You’ve heard these words mentioned several times by wealth gurus and Fortune 500 CEOs: mindset is key.
These are not hollow words.
Mindset is the tool used by the greats such as Abraham Lincoln, Oprah Winfrey, and Steve Jobs. The subject of mindset is so broad that one blog post isn’t enough to cover the topic in its entirety. For the sake of this article, however, there are two key points that are relevant to what we’ll be discussing today:
- Mindset sets apart the people who are “committed” from the people who simply “want” to achieve their goals.
- People with a growth mindset are more likely to succeed than those with a fixed mindset.
The Connection Between Mindset And Giving Up
There’s been countless research done on mindset and goal achievement. In fact, it’s shown that only eight percent of people are actually able to achieve their goals. What about the rest of the 92%? Well, no surprise. They give up.
And while different factors are responsible for this, most researchers would agree that the biggest culprit is having the wrong mindset. To be more specific, they have a fixed mindset which keeps them from taking the necessary action to accomplish their goals. And everyone is guilty of this, even me.
Four Fixed Mindset Behaviors That Cause People to Give up on Their Goals
Preferring to Stay Inside Their Comfort Zone
Most people, myself included, want to avoid feeling vulnerable and insecure. Whenever we do something new or take risks, knowing that rejection and failure could be looming at the corner, our first instinct is to run back to our comfort zone.
But goals can only be accomplished when we take action. And often, it will involve us doing something that is far beyond our comfort zone. This means being brave enough to do the things that our old selves would have never done.
Here’s another tip. Once you’ve taken action, keep moving, and don’t drop the ball. Leave the overthinking for another time. This way, you gain momentum and confidence, and you’ll need that last one to help you power through on the days when you don’t feel like doing anything.
Lack of Perseverance
Some people who set ambitious goals aren’t actually prepared to make sacrifices to achieve them. There can be different reasons why. It could be that they have a sense of entitlement, especially if they grew up with their needs effortlessly provided.
People who are used to a privileged lifestyle will find it more difficult to put in the grunt work and face hardships. I’m not trying to generalize people here, but it happens a lot, and it will take a lot of willpower to fight this attitude of complacency.
The thing with ambitious goals, however, is that the bigger they are, the more prepared you should be to face setbacks and challenges. You may have to contend with a few sleepless nights, dozens of rejections, and criticism from friends and family.
If you really want it, and you’re committed to accomplishing your goals, all that fades into the background. You dive in knowing it won’t be easy, yet you face challenges head-on.
Putting Too Much Importance on What Others Say or Think
Have you ever been ridiculed for sharing or talking about your goals? Do they doubt your vision, talk about you behind your back, or worse, openly criticize and judge you for being too ambitious and different?
I do agree that all these situations are uncomfortable. But here’s an even bigger question you should be asking yourself:
Do you want to live your life, or do you want to live theirs?
We can’t control what other people say or do, but we always have a choice on how to operate our lives. And if we truly only have one life to live, why would we want to spend it obsessing over the opinions of others?
Not Being Willing to Adjust or Pivot
No established company or powerful figure has reached wherever they are now without making adjustments and compromises. They’re willing to make changes. Most people are too attached to their original expectations—they become rigid and inflexible—so much so that they end up passing up on opportunities that could have helped them get to their goals faster.
This doesn’t mean that you have to constantly yield to the demands of others. However, it’s important that we be willing to evolve, grow, gather feedback, and adjust.
It’s Time for a New Mindset
If any of the above resonated with you, then you’ve probably thrown in the towel earlier than you should have, too. We are all guilty of that at one point in our lives. No one wants to belong to the 92% who give up, so shouldn’t we be doing something about it?
The challenges will come, and sometimes they’ll come in waves, compelling us to submit to its overwhelming force. To accomplish our goals, we need to be committed and not just interested. We have to be willing to put in the hard work. And more importantly, we need to believe that it IS possible.