten deep into some persons that it causes them not to take positive actions towards growth.
They fear failure so much that they avoid taking risks. Do you know that it is from the experience you get that makes you better, so failure is part of success. You know why? You’ve learnt what should or should not be, how to take the better step. The mistake you made taught you what you ought to do.
Every successful person has failed multiple times. The key is to learn from mistakes and keep going.
Let’s take for example Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who failed many times before becoming successful. His early rockets exploded, and Tesla almost went bankrupt. But he saw these failures as lessons and kept improving. Today, he is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world.
Start now to stop fearing failure and take the moment to analyze what went wrong and learn from it.
If it doesn’t work, that’s not the end of it. Adjust and try again. Don’t just take risk because every other person is doing same thing. Take the risk because you know it has the potential of making you great.
I see FEAR as FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL. Make what you see come real.
3. Shift from “I Work Hard” to “I Work Smart”
Hard work is important, but working smart is even more important.
Many people believe that working long hours will make them successful. But if you are not focusing on the right things, you will burn out without real progress.
You need to understand when and how to prioritize tasks that have the most impact and jobs that are repetitive, that don’t necessarily need you there. You could check out for technologies that can help you automate the work.
What you need is to improve, networking that is meeting the right people in your niche can take your growth to another level.
4. Shift from “I Work Alone” to “I Leverage Relationships”
Remember that having good networks has an exponential impact on your personal growth and also on your career.
Success is not just about what you know, it’s also about who you know. Building strong relationships can open doors to new opportunities.
Attend the right events and seminars, ask for advice and build genuine relationships, instead of working blindly.
With time you’d see the impact of having good networks around you.
5. Shift from “I Deserve It” to “I Earn It”
Some people believe they should be promoted or given a raise just because they have been in a company for a long time.
Funny how they feel this way. There have been stories of people that were fired from their jobs because they became redundant.
Success is not based on the time you’ve spent in a particular area, rather it’s based on the value you’re adding. You need to earn your success by continuously improving and contributing.
Start now in focusing on adding value, not just waiting for rewards. Take the bold steps by having additional responsibilities like taking extra courses to improve your skill set, and doing the best of your service.
Continue learning, never stop to become redundant. The more they see your value you’re impacting, the more they’ll hold onto you.
6. Shift from “Comfort Zone” to “Growth Zone”
If you stay in your comfort zone, you will never grow. The most successful people are those who challenge themselves regularly.
Why do we call it a comfort zone, that’s because it makes you feel you’ve done all you can and there’s no need pushing further.
There are times you might not get exactly what you want, but you’ve got the lessons, and you didn’t stop there, you worked on your weaknesses and tried again.
Learning is a never ending journey and once one decides to stop learning, it’s as if it’s a death sentence.
6 Key Mindset Shifts for Career Success
Conclusion:
It’s not just talent or luck when you’re successful in your career, you first start believing in yourself, in your abilities. You developed the right mindset.
By shifting your mindset from limitation to growth, from fear to learning, and from working hard to working smart, you’re definitely on the right path to achieving your career goals.
Start applying these mindset shifts today. Success is not a destination, it’s a journey, and your mindset determines how far you will go.
Which mindset shift resonated with you the most? Share your thoughts and possibly your experience in the comment section. You might be helping someone out there with your story.
