How many times have you said to yourself, “I can’t do that” or “I can’t play an instrument” or “I can’t do press-ups” etc – you get the drift – but what if you added ‘yet‘ at the end of your statement? Doesn’t it sound so much more positive, like it’s within your grasp if you keep on trying or learning and maintain a determination to get towards your goal?

One little word but ‘yet’ could be the differentiator between adopting a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Stanford University Professor, Carol Dweck, is the go-to thought leader on the theory of fixed vs growth mindset and has published a bestselling book on the subject. She has explored in depth why people succeed (or don’t) and how to foster success and improve their motivation and desire to succeed. 

It’s not just about ‘yet’, it’s also about being able to accept failure as part of the process of reaching your goals. Failure can be a springboard to success! In the UK, we have been taught from an early age that failure must be avoided at all costs. In the US, they have a very different mindset. Venture Capitalists don’t invest in entrepreneurs unless they have at least two or three failed ventures behind them. How do you learn if you don’t fail? I spent some time at the University of Minnesota in 2018, sitting in on student events and entrepreneurship challenges. American students took the opportunity to ‘fail’ in a pitching event – they all pitched their ideas in front of their fellow students and a panel of judges and they received feedback, good and not-so-good, there and then with everyone listening in. They didn’t walk away with shoulders slumped, vowing never to pitch again; they took the not-so-good feedback as part of the process to success rather than being discouraged.

You can break free from limiting thoughts and open up possibilities for success throughout your life, your career and your relationships through the power of mindset. A strong mindset helps keep you focused on your intentions and be able to deal with bumps and obstacles along the way rather than be derailed by them. 

Start setting your intentions for what success means to you and let us help you join the dots with our interactive online session The Power of your Mindset, which we are running in partnership with NatWest Business Builder. It’s on Wednesday 28th October, 2.30-4pm and you can expect to come away from the session with relevant tools and techniques to develop a bold plan for your next steps. 

>> BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW & JOIN US IN THIS POWER PACKED SESSION<<

Written by: Dominique Aspey, Centre for Enterpreneurship (Part of Careers, Employability and Enterprise)