OH! Magazine - Australian Version May 2017 | Page 26

( HEALTH )
IS YOUR MINDSET FIXED
OR FLEXIBLE?
MUFFY
CHURCHES
Muffy Churches explores how loosening up your thinking can enhance your joy.
oes ‘change’ feel like the most
maddening inconvenience to you?
Does it feel like an annoying obstacle that
you have no desire to overcome? Do you
find yourself judging others and having a
strong need to be ’right’? Do you often say
‘no’ to an innovative move away from the
status quo? If any of this sounds familiar,
you may be operating with a ‘fixed’
mindset.
D
By giving yourself permission to develop
an attitude of more openness, acceptance,
and curiosity, you fling open the door to
new and exciting personal horizons, less
stress and more joy.
4. Assess your results
So here are five steps to help you make
the journey from a ‘fixed’ to a ‘flexible’
mindset.
1. Scan your thinking
This frame of mind describes having a
preference for the familiar and safe; for a
sense of grounding in facts and principles
as you know them to be; a belief that the
person you are today is the person you’ll
be tomorrow; and that some things just
can’t change. But can they?
In truth, the degree to which we are
willing to contemplate doing things
differently, dictates the level of our
capacity to maximise our potential
through development and personal
evolution. Cultivating a ‘growth’ or
‘flexible’ mindset provides us with the
empowerment to transform ourselves in
ways that may lead to new life possibilities,
and higher levels of fun and happiness.
In addition, releasing our thinking from its
prison of limitations of ‘right or wrong,
black or white’, frees us up from
unnecessary angst, disagreement, and
bickering in our relationships.
It is widely accepted that ‘attitude’ is a
better predictor of success than an IQ
score is. We also know that shifting a
long-entrenched personal mindset is a
true challenge, especially for those who
shy away from change in general; however,
the results may well be worth the effort!
26
OH! MAGAZINE ( MAY 2017 )
determination day-by-day, magic will
happen.
Persevere,
even
through
predictable setbacks, and enjoy the
outcome!
As you move through the day, critically
observe the thought patterns that a
lifetime of experience has methodically
programmed in your head. Invite your
wise inner self to hover on your shoulder
and observe and listen. Which of your
thought patterns show the signs of being
‘fixed’? When are you negative,
judgmental, self-limiting or defensive?
2. Re-script
Take note of some of your common fixed
mindset themes. Write them down then
shift your internal dialogue for each one
to something that leaves room for
variation, openness, and curiosity. For
example you could modify the thought ‘I
would NEVER do it that way’ to ‘It might
be interesting to try that approach.’
3. Experiment
Having done the work on creating
alternative, more flexible thoughts on
paper, making the mindset transition truly
happen means being able to manifest
your new thinking in real-time, when the
moment calls for it. Know that your wish
is your brain’s command and with
Now that you’ve been practising your new
attitude in the real world, how are you
feeling? What are the differences? Are
your efforts paying off? Do you feel
lighter, freer, less agitated with others,
more relaxed in general, more willing to
move off the beaten path? Do you notice
others responding more positively to you?
5. Celebrate your transformation
Congratulate yourself! In order to have
shifted a life-long attitude, here is what
you have accomplished: you empowered
yourself, took personal responsibility, got
on with it, embraced change, created
change from within yourself, pushed past
fears of failure, accepted any slip-backs
with a smile and determination, and were
motivated by a desire to further your
happiness and wellbeing.
Well done, and here’s to you!
Muffy Churches is the author of Coach
Yourself, A 7-Step Guide to Personal
Fulfilment (Love & Write Publishing). Born
in the US and settled in Sydney, she
works as executive coach, leadership
trainer, speaker, author, and counsellor.
She has extensive experience in inspiring
and initiating positive behavioural change
in clients around the world. For more
information visit www.muffychurches.com