On Monday, I did a live stream session on tips to get over your mindset blocks. I still get them, even as a mindset coach. In fact, I went through one just the weekend prior. You can watch the livestream here to learn more.
No one is immune to mindset blocks. We know that it is almost impossible to be in a sustained growth mindset 24/7. Our patterns, actions and their consequences instead depend on how much time we spend in our growth mindset versus our fixed mindset. And, it is a part of human nature to doubt or second-guess ourselves. Knowing this and acknowledging your human-ness is the first step to getting over your blocks. As I also mentioned in the livestream, our mindset blocks get more complicated as we grow and our world gets more nuanced.
In this post I want to talk about a few more insights and tips to get over your mindset blocks:
1.) Reach out to a coach or collaborator to talk about well-designed actions to get over your mindset blocks.
Â
You will come up with some actions on your own, no doubt. But, even the most expert mindset coaches have blindspots about themselves. Having an extra pair of eyes or ears to help you see and hear what you might miss will guarantee that you are moving forward in the right way for you. It will also give you the time and space to verbalize, process and manifest your thoughts into actions.
Once I figured out what was going on with me, I needed to make sure that I was on the right path to fixing my mistakes. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn’t know how to do it the right way. So, I reached out to someone. She has far more experience in the marketing space than I ever will because that is her business. I trust her insights and perspectives. I knew she would be the right person to reach out to about the “how to” part of moving forward. And, she was!
2.) Own up to the actions that you took while you were in a fixed mindset state.
Â
It may be tempting to make your mistakes disappear and pretend that they never happened. Most of the times, people don’t even notice the mistakes because they are so small. They only seem huge to you because of your vantage point. Keep that in mind, and then, take ownership of your actions and their consequences anyway. Don’t shy away from the discomfort and vulnerability built into this. It is exactly these that are going to keep you growing.
Â
In my case, here was the mistake I made: I made a couple of posts on Facebook and LinkedIn well into the night. I was very raw and transparent about how my workshops and masterclasses were adding to the deluge of webinars we’ve all been facing lately. I bemoaned the added stress that I felt I was exerting on people by adding to the crowd in this oversaturated space. In extreme frustration, I even declared that I didn’t care anymore, and that I would offer my events for free without caring for who attended and who didn’t.
Â
Clearly, this came out of a moment of frustration. It also led to me devaluing myself and my services. When I woke up the next morning, I was glad to see that my posts only had 2 or 3 views, so I deleted them. For a while I was able to pretend that I never posted them in the first place. But, as any good mindset coach would tell you, and as I tell my all my clients, this is not growth mindset at all. It didn’t sit right with me. Thats why I decided to do the livestream and this blog post to take ownership. And, to keep my integrity and sense of self intact.
3.) To get over your mindset blocks, remember that your mindset and your beliefs are intricately intertwined. Be extra mindful.
Â
There are an untold number of ways in which we are conditioned to accept and internalize other people’s ideas of success, productivity and leadership. This conditioning forms the core of our internal belief systems, and its hard to get rid of completely. But, our beliefs are not the truth, especially if these beliefs limit us. When you lean into your vulnerability and discomfort, you can start the process of disentangling your beliefs from the truths that govern your life. This is how growth happens.
Â
In my case, I realized that I got carried away by the frantic pace and frenzy of the recent online “hustle” for delivering added value. The truth is, I have always been delivering value to my clients in my own way. But, the unique and particular pressures brought upon by the current global pandemic overwhelmed my mindfulness. I overextended on some of my critical leadership traits. I bought into the exact imbalance that I teach my clients to counter. Till I teetered over the edge and fell.
Â
Granted, since I am a mindset coach, I was able to catch myself and bring myself back into a state of balance overnight. But, I realize that not everyone has honed this skill to the level that I have. This is why, I am teaching the way to balance your traits for personal and professional development in my masterclass this Saturday.
Â
Bringing back mindfulness and balance helped me snap out of my mindset block. I hope these tips will help you get over your mindset blocks too.