Cultivate a mindset for growth

Try applying any of these growth mindset tactics the next time you face a challenge.

1. Understand that your brain is like a muscle — regular exercise makes it stronger. Give your brain new challenges. Feed it new knowledge and focus it for longer periods of time. These exercises create new and denser connections of neurons, which will make your brain more powerful. Also, ask yourself if you see challenges as an opportunity or a threat.
2. Boost your confidence and recall times when you successfully learned something and increased your understanding. Was there a time when you didn't know how to do something, then practiced it and got better?
3. Try a "Saying is believing" exercise. Identify a struggle — perhaps it's exercising, saving money or a project at work. Imagine writing a letter to someone struggling with the same issue. What advice would you give? Explaining how someone else can respond makes it easier to recall those thoughts and put them into action for yourself.
4. Try evoking any of these thoughts to kick-start a growth mindset.
• Think, "I am curious to learn what will happen if I try this challenge." This will keep you from focusing on a particular outcome or expectation.
• If you aren't 100 percent successful at reaching a goal, try thinking: "I will try a different approach the next time I do this and apply what I learned the first go-round."
• After achieving a goal or action, ask yourself what you did to make that happen. Note the process and mindset when entering into action.

Adjusting to a growth mindset will give you more resilience in the face of challenges and better outcomes throughout life. So accept some new opportunities in your life, and then learn and grow from them.