Here’s the cold hard truth:

Many women have grown up being told their talents are fixed and limited. It can be a huge battle to believe in ourselves and remove the idea that we do not have the ability to be great.

I’ve read multiple books, attended workshops, and listened to the podcasts of some of the most empowered women in the world. I realized every single one of these successful women had 1 trait in common – the growth mindset. 

Bottom line, it’s the mindset that sets successful women apart from all others.

In essence, there are two types of mindsets we typically possess in life:

  • a fixed mindset—when we believe that our skills and strengths are set in stone, and that we possess only a certain level of intelligence, a set of strengths, personality type, even moral character (f.ex., we believe we’re good at math and science, but clueless when it comes to learning a new language).
  • a growth mindset—when we believe that we can develop our skills and strengths through continuous efforts, and grow with our life experiences (f.ex., even though we’ve struggled in math class in high school, we don’t let that deter us from pursuing an MBA even though it means we’ll have to practice the same skills that we found challenging).

According to Psychology Today, “When challenges occur, women with fixed mindsets typically play it safe and avoid risks too far outside of their comfort zones. As a result, talented women don’t volunteer to lead committees, step up for important projects at work, or set goals that are challenging enough. Therefore, women aren’t on the forefront of a manager’s mind when it comes time for raises, promotions, and accolades.”

Successful women adopt a growth mindset, which means they’re in a continuous state of self-improvement. They don’t sit back and just enjoy the talents or skills they’ve accumulated up to a certain point in their lives. Quite the opposite: they are curious to learn more, get better, improve their skills, and acquire new ones that will help them on their road to success.

So how can you have that same type of mindset?

It’s not only possible—it’s actually do-able if you follow practical tips such as these:

Tip #1. Learn something new every day.

This one is easier than it sounds. I’ve simply started to listen to podcasts in the car instead of listening to music all the time. That alone has helped me acquire new clients and even a new business venture. I’m constantly learning new marketing techniques and wellness tips. I’m not saying podcasts are the answer -I’m saying that knowledge is. I’m a strong believer that when you stop learning you stop growing.

Tip #2. Use every opportunity to learn wherever and whenever.

Studying shouldn’t be limited just to the classroom. You can go to the library and pick up books on a topic that you find intriguing, or take an online class, or watch free tutorials on YouTube on developing a skill you always wanted to possess. I built THIS very website but watching Youtube tutorials. There was no way I was paying $10,000 for something I could do in 8 hours.

Tip #3. Surround yourself with “growth mindset” people.

You’re probably getting tired of me talking about this topic but I don’t ever want you to forget the importance of surrounding yourself by great people. The people who you allow in your inner circle (family, friends, or your partner) can impact your mood, attitude, belief system, and even what you perceive to be your strengths or weaknesses.

Tip #4. Change the way you view success.

Instead of thinking that success is being the ultimate goal, start thinking that adding value as the ultimate way of proving real success .  Focus on creating things that add value to your clients and the people around you.

Tip #5. Challenge your fear.

I’ll admit I was crippled by fear. I would not post a single blog or social media post because of the fear I had. I was scared of not being liked, I feared that I would be rejected, and  I feared what people would think of me. Every single day I feel that fear and do it anyways. I take comfort in knowing that other women are equally as scared when they do something out of their comfort zone. What is that one thing you fear in doing for your career or business? Let that fear you feel fuel you to do it anyway.

Tip #6. Don’t be complacent.

No matter if you want normalcy or extraordinary abnormality in your career or personal life, you have strive for more than what is comfortable.  If you want something more, you need to strive for something more. You have to put in the time to understand the ins and outs of your field and its related fields, and get to know people at different companies, in different positions, in different cities.The worst thing you can do is stop expanding your social circle.  As soon as you become complacent, you don’t care about going to social functions, learning about new opportunities, and you don’t care about carrying yourself with the same enthusiasm you did when you were young. Don’t know how to network? Read my blog, How to Network like a Boss.

Tip #7. Be open-minded to new opportunities.

You would stand a better chance of creating the life you want, growing as a human being and experiencing success regularly if you simple kept an open mind. When you have an open mind you allow yourself to attract opportunities. A perfect example of being open-minded is when I was approached to start blogging for a Christian blog. I had not been actively involved in church and  I had never written a blog post before. I took the opportunity and it lead me to build Empowering Women Now. It goes to show that keeping an open mind has the power to open other doors you couldn’t even see at the time.