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I’ve been on a self-development journey over the last year. I decided to finally listen to advice about trying audio books. I joked often about how I was great at starting a book, but terrible at finishing it. I would put the book away and forget about it. Or, I would get distracted and start a new project. Then I would feel like I went too long without reading the book and I would be lost.  What I didn’t realize, was that “joking” was actually me making excuses and justifying them. Since listening to audio books via Audible over the last year, I’m finding out the impact that self-development books are having on me today, which are preparing myself and my family for the future.

Rachel Hollis’ Rise X Live conference on Saturday, May 2, 2020 made me realize that the things that are setting me back in quarantine just need to be adjusted to this time that we’re in. For those of you don’t know Rachel Hollis, she is most known for her book Girl, Wash Your Face. Rachel was the first author that has really resonated with me. So, when she announced her Rise X Live conference, I jumped at the opportunity. Rise X Live was an all-day virtual conference hosted by The Hollis Co. and included guest speakers: Ed Mylett, Jen Hatmaker, John C. Maxwell, and more.

I had a lot of great takeaways from the conference, but today I’m going to focus on Rachel’s mention of Carol Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. In summary, there are two types of mindsets: Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset (see chart below). In my example mentioned previously, my fixed mindset believed “I can’t finish a book.” A growth mindset on the other hand, turns it from a negative to a positive – “I can finish a book through a different way of retaining it.” There are different styles of reading are out there for a reason. Not everyone is a traditional reader with a physical book. Some enjoy reading from a tablet. Others, like myself, have found audiobooks to be most effective.

Relating this to golf – it’s more challenging to get on the courses, and playing looks much different because of COVID-19. Most courses are walking only at this point. We also need to be more aware of keeping our distance from others and wearing our masks. A fixed mindset would have said, “I can’t play this season,” whereas a growth mindset says “I have more opportunities to practice this season.” I started practicing in my backyard and realized two things that could make it better. A golf mat and some whiffle balls. A golf mat because I don’t want to ruin the grass, and some whiffle balls because, well, I don’t want to break a window. Both of these items were easily accessible online and were worth the cost for me. I now have the opportunity to practice daily and in my own backyard! Without being forced to stay at home, I probably wouldn’t have thought of setting up my backyard as practice space.

Quarantine has shifted things for us immensely, and we need to approach things differently. We need to have a growth mindset, and not a fixed mindset. Having a fixed mindset will keep us stuck, instead of using our full potential. This can apply to anyone in any situation. I would encourage you to think about an area of life that is not improving. Write down the fixed mindset that you’re allowing yourself to believe, and switch it to a growth mindset. Then, figure out how you can make it applicable.

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