Paul Brian
When somebody has a growth mindset they believe that they can work hard to change for the better and improve.
They see opportunities and exciting potential in themselves, even where it isn’t always easy to see.
“A person with a growth mindset believes that a person’s abilities and achievements are due to their effort rather than their qualities…”
Here are key phrases you can listen for in somebody who definitely has a growth mindset.
1) “What if…”
This phrase is the start of every grand adventure in personal development and every other area of life.
By asking “what if…” we open the door to endless possibilities and embrace a number of growth mindset hacks.
“What if…”
- “I become an anthropologist?”
- “I sign up for a new class at the gym?”
- “I learn how to use a new computer coding language?”
- “I find new ways to treat my depression?”
- “I do a completely new diet for four months?”
“What if” is the start of many powerful growth paths!
2) “It’s never too late to change…”
This is another powerful growth mindset phrase.
It taps into the power of the present moment, which is really all we have.
As spiritual leaders like Eckhart Tolle teach, the past was once the present and the future will one day be the present.
The common denominator is this moment, right now, which we experience over and over throughout time.
So why not make the most of it?
And why not believe in the potential to start making a change right now in this present moment?
3) “I’m going to learn and expand my knowledge…”
The promise to learn and expand your knowledge is a huge growth mindset phrase.
Anybody who says this understands that the key to growth is often in learning.
Never has a truer phrase been uttered:
Knowledge is power.
4) “I can and will overcome this challenge…”
When adversity hits, the growth-minded man or woman vows to overcome it.
Sometimes that starts with just plain surviving.
Whether it’s divorce, illness, loss or career chaos, the growth-minded person promises themselves that they’re going to get through what’s coming and emerge even stronger on the other side.
5) “Adversity makes me stronger…”
Hardships, challenges and adversity come our way no matter what.
The person with a growth mindset sees them as training weights.
Adversity makes them stronger, even when it’s obstacles and challenges that are completely unfair or random.
6) “This rejection will make me stronger…”
Rejection is a deeply painful experience that hits us in the same place as physical pain and injury.
The person with a growth mindset doesn’t like rejection any more than the rest of us.
But he or she will accept rejection that can’t be changed and vow to let the rejection make them stronger.
7) “I don’t get jealous, I get busy…”
Jealousy is wanting what you can’t have or don’t have.
Those with a growth mindset have a plan and determination to achieve what they want, rather than coveting it from other people.
The growth-minded individual knows that envy is a toxic emotion because it creates a feedback loop of unworthiness and feeling like something is beyond you or just fundamentally out of reach.
It’s not.
8) “There’s still room for improvement…”
When the growth-minded man or woman accomplishes something great or hits a goal, they don’t just rest on their laurels.
They say the phrase above because they know that as soon as you reach a plateau it’s actually only a temporary resting place.
There’s always more to do, more room to grow and improve and innovate.
Time doesn’t stand still and neither should any of us…
9) “I will find a way to care for those close to me and exceed their needs…”
Life can be tough when it comes to high expenses and caring for those close to us.
The growth-minded individual doesn’t only find ways to care for those close to them, but to exceed the needs of those they help support.
Their goal at all times is to pursue plenty and have even more than just the basic necessities of what’s needed.
10) “I’ll do what it takes to change my career and become even more successful…”
When it comes to career it’s easy to get lost in the routine or just plain too tired to make changes.
But the growth-minded person is never complacent when it comes to career.
He or she has plans and big goals and pursues upward mobility and innovation wherever they go.
Whether they’re self-employed or working for a large corporation, the person with a growth-mindset vows to reach even greater heights in their career.
11) “I’m on a quest to discover truth and spiritual meaning in my life…”
Even for the most dedicated spiritual or religious person, life is a continuous time of exploring and progressing in our relationship to truth.
That’s why the most powerful growth mindsets out there see the spiritual journey as ongoing and unlimited.
There’s always more to know, or more to unlearn, more to feel or less to feel.
The spiritual quest has no pinnacle or end point.
12) “I’m learning something new with every mistake I make…”
With every mistake we make, we learn something new.
The person with a growth mindset has internalized this on a deep level.
He or she sees mistakes, even stupid and obvious mistakes, as learning opportunities.
This ties into the next point…
13) “None of my time has been wasted in life…”
Whether it’s a relationship, a career, a time struggling with mental health or a personal goal that doesn’t end up working out, sometimes it can feel like we wasted time in life.
The individual with a growth mindset doesn’t see time as wasted.
Even times in the past where they see they could have been more productive and effective are not seen as useless:
Those times were shaping them into the person they are today.
14) “I will make my dreams come true…”
The person with a growth mindset never gives up on their dreams.
Even as their dreams evolve and change, they never lose sight of that vision they have inside.
This lights their way on the difficult days and keeps them as an inspiring and reassuring force to others around them.
15) “We’re still in the game…”
One of my favorite country songs is called “Ships That Don’t Come In” by the late Joe Diffie.
It’s about a man who has a depressing conversation with a man at the bar where they both end up realizing that as upsetting as their lives are there is still hope.
“And as he ordered one last round
He said I guess we can’t complain
God made life a gamble
And we’re still in the game.”
There’s a growth mindset phrase right there!
No matter how bad things are, we’re still in the game.
16) “Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end…”
This line from the band Semisonic is pure growth mindset.
Even if the band meant it in more of a downcast, pensive way, it’s a powerful thing to meditate on.
Whatever endings are happening in your life, they’re also the potential start of something new.
Even new chapters in life that seem to close long before they should can provide the start of something even better when you least expect it.
This is the key of a growth mindset: seeing the potential even in situations that seem like the end of the road.
Looking at the bright side
The growth mindset is all about seizing control of your own destiny.
With so many things we can’t control in life, the following phrases show a way of focusing on what we can control.
It’s all about finding the silver lining where it might not be easily visible and about tapping into your own potential instead of cutting yourself short.
Far too often we self-sabotage or fail to realize our own potential.
The growth mindset phrases above can help you remember that you have huge promise inside you and it’s just a matter of commitment and applied effort to make it into a reality!
