Overcoming challenges in life using your mindset
We all have to deal with challenges if life, it’s a fact and there’s no getting away from it. And they’ll continue to show up throughout our life. So if it’s going to happen anyway the best thing we can do is learn to deal with them in the best way possible.
And challenges are not always a bad thing they can actually lead to great things. They make a grow and stretch beyond where we already are. often shifting us out of our comfort zone.
When you find yourself facing a personal challenge it can be an opportunity or a roadblock. So often it depends on your mindset and the way you perceive things. And your mindset is the key in so many situations.
What is a mindset
It’s the established set of attitudes held by someone. Your mindset is your collection of thoughts and beliefs that shape your thought habits. And your thought habits affect how you think, what you feel, and what you do.
What mindset do you have, and how will it affect the way you deal with a personal life challenge? Having the wrong mindset will not help you but it will hurt and hinder you when life challenges you.
Your mindset shapes how you deal with life challenges.
What is a success mindset
Despite often seemingly impossible odds Individuals with a success mindset always seem to figure out how to make things happen. For example think about people that have dealt with a lot adversity in their life. They may have had a lot of struggles and a difficult upbringing. And yet they have gone on to make amazing things happen against all the odds.Also instead of quietly hoping for the best, they take control of things and take action to make things happen. Everyone has the power to control their mind! You can control yours or you can let it control you. It’s your choice .
People with a success mindset don’t leave things to chance. They make decisions, have an inner strength, and a strong will. And they are always growing and this is why many people describe a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.
Some people have a growth mindset or as I consider it a positive/success mindset and others have a fixed or more negative mindset. And like any thought process positive or negative makes a major different to the results you have in your life. Some believe they have control over their thoughts and others believe their thoughts control them and they let them.
Growth vs fixed mindset
Those with a fixed mindset believe that intelligence, talents, and abilities are fixed traits and you cannot 
change that. Their thinking is that people are either born with the tools to face life challenges or they’re not and they don’t believe that growth and change are possible.
This really holds them back from moving forward in life. Because they’ll usually only accept challenges that they feel they can master. And this is based on their given set of abilities.
Also they will try to force a solution based on their beliefs and their solution may not be the best one. Their mindset stops them from pursuing other possibilities, options and opportunities.
Facing the challenges of life
A fixed or rigid mindset follows a predictable path when faced with life challenges. Because people with a fixed mindset don’t believe they can change, they look at challenges like this:
- Something to Avoid
- A Threat
- Not Worth It
- A Personal Attack
Something to Avoid…Fixed mindset people avoid challenges. They don’t want anyone to know that they can’t master something. And based on their present abilities they don’t try new things or accept challenges. Because they believe that they are only equipped to handle certain things.
Also people with this mindset are the ones that don’t usually seek a promotion or change careers. Even moving to a larger city would probably be too much for them to handle. The risk is too high for someone who thinks they don’t have what it takes to accomplishing these life challenges. And they just don’t believe they can change to meet the challenge.
Feeling like a failure
A Threat…Not only do people with a fixed mindset fear that others will find out they aren’t good enough, but they also resent people who do accomplish life challenges. When someone else succeeds, people with a fixed mindset assume that person is better equipped for life than they are.
They can get angry that someone else has abilities they feel they lack.
The threat of being discovered may cause them to seek friends and colleagues who they think are less capable then they are. When they are a part of a group like this they think are the best person there, and no one else will challenge them to grow.
Be open to opportunities
Sadly they miss out on many opportunities including the chance network and learn with people who have accomplished more than they have.
Not Worth It…Since effort and hard work don’t factor into their beliefs, they aren’t willing to work at anything they don’t think they can accomplish. Also they don’t feel capable of change so many of life’s challenges aren’t worth it to them. They don’t believe they will succeed, so they don’t even try.
The fact is success is often hidden behind life’s challenges. You have to get past the challenges to achieve enough growth and change to take on even greater opportunities. And a person with a fixed mindset won’t get that far if they doesn’t believe that can happen for them.
Why feedback is essential
A Personal Attack…Appreciate feedback as it’s a measure of how well you are doing. Without feedback, it’s hard to tell what you are doing well or what you need to improve. The problem for people with a fixed mindset they tend to see feedback as a personal attack.
During the feedback process it’s likely to point out aspects of themselves that they feel they have no control over. They may view feedback as a direct assault on them even constructive feedback. They don’t want to hear about something they think they can’t change.
Being open to change
If you recognize this as your mindset you have to realize it’s not going to help you through life’s challenges or life in general. It will hold you back and keep you stuck. It’s something you need to change to improve any aspect of your life.
You have the power to change even though you may think you cannot. Start being more open to possibilities, be willing to take risks and accept that help is always available. Focus on being more positive and think more positive thoughts push negativity out . Also stop resisting change as challenges and change are a normal part of life. And really what’s the worst thing that can happen?
