If you don't know how to grow your intelligence, how do you expect to move forward in life?
You come into this world as a blank slate. Intelligence doesn't magically happen. Sure, you may inherit a few “smart” genes. However, ultimately, your success depends on your ability to develop your talents.
New research shows that the brain can be developed like a muscle, but it's up to you to flex it.
Are you ready to grow and become the best version of yourself?
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Personal growth is a choice.
Choosing personal growth is about moving with change, instead of reacting to it. By doing so, you become empowered to create life, on your terms. I am who I am today because I am obsessed with personal growth and development. In order to become more, you need to learn more. This is why I never stop improving my skills and knowledge.
Despite the success that I have achieved, I continue to invest in myself. More importantly, I make it a priority to surround myself with success-minded people and model their behaviors. Doing so ensures that I am always staying on the top of my game. This is how I have developed the mindset of a high achiever.
I believe that everyone has the innate capacity to grow and develop themselves. Unfortunately, not everyone shares my belief. A lot of people believe that their intelligence is fixed, meaning that it cannot be changed. They come up with a million and one excuses as to why they can't do things. Not surprisingly, this mindset hinders their ability to develop new skills.
Even worse, it sabotages their happiness.
Your mind is a powerful thing. It can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. In her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck explains that while a “fixed mindset” assumes that our intelligence is static, a growth mindset thrives on challenge. This type of person sees failure “not as evidence of lack of intelligence, but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities.”
Take a step back and think about how you live your life. Do you like to play it safe and stick with what you know? Or do you like to step outside of your comfort zone and try new things? Your answer to this question reveals your mindset. If you want to level up your life you have to be willing to expand yourself. Let's explore 6 ways that you can learn how to grow your intelligence and become the best version of yourself.
1. Question Your Inner Critic
When your mindset is fixed, your inner critic thrives. He or she will tell you all of the reasons why you’re going to fail. As a result, you don’t bother trying. The first step to developing a growth mindset is to recognize when these negative thoughts come up. More importantly, question their validity. The next time you say something like, “What if I fail?” shift your internal narrative and say, “But what if I fly?”
Your inner critic isn't trying to ruin your life (although it feels that way sometimes). Rather, he or she only exists to protect you from pain and suffering. While this may sound good, it's actually hindering your growth and development. Your inner critic doesn't appreciate uncertainty, but guess what? Nothing in this life is certain. Do internal work to transform your inner critic into a catalyst for growth. Change the meaning of the words inside of your head. Doing so will help motivate you towards becoming the person whom you want to be.
2. Challenge Yourself
Once you start allowing new opportunities into your life, choose one or two that will challenge you. This doesn’t mean that you have to sign up for a marathon tomorrow or go straight to your boss and ask for a promotion tomorrow. Instead, it’s all about welcoming these challenges as opportunities instead of viewing them as limitations.
You’re allowed to start small when you challenge yourself. Have an end goal in mind. However, also recognize all of the smaller steps that you need to take in order to get there. For example, if you want to run that marathon, think of all the kilometers that lie ahead. Take steps to build up to those 26.2 miles in training. Start with one mile, then try out a 5k, and then maybe a half-marathon.
Also, don't forget to celebrate yourself! It's not about being the best at something. Rather, it's about striving to be better than you were yesterday. That is an achievement in itself.
3. Act It Until You Live It
Once you develop a growth mindset you will find that the approach of new opportunities will come naturally and with confidence. This requires a lot of practice and taking on a lot of new challenges before it feels easy. The best way to start anything is by just taking action, regardless of how uncomfortable you may be. I know this sounds easier said than done. However, if you let fear get the best of you, you will only stay stuck in one place.
According to the status enhancement theory, people gain influence by acting confident, regardless of how they truly feel. This is what gives people the impression that you are a competent person. Whether it’s speaking in front of a large crowd, or approaching a girl or guy at a coffee shop, it’s up to you whether or not you let your insecurities show.
The more confident you act, the more confident you’ll start to feel. When you act “as if” you're the leader of your life, that's exactly how others will perceive you. Sure, it might take some time to get used to. However, in the end, you will be a better person as a result of these experiences. The most successful of people feel the fear and do it anyways. What would you do if you weren't afraid?
4. View Failures As Learning Opportunities
I promise that there will come a time when you accept a new challenge and you will fail. In fact, it will probably happen more times then you can count. You won’t be alone – everybody fails. It's a part of life. However, the way that you approach these failures helps shape your future mindset.
Don't allow your failures to define who you are. Instead, get curious. Ask yourself why you failed and what you could have done differently. Sometimes failure is beyond your control, and there’s nothing that you can do about that. However, I believe that every failure presents an opportunity to learn and grow. The benefit of having tried and failed means that the next time you try, you will know what not to do.
It’s the people who use their failures constructively that achieve the most success in life. In many ways, if you're not failing, you're not trying. Be okay with making mistakes. Experiment with what works and what doesn't, and whatever you do, don't give up. In the words of Henry Ford, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”
5. Help People Grow Alongside You
It's easy to think of success as an individual endeavor. However, this is a fixed mindset way of thinking. These types of people hoard their knowledge because they are worried that someone will steal their ideas and become more successful than they are. This mindset will get you nowhere in life.
I strongly believe that sharing is the best way of learning and connecting with people. It is a fundamental human trait. There is room for more than one person at the top. No successful person got to where they are today alone. They had a team of people behind them who supported their journey. This may have been in the form of coaches, mentors or accountability buddies.
Helping others achieve success does not take away from the success that you have earned. Instead, sharing your learnings provides you with an opportunity to learn from others. It's a win-win for everyone. And as the Dalai Lama once said, “Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.”
6. Notice When You Fall Into Old Patterns Of Thinking
You cannot shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset and expect to stay there without work. Changing your mindset takes dedication and work. Don't expect that you will reprogram your beliefs overnight. While you may have succeeded in getting rid of your fixed mindset, there are other negative thought patterns that may try to sneak into your unconscious mind.
One of these mindsets is that of scarcity. While a growth mindset will tell you that opportunities are endless, a scarcity mindset will tell you that there will never be enough of anything, whether it's food, money or love. If you only focus on what you don’t have, your actions will stem from a place of lack. In short, you will live from a place of fear. To combat thoughts of scarcity, you must counter them with thoughts of abundance. Tell yourself on a daily basis that there are enough resources and successes to share with others. There is no better way to live a full and satisfying life.
This is the recipe for how to grow your intelligence.
Your life will present you with a constant flow of opportunities. It is up to you whether or not you will embrace them or continue living a life of mediocrity. In my experience, it is only when we stay open to anything and everything that we give ourselves permission to become the best versions of ourselves.
Are you ready to dedicate yourself to developing a powerful mindset that supports and serves you in the pursuit of your goals?
Are you ready to mastermind your way to success? CLICK HERE to access my FREE Mastermind cheatsheet!