How to Develop a Positive Mindset at Work Jenn DeWall Authentic Leadership Keynote Speaker,  Confidence & Leadership Coach

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Here are 6 things to start doing now to build a positive mindset.

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1. Practice self-love. Instead of judging yourself by your flaws and weaknesses, focus on your positive attributes and strengths. Understand your flaws, but do not use those to assess your greatness. When you practice self-love, you are able to build confidence which will help you look at challenges as opportunities. In addition, it will help you be more vulnerable and open to share ideas or take risks!

2. Let go of perfectionism. Perfectionism implies that there is only one right outcome and that if we do not achieve it we are not good enough. Perfection is a myth, it does not exist.  Believing that perfection exists to me is the same as believing in the fountain of youth, it doesn’t exist. You can keep searching but you will likely only find increased stress, decreased confidence, and stunted success. Embrace your mistakes, take them in stride, and continue to develop instead of focusing on how “not enough” you are.

3. Create a personal definition of success. If success means being the best in everything or never making a mistake you are setting yourself up for failure. Think about a goal you have. How are you defining success? For many perfectionist thinkers, it is to avoid failure and mistakes, however, that definition in and of itself may be setting you up to fail. It is black and white, win-lose thinking. Instead, live in the gray area. For example, if you are working on a project, instead of having a goal to complete everything perfectly according to plan, try instead to redefine it as taking your time, learning as you go, to ensure you have the best outcome you can given the information and knowledge you had at the time.

4. Practice a Growth Mindset. Instead of seeing things as happening to you, think strategically. See problems as opportunities for growth. Look at the problem and identify what you can control. Once you have that identified, ask yourself, “how can I grow from this?” For example, instead of focusing on having a budget cut for an upcoming proposal, think about it as an opportunity to get more creative with your approach to the proposal.

5. Set goals. If you want to grow you need to know what you are working toward. Without goals, you will continue to feel like you are doing the same old thing which can perpetuate fixed mindset thinking. Challenge yourself with goals that will help you continue to grow and develop.

6. Step out of your comfort zone. Consider this quote, “comfort should scare you.” Comfort should scare you as it keeps you playing small. The more comfortable you become with your job and responsibilities, the more risk-averse you will become. Embrace change and seek experiences that will challenge you to grow and discover new ways of thinking and doing things.

 

Jenn DeWall is a leadership coach, motivational speaker, facilitator, and podcast host. Jenn is a Millennial leadership expert based in Denver, CO.