MAL40:21 | Page 78

COACHING

2021 : A New Beginning . A New Mindset .

By Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia

Happy belated New Year to you and your loved ones ! It is a start to a new year , new beginnings . Many people say that the change of year is simply a change of a date . But it symbolizes much more than that . It is a shift of mindset . And mindset is one of the most important success factors when it comes to achieving one ’ s goals .

Every year in January , you see people setting goals . You see vision board parties , where individuals visualize their achievements for the year . All these are great tools to have and use . But marketers have probably heard the quote from Richard Kovacevich - “ A vision and strategy are not enough . The long term key to success is execution . Each day , every day .”
And so it is with personal development . Each day , every day one needs do something to feed the intellect , to grow and to reflect on the personal journey . What better way to look at this growth than from a mindset perspective .
All of us probably know of at least one negative person . That person , when you suggest a way forward or solution , all they do is dismiss it or have 1000 reasons as to why it cannot work . Usually it feels like the energy is being drained from you when you have to interact with such . Being negative could be due to circumstances or unfavorable experiences that have led a person to be skeptical or cynical . Realizing that changing one ’ s mindset is crucial and will make all the difference to life at the present .
Living in the present is also something many of us struggle with . We think about the future . When I get a great job , I will buy a house . But we miss the present , the here and now that we shall never get back again , for time once gone , does not repeat itself . Unless someone comes up with a time machine !
The scholar Carol Dweck focused on two mindsets that she identified as being important . These mindsets , sometimes called beliefs , can be conscious or unconscious . Dweck talks of a fixed mindset and a growth mindset . A fixed mindset is characterized by a desire to look smart . It tends to lend itself to situations like avoiding challenges , giving up easily and even feeling threatened by the success of others . In contrast the growth mindset is characterized by a desire to learn and embrace challenges , to learn from the successes of others and to embrace effort

Many people say that the change of year is simply a change of a date . But it symbolizes much more than that . It is a shift of mindset . And mindset is one of the most important success factors when it comes to achieving one ’ s goals . in order to master skills .

Dweck goes on to share that ‘ your view of yourself can determine everything .’ Now that is indeed a very scary thought . It strongly suggests that if you believe you can - you can and if you believe you can ’ t , you won ’ t .
Limiting beliefs can therefore hold one back from trying out new things , from progressing to the next level . Dweck also highlights that having a fixed mindset will probably result in one achieving less than what is their true potential . For it is true that each one of us is destined for greatness , yet not all of us end up achieving it .
Some people attribute success to luck . Luck is one of those intangible things that cannot be packaged or manufactured . What if we were to simply work with what we already have and build on this , rather than wait for lady luck to show up ?
Dweck also mentions that “ our ideas about risk and effort come from our mindset .” Risk is the exposure to danger or the possibility that something bad can happen . If we think of risk on a scale ( and for those who have ever invested their hard earned money into a revenue generating instrument , you must have had this experience ) where 1 is the lowest risk you are willing to take and 5 is the largest risk , you will be able to assess whether you are a risk averse person or you have a high risk appetite .
Risk assessments are key in order for you to make the best decisions , not just about money but about general life decisions as well . These decisions are the best under
76 MAL40 / 21 ISSUE