When Do You Plan to Tackle Your New Goals?

"It's very simple when you look at it," said comedian Kevin Hart. "No matter what, people grow. If you chose not to grow, you're staying in a small box with a small mindset." The key to changing your mindset is to understand yourself. Learning more about fixed and growth mindsets will help you change destructive behaviors that are keeping you from attaining your personal goals to lead a happier and more fulfilled life. An ugly side effect of relying on a fixed mindset is a sense of helplessness or an apathetic attitude toward how effort matters, especially when it comes to achieving any challenge.

If you are interested in changing your mindset (and the way you think), review the list below for ideas on changes that can lead to effective, long-term results:

• Accept the Fact You Need an Adjustment - True fulfillment comes from waking up each day with an appreciation for your own accomplishments, because the meaningless validation received from external measures is irrational and incomplete.
• Assume Change Can Happen - With a fixed mindset, failure highlights your own inadequacies. With a growth mindset, setbacks provide a learning opportunity to gain a new perspective from the experience.
• Accept the Need and Get Started - Never allow paralysis by analysis to slow you down. Even if it is a mistake, you are pursuing your vision and already following the right path.
• Make it Happen - Always focus on the present and don't get overwhelmed with negative thoughts. Challenge yourself to see the positive side of things. Optimistic thinking triggers positive emotions, thoughts, and feelings that will motivate you.
• Invest in a Flexible Mindset - Investing the time to work on your own development can be challenging but it is the only way to manage the inevitable that you will surely face.

If in the end, you race through the journey of life, missing all the incredible accomplishments and moments of happiness along the way, you might be missing your ultimate goal. Moreover, don't expect change to occur without expending effort. Although it may not be as simple as reversing the way you speak to yourself, managing negative thoughts without allowing your inner critic to fling accusations is an important step toward adopting a growth mindset. The more consistent you are in repeating your new habit the easier it will be to stick. So, avoid stopping and starting and focus on cues like the time of day or place and circumstances.