These are
testing times. And we choose that word – testing – carefully.
Because to
test oneself is to accept a challenge head-on; to see it as an opportunity to
learn, to adapt and to grow.
It’s part of
the growth mindset we’re fostering at Ultimate Edge Communications, as we focus
on wellbeing this September.
You see, with
so much of modern life changing right now, building resilience and an ability
to adapt is more important than ever. Those with a fixed, defeatist mindset –
who don’t believe their abilities, intelligence and personality can change –
more often than not see mistakes, challenges and setbacks as brick walls, as
personal failures, and inevitably give up. They can become more risk-averse and
less creative. And that’s not who we are at UEC.
That’s not to
say we need to celebrate or disregard every mistake. Last Friday we touched
on how it can be somewhat of a natural tendency to dwell on shortcomings – at
least in the short term. But it’s what we learn
from these mistakes – how we overcome these challenges and setbacks – that
will ultimately foster growth and success.
In order to
serve high-growth brands in a high-stress environment, we need to foster a
growth mindset. Those with a growth mindset understand that intelligence and
capabilities are not fixed concepts.
They understand that anything that can be taught can be learned, and that trial
and error is all part of the process. And this in turn creates a valuable sense
of resilience and mental fortitude in tough times like these.
It’s one of
the reasons we’re spending much of September learning and applying new methods to achive healthy mindsets,
positivity, gratitude, nutrition, yoga
and more.
Those who
actively engage in learning new skills are more able to develop self-confidence
and problem-solving techniques, argues Beverly Jones, an executive career coach
and author of “Think Like an
Entrepreneur, Act Like A CEO.”
“Each time
they hit a bump, they spend less time lamenting and quickly turn to determining
what they must learn in order to climb out of the hole,” she said, highlighting
the more positive and optimistic
mindset that curiosity and learning can foster.
“In part,
this is because each time you become aware of learning something new it feels
like a victory. You maintain the positivity that is a key to resilience.”
Dorie Clark, Executive
Education teacher at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and author of “Reinventing You”, agrees.
“It is a
combination of being able to pick yourself up when there are setbacks,” she says, “but also
it is about having the kind of cross-training necessary to be flexible in an
uncertain world where we don’t know what is around the corner.”
In a 2020
that has featured countless surprises around the corner, it’s sage advice.
So, what are
some things we can all do to foster a positive, curious, growth mindset?
According to
Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University and author of “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success”,
three simple principles we can look
to lean on are:
- Focus on the
process rather than the final product. Just because something
doesn’t come easily, doesn’t mean it is not worth learning or cannot be
grasped. It’s a sentiment echoed by Simon Sinek, author of “The Infinite Game” and “Start With Why”: “One of the things that
makes us resilient,” he says, “is that when we see a challenge, and when we
face a struggle, we engage with it rather than shut down”.
- Tailor your
approach and try new things. We’ve all heard the cliché that the apparent definition
of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different
result. But, to be fair, it’s somewhat true. When something isn’t working and
you feel yourself slipping into a frustrated, defeatist mindset, you need to
come up with new strategies, learn new skills and accept new feedback to figure
out the right approach.
- Be aware of
what triggers you to shift from a growth mindset to a fixed one. Fixed
mindsets can become habitual. Being able to recognise a shift towards, and
consciously avoid falling into, a fixed mindset is key to overcoming it.
Other
techniques we’re learning this month at UEC to build resilience and manage our
emotions include:
- Getting plenty
of sleep. Sleep routines are key to managing stress and anxiety. They foster a
positive and productive mindset, which builds more resilience and emotional
control in chaotic environments. Our nutritional learning and weekly Wednesday yoga
sessions are helping us to develop healthier sleep patterns.
- Maintaining social
connections. With a feature of 2020 being isolation and reduced physical interaction
with friends and family, it’s imperative to try and maintain connections
through other means. At UEC we are focusing on quality face-time and
conversations in our Friday ‘tea for the soul’ sessions, check-ins with
clients, and encouraging plenty of Skype video sessions whenever we’re not in
the office.
- Stop ‘doom
scrolling’ the news. Obviously it’s important to keep up to date with
the news, but with so much negativity and conflicting opinions on air these
days, experts recommend limiting
COVID-19 news consumption to one or two daily checks of official scientific
agencies such as the World Health Organisation (internationally) and Australian
Government Department of Health (domestically).
- Find some
purpose: “It’s helpful to acknowledge and accept your emotions during hard
times,” according to the American Psychological Association, “but it’s also
important to help you foster self-discovery by asking yourself, ‘What can I do
about a problem in my life?’ If the problems seem too big to tackle, break them
down into manageable pieces.” Self-discovery is a key principle of the yoga that we’re learning at
UEC, including this morning’s session.
Of course, there is plenty more for us to learn in these unprecedented
times. But we believe that by fostering growth mindsets – ones that are
resilient, optimistic about the future and curious to always keep learning – we
will be able to overcome any challenges that are thrown at us.
