What is the Best Mindset to Have?
When it comes to the best mindset, you have a lot of choices to pick from, but the key is to start somewhere and make that mindset your foundation. There is no one mindset that is the best, as being at your best requires a set of mindsets that work together. Moreover, trying to master them all at the same time is difficult to say the least. Therefore, it’s best to start by using self-awareness to choose a mindset that fits your personality then go from there.
The Secret to Developing the Best Mindset for Your Personality
For example, I like to help my clients focus on mastering the following six mindsets:
- Process over the outcome mindset
- Challenge over the threat mindset
- Task over the ego mindset
- Strategic over the impulsive mindset
- Building strengths over the fixing weaknesses mindset
- Growth over the fixed mindset
Unquestionably, it takes all or most of these mindsets to be at your best. What’s not obvious is how you go about mastering the utilization of each of these mindsets so each build upon one another. To do this you must know yourself and know which mindset is a natural fit as a starting point of focus.
For some people it starts with the task over ego mindset, that then leads to the process over the outcome mindset, which then leads to the challenge over the threat mindset, which then leads to the growth over the fixed mindset, which then leads to the strategic over the impulsive mindset, which then leads to all the other mindsets. For others it’s the opposite.
While another group of people will benefit by starting with the growth over the fixed mindset that then leads to them developing the strategic over the impulsive mindset, which in turn leads them to work on developing the task over the ego mindset, which then leads to all the other mindsets.
The Best Mindset Comes from Self-Awareness
To develop the best mindset, your first job must be to become self-aware, so you understand which path to develop your mindset is the best starting point for where you are in life. Then focus on mastering that mindset and the mindsets that naturally follow from there. If you struggle with the task over the ego mindset, then don’t force what’s not fitting. Eventually you will need to develop that mindset, but that’s not where you want to start.
This thought process applies to each of the mindsets. Start your path with what comes easy and avoid what doesn’t until another mindset leads you there naturally. Only through self-awareness will you be able to do this.
Furthermore, if you don’t know where to start, then start with the growth over the fixed mindset. This is the mindset with the most research thanks to the preeminent book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. I suggest starting by reading this book, then focus on orienting yourself to have a growth mindset as you continue to develop self-awareness of how the other mindsets are impacting how you are leading your life.