A Guide To Starting A Mindset Journal

Have you ever been in a situation where you and another person had different reactions despite sharing the same experience? You both watched the exact same things unfold but ended up having very different perspectives on what occurred. This is the power of mindset—the lens through which all of us see the world and that shapes how we interpret and react to various situations.

Why is mindset so important?

Having the proper mindset is vital because it has an impact in determining how our lives turn out. It can either hold you back or propel you forward depending on whether you've cultivated a negative or positive mindset. If you're the latter, here's the good news: mindset isn't something set in stone. You can always actively work on it and change it for the better! By becoming aware of your thoughts and beliefs, you can start a shift to a more growth-oriented one.

In today's article, we look at the importance of cultivating a growth mindset with the help of a mindset journal.

Growth Mindset Belief vs A Fixed Mindset

A growth mindset is the belief that we can improve our abilities and intelligence with effort and learning. It means seeing challenges as opportunities to grow and embracing failure as a chance to learn. People with a growth mindset are more likely to take on challenges, persist through difficulties, and achieve their goals.

On the other hand, a fixed mindset is the belief that our abilities and intelligence are fixed traits that can't be changed. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid challenges, give up easily, and view failure as a reflection of their abilities.

Developing a growth mindset in favor of a fixed one is important because it can help us be more motivated, resilient, and successful in life.

It allows us to embrace challenges.

Rather than avoiding them, this type of mindset ensures we see challenges as opportunities to learn, grow, and do better. The key is to start small and gradually work your way up to more difficult challenges.

We start focusing on effort versus talent.

Some people tend to believe they're unable to do certain things because they don't have the talent for it—so they don't even try at all. However, a growth mindset allows us to recognize that our abilities are not fixed. With hard work, practice, dedication, and effort, we can be successful.

It lets us see the value of failure.

Instead of being put off by failure or discouraged by it, we view it as a learning opportunity. This allows us to keep going because we don't give up. Rather, we analyze what went wrong and figure out what steps to take to improve in the future.

We start seeking growth, not validation.

How many of us do what we do to please others so we can feel good? Too many. However, a growth mindset allows us to veer away from this harmful practice by letting us focus on what's important instead: constant progress so we can achieve our goals and dreams

A Simple Guide To Start A Growth Mindset Journal

We've put together five basic steps so that you can start on your own growth mindset journal right away!

1. Choose a journal that you like.

Mindset journaling relies on you using a journal that you actually like. Here are a couple of factors to consider:

• Will you enjoy writing in it? Because if not, you might not use your journal at all and there goes your goal of cultivating a growth mindset! 

• Can you take it wherever you go? You'll want it to be both portable and accessible so that you can write down your thoughts and ideas whenever they come to you.

2. Intention is important.

Before you start writing, take a moment to set your intention for your mindset journal. What do you want to get out of it? Do you want to focus on gratitude, positivity, or personal growth? Asking these questions will help you set a goal so that you're not just writing aimlessly. This will allow you to maximize the benefits of a growth mindset journal.

Plus, setting your intention will also help you stay focused and motivated as you write.

3. Do it everyday and make it a habit.

One of the most important things to remember when starting a mindset journal is to make it a habit. You'll never reap any benefits if you don't do it all or do it enough for the practice to make a difference.

Set aside a specific time each day to write in your journal, whether it's first thing in the morning, right before bed, or even during breaks or lunch time. Integrate it into your daily routine so that you can stay consistent. You can even add it to your habit tracker if you already have one.

(If you don't, here are several reasons why you should consider it!)

4. Write for yourself, always.

When you sit down to write in your mindset journal, remember to write for yourself. Don't worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation and just let your thoughts flow onto the page. Write freely and focus on what you want to say, not what you think others want you to.

Letting go will make a huge difference because you'll be able to tap into your subconscious and get in touch with your innermost thoughts and feelings. At the core of it, this is your ultimate goal when trying to cultivate a growth mindset: to get to know yourself so you know what to change.

5. Don't be embarrassed about having to use growth mindset journal prompts.

If you're not sure what to write about, it's ok! There are plenty of prompts that you can use to get started and all it takes is a quick Google search. You can even start a prompt jar: write prompts for future use, put them in a container, and on days where you're not sure what to talk about, pick one from your little jar.

Not knowing what to say isn't a reason not to journal at all—remember, you want to make it a habit and the only way that's going to happen is if you do it consistently! Using prompts can help you get started and stay on track with your mindset journaling.

Work on having a growth mindset RIGHT NOW.

As in all things, cultivating a growth mindset isn't an overnight process. It requires time, effort, and commitment. If you want to be free of your limiting beliefs and negative self talk, the key is to get started right now. The sooner you begin, the sooner you can start the work needed to be your best self.

Have you tried a growth mindset journal before? How did it work out for you? If you're trying it out for the first time, what aspects of your mindset in particular are you trying to change? Share it with us in the comments!