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I’m sure you’ve all heard the sayings “You are your worst critic” or “You are your own worst enemy.” These quotes have an underlying connection to a person’s mindset. The definition of mindset is the established set of attitudes held by someone or simply, how we choose to respond to situations. Whether our response is positive or negative, it becomes a habit, so it’s worthwhile to observe how we react and form the response we want.

Why does the importance of mindset seem to resonate with so many people today? Well, just like developing soft skills is important, a productive mindset is equally as important not just in our personal life but in our professional development as well. So how do we harness the power of mindset to unlock our full potential?

The Mindset Trio

Not long ago I felt the need to go back to school to get a degree. During my first two semesters I took skill classes that helped me ease my way back into my formal educational journey. One of the skill classes taught about fixed mindset, growth mindset, and false growth mindset and how they affect our responses. Let’s take a look at how these mindsets differ.

Fixed Mindset – Stagnant

A fixed mindset is the belief that our intelligence is set, and we cannot change it or in other words, some people are born smart, and others are not. People with a fixed mindset sometimes measure their failures and successes to assess their intelligence. 

Growth Mindset – Learning

A growth mindset is the belief that our minds can grow and develop; in essence we remove restrictions we put upon ourselves. A person with a growth mindset will try and figure out where they went wrong and try to fix it. They will look at their failures, look at their performance, identify the problems and make the needed corrections. 

False Growth Mindset – Running In Place

A false mindset is the belief that if we work harder, we will become smarter or more successful. And while that can be true the reality is that working harder doesn’t always produce the outcome we are expecting, or desire. We praise people, or ourselves, for doing well, essentially staying in the same comfortable space and missing out on the opportunity to continue to grow to our full potential.

Hidden False Mindsets

I was blown away to realize that while I thought I had a good growth mindset, I actually had a lot of false growth mindset ideas. For instance, I am a positive person. It’s not something I was born with, but something I’ve developed in my adult life. My motto for years has been “I can do this!” but to be honest, sometimes I can’t. This has been a form of false mindset. So instead of saying “I can do this!,” I can ask myself “How can I learn to do this?” It’s a subtle change, but it has made a huge impact on how I approach obstacles.  

In my skill course, we were introduced to an article from Edutopia by Carol Dweck called Recognizing and Overcoming False Growth Mindset. She teaches that everyone has a mixture of both fixed and growth mindset. However, the part that blew my mind was to learn that we cannot have a growth mindset just by being positive or working hard, which is something I always believed was true. We were also introduced to a learning model that has helped me immensely. It teaches these three steps:

  • Prepare
  • Teach one another
  • Ponder and prove

Applying Productive Mindsets

So how do we apply this in our personal life? One example I can share with you that has been very helpful in our family is with the way we do chores, homework, dinner, or any other process for that matter. We do not just thank or show appreciation for the work that is done, but rather we have a family meeting to talk about how things are going and share helpful feedback. We then look at ways we can revise certain chores or processes based upon the feedback that is given. Not only has this helped everyone feel included in the decision-making process, but it has also increased our growth mindset skills.

At work, we’ve undergone some changes in our department recently. Our team has been more prepared, not just with agendas for our meetings but also better prepared for new projects coming up. In our meetings, we’ve spent most of the time teaching one another and sharing ideas. We’ve also reflected on some of the processes we have been doing and are focused on implementing things that will help us continue to grow. We’re creating a safe place to bring our ideas and our suggestions and are finding our voices thus creating a growth mindset for all team members.

Mindset Shapes Your Behavior

Having a positive and growth-oriented mindset is so important because our mindset doesn’t just influence how we feel about challenges; it also determines our actions and behaviors. 

A perfect example of this is with people who are going through health issues. Some may call it faith, but it can also be called mindset. Some studies have shown that people with a positive and growth-oriented mindset heal faster and recover more completely. 

Growth mindset is also a trait shared by Olympians and professional athletes. There are a few really helpful articles from InnerDrive that are absolutely great at how to develop a growth mindset but also how our failures can help us improve our growth mindset.

Growth Rather Than Self-Doubt

In my time working at TCM Security I’ve met a lot of people that want to start their journey or transition into becoming a penetration tester. Undoubtedly the biggest obstacle I’ve seen is their own doubt and fear, which equate to fixed and false growth mindset behavior.

People with a positive, growth-oriented mindset are more likely to take risks, explore new opportunities, and pursue their passions and dreams. This concept is so empowering because we are the only ones that can change or improve our mindset. Instead of giving up when things get tough, a growth mindset will help us adapt and find solutions. Because after all “You are what you think.”

Conclusion: The Time to Shift Your Mindset Is Now

My challenge to you, especially if you are just starting out in cybersecurity, is to review your mindset, make the adjustments you need, and make a growth mindset a priority in your life to unlock your potential and realize your dreams and goals. 

Don’t delay, just start by recognizing what your limiting beliefs are, reframing any problem, solving any challenges, and embracing your failures as stepping stones towards success. Your mindset matters because it’s the one thing that you have full control over. Because “The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.”

About TCM Security

TCM Security is a veteran-owned, cybersecurity services and education company founded in Charlotte, NC. Our services division has the mission of protecting people, sensitive data, and systems. With decades of combined experience, thousands of hours of practice, and core values from our time in service, we use our skill set to secure your environment. The TCM Security Academy is an educational platform dedicated to providing affordable, top-notch cybersecurity training to our individual students and corporate clients including both self-paced and instructor-led online courses as well as custom training solutions. We also provide several vendor-agnostic, practical hands-on certification exams to ensure proven job-ready skills to prospective employers.

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