Your Mindset is Everything (And Your Success Depends On It)

Take a minute to think about your life as a whole. How do you feel emotionally, physically, and mentally on a daily basis?

Do you fly out of bed in the morning excited for the challenges that you have the opportunity to overcome that day? Or do you hit the snooze button 7 times before you finally convince yourself to get up and try to show up for the day?

Your answer to these questions depends on your mindset. Your mindset is what determines how you feel about taking on the day’s challenges. It is your foundation for success in every aspect of your life. Your mindset is everything.

Mindset Is Everything Meaning

Mindset is everything – meaning that your mindset will determine how you view every single thing that happens in your life.

Every single day we make many choices (good or bad) that will affect our future. Every decision you make either leads you toward an easy and comfortable life or a challenging but fulfilling life.

Your mindset frames the story of your life. And because of this, it is important to understand the power of mindset.

What is Mindset?

It is important to first have a strong mindset definition. Your mindset is more than just understanding the difference between positive thinking and negative thinking. And it is more than just having a positive attitude.

The mindset you use is the set of beliefs you have that determines your entire worldview. It controls how you interpret everything that happens to you, regardless of whether it is good or bad. Every single positive action that you take or negative comment that you make is a result of your mindset.

So why is mindset so powerful? Because your mindset determines the path you take in your life. It determines whether you will pursue growth as you work toward your life goals. Or it is what keeps you firmly rooted on the ground where your dreams are forever outside of your reach.

Types of Mindsets: Fixed and Growth Mindset

When it comes to different types of mindset, there are two major types that help us understand why mindset is everything.

In her growth mindset book Mindset, Carol Dweck explains the difference between fixed and growth mindset. Fixed and growth mindset differ in how they react to setbacks, challenges, obstacles, and failure. Let’s look at these a little bit closer.

Fixed Mindset

A fixed mindset believes that people are born with set skills and traits that cannot be developed or improved.

People who use a fixed mindset don’t like challenges because they fear failure. When they fail, they feel as though their intelligence or ability is being compromised.

The fixed mindset tends to be the more negative mindset of the two. It is a poor mindset to have if you are looking to improve or work toward achieving a tough goal.

Since mindset is everything, if you have a fixed mindset, you probably spend a lot of time in your comfort zone. One of the effects of fixed mindset is that the idea of taking a risk and doing something new is off-putting. Taking risks means the potential for making mistakes. And if you are a person with a fixed mindset, you likely feel that making mistakes is a sign of weakness.

Now, just because you like your comfort zone does not mean that you have a fixed mindset. The key is to not let your desire for comfort limit what you are capable of doing with your life. It is possible to live a safe and comfortable lifestyle without refusing challenges and growth opportunities when they come knocking.

Growth Mindset

Growth mindset is the opposite. The growth mindset believes that we can improve and get better at anything we put our minds to. Practice and hard work are the keys to improving skills.

People who use a growth mindset aren’t afraid to take on a challenge. These types of people can acknowledge failure as a possibility, but do not let it keep them from learning something new. Using a growth mindset means not letting the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.

If mindset is everything, growth mindset can help you embrace failure in your life. This isn’t something that is easy to do for most people. Even though it is hard to fail, growth minded people are able to feel the failure and the emotions that come with it, and then start hunting for the lessons.

Knowing about growth mindset isn’t enough to just ‘get one’. This is a mindset that takes tons and tons of practice to develop. Growth mindset training involves intentionally practicing the way you react to setbacks in your life. Have someone keep you accountable whenever you find yourself leaning back on a fixed mindset!

How Does Mindset Affect Success?

What does success mean to you? Is it being wealthy? Having a good job? Living the “dream life”? Is it happiness?

Whatever your idea is for a successful life, the key to getting to that life is having a mindset for success. At the end of the day, success is a mindset, and mindset is everything. Having a success mindset is what will propel you forward to new heights.

Think of a time where you had a ‘can do’ mindset versus how you feel when you are bogged down with negative thinking. How do you tackle challenges when you have a positive attitude? How long does it take you to get anything accomplished when you are battling a fixed mindset?

It is very easy to give up in the face of extreme pressure and challenge. A mindset for success is one that looks for growth when things get hard.

Success is mindset in and of itself. Keeping yourself focused on doing whatever it takes to succeed at your goals requires the right mindset and the right attitude.

Zig Ziglar’s famous ‘your attitude determines your altitude‘ quote illustrates the need for a positive attitude and positive thinking when pursuing success. If we want to reach heights that we can only dream of, we need a mentality that is going to get us there.

The negative thinking that comes with a fixed mindset will only do the opposite. A successful mindset isn’t the one that tells you to run from challenges in order to protect your sense of worth. Instead, a successful mindset requires you to push yourself farther than you have ever gone in order to explore new and exciting challenges.

And when you push yourself that hard and that far, you are bound to fail at some point. The trick is not letting the feelings of failure discourage you to the point where you give up.

Your mindset is the builder of your future. So do something today that your future self will thank you for. If you have goals for 5, 10, or 15 years from now, it is time to do something that’s going to set those goals in motion today.

Don’t wait until you have enough time or money to do something. Take steps to work toward your goals each and every day. Even five minutes every day can push you to go the distance.

You can be successful, and you can have the life of your dreams. Start today by making intentional effort to make a change in your life.

While you do have choice in the mindset you use, there is also a strong social influence that comes from your social environment.

It begins with our parents when we are young. If your family’s value system taught you that you can do anything you put your mind to, it makes sense that you would gravitate toward a growth mindset.

By contrast, if you were always told what you can’t do, you likely developed limiting beliefs about yourself that may have you struggling with a fixed mindset. These beliefs are what cause people to make up excuses for their lack of success or lack of happiness.

But, remember that you always have a choice. Social realities are only part of the equation. While you may have the same mindset as your family, you aren’t doomed to share their fate.

If you are here today reading this, it means that you have the self-awareness to be willing and able to put in the effort to make a change to your mindset and your own behavior.

One way to break the cycle is to surround yourself with positive people who are of the same mindset as you. It is important that you see your own mindset reflected in the people closest to you. This will keep you focused on growth and positivity when things get tough.

If your circle of friends and family are always negative and find little joy in the challenges of life, this will have a negative impact on your mindset. Instead, surround yourself with people who believe in the power of positivity and growth. Find a circle of people who believe that failure can propel you forward in growth.

The people you surround yourself with will either encourage you to grow your mindset, or they will stop its growth. Your mindset is everything, so it’s important to protect it.

When It Hits the Fan…

Your mindset is the most powerful tool you have to help you make it through the challenges of life. Unfortunately, bad things happen. But training your mind to be prepared will help make sure your setbacks don’t break you.

Your mindset is everything. It needs to be exercised just as you would exercise your body. You can change the way you react to struggles with hard work and practice.

Look inward to see what growth opportunities are hiding in the setbacks. Developing a growth mindset will get you out of the gutter faster than a fixed mindset. You are in charge of how you deal with failures and obstacles. Every challenge you encounter in your life is there to teach you something.

Don’t forget to share this post with your friends and family on social media! If you know someone who struggles with choosing a positive mindset, this post could be just what they need!