Some people just seem to fall into success, don’t they? Always improving and growing in their journey. The reality is that the distinction between success and stagnation often lies in the mindset of the individual. A growth mindset, a term popularised by psychologist Carol Dweck, is a foundational principle that can propel businesses and the individuals who work in them towards unprecedented success. 

Understanding Growth Mindset 

At its core, a growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work*. This mindset contrasts sharply with a fixed mindset, which holds that these traits are innate and unchangeable. For entrepreneurs, adopting a growth mindset means viewing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow rather than insurmountable obstacles. 

The benefits of a growth mindset in business are manifold. It fosters resilience, encourages risk-taking, and facilitates innovation. Entrepreneurs with a growth mindset are more likely to persevere through setbacks, experiment with new strategies, and, ultimately, find success in their ventures. 

*Hard work is not about working longer and harder.  It’s about working smarter and being focused on the right things – the things that promote the plan you have for the business and your life. It is intentional and focused work. 

Creating a Life by Design 

Entrepreneurship is not just about building a successful business; it’s also about creating a life that reflects one’s values, passions, and goals. This concept, known as ‘Life by Design,’ emphasises the importance of aligning personal and professional growth. A growth mindset is crucial here, as it empowers individuals to shape their lives rather than passively accepting the circumstances they find themselves in. 

To integrate personal and professional growth, start by defining what success means to you beyond financial gains. Consider how you want to impact your community, the balance between work and personal life, and the legacy you wish to leave. From there, set goals that reflect these values and use your business as a vehicle to achieve them. Embrace learning, be open to change, and remember that setbacks are part of the journey toward a life by design. 

Ensuring Your Business Is “Fit” 

Just as physical fitness requires regular exercise, nutritional awareness, and rest, a “fit” business demands adaptability, resilience, and continuous learning. A ‘fit’ business is one that can withstand market fluctuations, adapt to changing consumer demands, and capitalise on new opportunities. A fit business enables you to live the life you aspire to. This requires a growth mindset at every organisational level. 

Adaptability, a key component of business fitness, means being open to changing course when necessary. It involves staying informed about industry trends, listening to customer feedback, and being willing to pivot strategies. Resilience is another critical aspect of bouncing back from failures and viewing them as learning experiences. Finally, continuous learning ensures that the business stays ahead of the curve, embracing new technologies, strategies, and business models. 

To cultivate these qualities, encourage a culture of openness and learning within your organisation. Promote experimentation, celebrate small wins, and foster an environment where constructive feedback is valued. 

Practical Steps to Cultivate a Growth Mindset for Business Success 

Developing a growth mindset is a deliberate process. Here are some actionable steps to get started: 

1. Embrace Challenges: View challenges as opportunities to grow and learn rather than threats to your success. 

2. Learn from Criticism: Constructive criticism is a valuable source of feedback. Use it to refine your strategies and improve. 

3. Celebrate Progress: Recognise and celebrate progress, not just results. This reinforces the value of effort and persistence. 

4. Stay Curious: Cultivate an insatiable curiosity about your industry, competitors, and new technologies. This will keep you learning and growing. 

5. Reflect Regularly: Set aside time to reflect on your successes and failures. What lessons did you learn? How can you apply these lessons moving forward? 

What’s Next? 

Cultivating a growth mindset is not a one-time effort but a continuous journey. It’s about embracing the belief that you can improve through hard work*, learning from every experience, and viewing challenges as stepping stones to success. By integrating the concepts of ‘Life by Design’ and ensuring business ‘fitness,’ you set the stage for a fulfilling entrepreneurial journey marked by growth, resilience, and lasting success. 

Ready to take the next step? Take my Business Fit Assessment, and start the steps to win in business and in life. 

Winning in every meeting with a prospect is a great goal – and how would it make you feel – pretty successful right!  This level of success generates high energy and the compounding effect is rippled through future meetings.  And this is why we say that success breeds success.

So how do you do it?  How do you become a 100%er?

The answer > Don’t limit your definition of a win to making a sale! 

Yes, a sale is a win, absolutely! But it is only one of any number of possibilities.  A win is also:

• Booking a meeting from a meeting (BAMFAM)
• Requesting and being given a referral
• Creating an amazing advocate for you
• Learning something that will add value to other clients – I always asked what the most successful strategy was that they have implemented in their business and why.
• Learning more about a particular industry
• Learning more about what it takes to get your proposal over the line
• Introducing another business into your sales pipeline
• Introducing another business to your business

These are all wins and there will be others – there will, in fact, be a win in every meeting.  Reflect and identify what you have learned, how you have progressed your position with the prospect, or how you have promoted your business.

And then, work out how you will leverage off this “win” going forward.  Remember to know and not to do, is not to know.  Without leverage, the “win” loses its value and can no longer be considered a win.

So you can be a 100%er – you just have to take your narrow vision glasses off for a moment.  Remember what you focus on you will see more of – so when you start identifying the wins, the more obscure (and sometimes more valuable) wins will become even more apparent.

The power of the 100%er mindset is in the confidence it builds and the subsequent belief in self that ensues.  From another perspective, if your only definition of a win is to make a sale – every meeting that does not result in a sale is treated as a loss – this can have a devastating compounding effect on the energy and mindset of the “sales person”, particularly for someone new to the role.

This strategy is particularly effective for new sales people, however it must be companioned with these important qualifications:

• Changing the definition of a win must not dilute the importance of making a sale – that must be made very clear.
• The value of a learning is in the ability to take it into the next meeting, and
• The value of creating a new opportunity is in the follow through.

So, go forth, enjoy the wins, enjoy how winning makes you feel and make sure that you leverage off the compounding energetic effect in a way that breeds even more wins.

The power of intentional words – they focus the mind!

The first quarter of the year has passed – can you believe it!  How focused have you been so far?

Each year at Opening Gates, we recommend our clients choose a word, words, or a phrase which will be their theme or focus for the year – it is a mindset which we identify will take our client’s business’ to the next level.  These words act as triggers to remind them to focus and be alert.

We loved one client’s theme so much that we just had to share it with you – for the sake of anonymity, we’ll call them ABC Pty Ltd.

Their theme came as a consequence of reflection and answering The 10 Questions (see our blog) and considering what might block their ability to grow in line with their audacious goals.

ABC Pty Ltd believe in leveraging on strengths and contracting others to fill the weaknesses – and that is how they build their team.

So their theme for 2015 is leverage and follow through.

ABC Pty Ltd have realised that now is the time to truly leverage off their innovations, their systems, their IP, their people, their alliances, their media, branding and marketing.  They will always ask the questions:

1. “How can we leverage off that? 
2. What must we do to increase our return on investment? 
3. How else can we use this, what other application is there?“

As an example, ABC Pty Ltd have identified something as simple as a blog – they can publish it on their website, broadcast through their social media, send it to their media partners, promote it as a guest blog, use it as the next chapter in an e-book, re-design it as a handout and so on.

Any innovation, any strength, any investment has the potential to be worth so much more than it’s primary purpose.

ABC Pty Ltd have identified that hand in hand with leverage is follow through.  How do they ensure that no opportunity falls through the gaps of complacency?  How do they ensure that they do more than they say they will do before they say they will do it?  (Yes, ABC Pty Ltd have upgraded from “How do we ensure that we always do what we say we are going to do when we say we will do it”)

How about you?  What would your theme be?  What words would help you focus on those activities or values which will be integral to the advancement of your business in 2015?

Go before you’re ready – a great mantra for the perfectionist.

Have you ever let perfect get in the way of progress?

A 20 minute walk is better than the 40 minute run you never do.  The first draft proposal that is presented is better than the perfect one that never sees the light of day.  The imperfect blog that gets published is better than the perfect blog that never leaves your computer.

Ask yourself – what is the worst thing that could happen if you went before you were ready, before “it” was perfect?  And then, what would be the best thing?

Procrastination (waiting until “it’s” perfect) is often the shield we use to protect ourselves from feeling vulnerable or from a fear of failure.

Yes you may feel vulnerable and it is likely to be worth it!

An impromptu Sunday lunch with friends is better than the perfectly planned elegant dinner party that you never host.

Avoid being a perfectionist by leaning into your vulnerability, making it happen sooner rather than later and going before you’re ready. 

Maybe there is more risk in later than there is in sooner??

10 questions that MUST be answered BEFORE you set your intentions for 2015

Your life is a reflection of you – everything great and everything not so.  Your life is the result of the choices you have made – it is that simple.

Make 31st December 2014 a day for reflection – not simply for reflection’s sake but for an invaluable insight into who you have become and who you are being, now – one year on.

Answer these questions… take your time and be honest.  Don’t try to make 2014 look better or worse than it actually was.  Own it and honour it as another precious year in your journey of life and consider how you lived it, how you felt and how you grew.

1.  What were your most significant events in 2014?  Why were they significant?  In review, we can often see how we zig zag our way through life.  So, were there any events which turned your zig into a zag?

2.  Who influenced you the most in 2014?  Or rather, who did you allow to influence you and how you lived your life in 2014?  Why?

3.  What were your biggest challenges?  In hindsight, would you have done anything differently?  This question often highlights the learnings.

4.  Did you practice self-care?  Did you honour your physical body, the body which will enable you to do what needs to be done over your entire lifetime … to live the life you aspire to?

5.  Did you stay true to you, your definition of you, to your values?  If you did or you didn’t… how did it feel?  Are you clear on who you are, what your definition of you is, or what your non-negotiable values are?

6.  How would you rate your passion for your life in 2014?  1 = abysmal and 10 = awesome.  Why?  Compared to other years – how did it rate in the passion stakes?

7.  Did you have a purpose – a reason for being?  Do you know why you are on this earth at this time?

8.  Did you really participate in life…  I mean, give it your all?  Did you welcome each morning with anticipation?  Rate it 1 to 10.

9.  How did you grow?  What did you learn?  How did you feed your intelligence?

10.  What contribution did you make beyond yourself?  How did you take your value, your core genius and transfer that value to others?  Do you know what value you have to add?

The answers to these 10 questions will help you better understand you – to begin to know yourself more intimately.  But only if you are completely honest?  Check your responses – how did you go?  Did you find yourself shutting down “the truth” and moving on to the next question?  Take your time and write down your responses.

Remember your life is a reflection of you and the choices you have made and will make.

When you set your intentions for you for 2015 you will see that the answers to these questions give you invaluable guidance and insight.

In order to set your intentions for your future and to create a life which is perfect for you, you must know yourself intimately – otherwise you might just find you are living a life better suited to someone else – and often that someone else is the person who is most influencing you at the time.

Our LIFE by DESIGN Programs provide a perfect forum to explore your uniqueness and enable you to design a bespoke life – an amazing fulfilling life that you aspire to.

Many of us have a business plan (well perhaps not as many as should).  If you are one of those diligent business owners with a plan, then you would be able to tell us:

• if your business is where you had planned it to be;
• how it had gone off track (if it had) and why;
• about the strategy you have to get it back on track; and
• how the vision you have for your business is still valid and clear or otherwise.

So that’s the business, but what about you?  Are you where you planned to be?

You could answer this with clarity if you had a life plan – if you had done the work – the most important work – if you had designed the life to which you aspire.

Check-in and ask yourself:

• Do you know what a life well lived looks like to you?
• In your rocking chair looking back – what would you recall – would the memory make your heart sing?  Would the recollections bring feelings of contentment, pride and joy?
• How would your time line look?  What images would you see that describe and reflect how you have lived, loved, contributed, grown and connected?

When you can answer these questions you will begin to have real clarity around your vision for you.  You will then be able to make choices that cause your desired life to turn up.

Now is the time to plan – there can be no waiting.  This gift of life is way too precious to be left up to chance.

To add even more confusion and complexity, as business owners and leaders, we have the dilemma of two choices:

1. We can choose to consider how a business strategy will impact our life plan before deciding to implement it; or
2. We can implement the business strategy and then deal with the life consequences – the fall out.

The second choice puts the business firmly in control, front and centre.  You have effectively delegated your life to your business.

The first choice positions the business as an enabler of your life plan.  You’re taking the lead, making intentional choices – choices which will enable you to live the life you aspire to.  You are engaging your business to cause this.  There is no doubt that you are in control.

Can you see that your life plan is as important as your business plan, or more so?  Can you see that your life plan must come first?  That it must be your first point of reference in decision making?

This is the only way way to make business decisions that will enable the life you have planned for you.  Life first, business second!

We can help you create your life plan – we understand that it is hard to know where to start and our LIFE by DESIGN Programs are designed to take you through this process.

Invest the time to do this work – create a vision for you and lead your own way.  As a result you will:

1. be clear on who you are now and see yourself as way more than what you do;
2. begin to understand who it is you want to be over your lifetime; and
3. start to bridge the gap with intention – one step at a time – to take your journey and live your extraordinary life – the life you deserve.

You will have a “best life” point of reference in decision making.  The answers will be very clear – you will know with absolute surety whether this decision will progress your life plan, and whether there is alignment with your vision for you?  Very powerful!

PS… There is a bonus to having a life plan – your business will thrive off the back of your new purpose and passion, your renewed energy.

The day following the MH17 tragedy I pondered my book case containing 100’s of books and was drawn to Eckhart Tolle’s “Stillness Speaks”.

Now I have a “rule” (better described as a “suggestion to self” perhaps) – that I must finish a book before I start another.  I hadn’t finished the book I was reading but still I took this book and began to read.

And this is why… It reminded me to look beyond the NOISE.  It reminded me that I could chose to allow my energy to be eroded by the enormity of this tragedy, to be despondent – or not!

Eckhart in his introduction writes:

“The transformation of human consciousness is no longer a luxury, so to speak, available only to a few isolated individuals, but a necessity if humankind is not to destroy itself. At the present time, the dysfunction of the old consciousness and the arising of the new are both accelerating?  Paradoxically, things are getting worse and better at the same time, although the worse is more apparent because it makes so much “noise”.”

I believe it’s time to accelerate the BETTER to overtake the WORSE with vigour and urgency – it’s time to make more noise, to be visible and to shift the balance with a groundswell unlike anything we have ever seen.

And I believe it starts with each of us.  Too often the “problems” seem so big, so global that we think we cannot make a difference.  I believe that we can – each and every one of us can make a difference.  When we think we can’t – we have already lost.

The ripple effect is so very powerful – we lift the energy of someone, who lifts the energy of another, who will lift the energy of another – and on it goes.  Darkness cannot exist in a high energy environment.  This ripple effect, will ripple by ripple, disturb the state of ennui too prevalent in our societies.  Disinterest and lethargy is what the WORSE is relying on to win out.  Enthusiasm and a sense of purpose and joy will accelerate the BETTER.  Imagine the impact when millions of people have their foot firmly on the BETTER accelerator.

May this tragedy, this heart wrenching NOISE, be the impetus for becoming interested, really interested in making a difference – so interested that we will actually do something (or perhaps, stop doing something).

What I know is… if it’s going to be, then it’s up to me.  My contribution to the betterment of this planet cannot be delegated.  How will you make a difference?

I’m off to Antarctica! And I am taking 116 entrepreneurs with me!

I said YES – I’m in!  There was no reason I could think of to say NO.  There were so many reasons to say YES.

These are 8 steps that I use when making big decisions.

You can use this process to make big decisions in your business and life – it makes a real difference knowing that you have asked the right questions before coming to a conclusion.

So why am I going?

 

1. I believe a journey outside is a journey inside.  An adventure in Antarctica wasn’t on my life list – it was something I had not yet imagined I could do.  And here it is – the opportunity has presented itself!  I want to experience Antarctica – absolutely!  Those who have been, tell me that just being on Antarctica evokes an emotional response second to none – an instant heart based reaction to the spectacular and pristine beauty of this world of ice.

Question 1: Will this opportunity add value to me emotionally, intellectually, spiritually?

 

2. I believe people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.  I bought into this adventure because the UNSTOPPABLES “WHY” resonated with me.  My WHY – the reason I believe I am on this earth for this time – is to lift the energy of the world by re-igniting passion for life and living, through growth and giving.  I want to be part of creating a movement that will change the future for generations beyond me and what a way to do it!

Question 2: Does the business’ or person’s WHY resonate with me – do I relate to the reason WHY they do what they do?  Will I be making a difference?

 

3. I believe people’s expectations for themselves are a direct reflection of the expectations of their peer group – so what happens when we surround ourselves with people who dream and think way bigger than we do – who know stuff we don’t?  I am excited about the learning and growing I will do.  And I’m excited about harnessing the passion generated when 117 entrepreneurs are brought together in a high energy environment – an environment conducive to big, innovative thinking.  What a privilege to be part of this journey!

Question 3: Will I be able to engage with people who will expand my knowledge and extend what I believe is possible for me?

 

4. I believe great things happen when the right people are brought together with a grand vision in mind.  Imagine bringing together the enablers and the innovators, who, through collaboration and like-mindedness, design a way to make an extraordinary difference.  An entrepreneur on his or her own is capable of greatness – imagine what 117 amazing minds in collusion will do – colluding to change the world – to enable an exceptional future.

Question 4: Will I be able to connect with people who will open my mind to new opportunities for me and/or my business?

 

5. I believe we have everything we need to play our bigger game.  And what I have found is, people don’t believe they are capable, or even entitled, to play a bigger game.  And others just don’t know what their bigger game is.  Imagine if we all acknowledged what it is we’re pretending not to know, did what we must do and started to play our bigger game.  I want to see that play out!

Question 5: Will I be encouraged and inspired to play a bigger game?

 

6. I believe profit is an enabler – it enables us to invest in our lives, to achieve our goals and to make a contribution beyond ourselves.  If we are going to leave the world a significantly better place, if we are going to leave a legacy – passion alone won’t cut it.  We must generate the funds to finance and enable the vision.  What an opportunity to hear and learn about how others have done it!

Question 6: Will I learn how to increase profit, business value and/or salary?

 

7. I believe Mental Capital + Passion + Relationship Capital = Financial Capital.   This is a concept I share with my business owners and leaders – and I can’t wait to see how this formulae works when all of the components are brought together through FIRE on ICE in Antarctica!  Great minds, a passion to make a difference and 117 entrepreneurs having intentional conversations – Oh my!

Question 7: Will I increase my mental capital, re-ignite my passion and meet people who will enable me and/or my business to grow?

 

8. I believe in walking my talk – yes, as a catalyst I encourage people to embrace their value and their life with vigour and passion – to do what it takes to progress their WHY – to think big and make stuff happen.  Yes, I will be catalysing and facilitating on Antarctica AND I will be walking my talk at the same time.

Question 8: Will doing this enable me to walk my talk?

 

And that is why I am going, and why I have decided to be a Game Changer with the UNSTOPPABLES – to do what it takes!

You can read more about my adventure at www.openinggates.com/antarctica/

Use these 8 questions to decide whether an opportunity is right for you.

Everything you need to grow is just outside your comfort zone… yes, it is my mantra.

I believe we must disturb our state of ennui (see my recent blog) and feel uncomfortable from time to time in order to step up and discover untapped potential. The heightened state of awareness that comes with pushing our status quo is when we learn so much about ourselves.  It is a wonderful opportunity to practice influencing our thoughts and adjusting our states – leading our own way – choosing to play our bigger game.

Well I sure did push my status quo this week!  And I was reminded of some very important lessons.

Even though I love the beach, I have an innate fear of being in deep water… especially ocean deep!  So when I decided to swim with the whale sharks off the West Australian coast, it was with real trepidation.  There was a lot of inner dialogue going on I can assure you, as I struggled to keep my fears in check.  The first few swims were challenging with swells and strong currents and fast swimming whale sharks!  But then, we came across a very rare “circling” whale shark that swam leisurely around us.  It didn’t take long for the fear of the ocean to be pushed aside by the sheer wonderment of being so close to this 7 metre animal – to feel its power as it glided effortlessly past me.  I felt a state of calm come over me and I began to relax.  I began to notice the feel of the water against my skin, the undulation of the swell, the bubbles, and how far the sunlight reached down below the surface.  And of course I noticed the whale shark in its glorious detail, through quiet eyes and with an intrigue no longer stymied by panic.

Yes, this enormous majestic whale shark at one with the ocean “took my hand” and enabled me to leave my fear behind.  It reminded me that changing what I was focusing on (my fear of deep water) was all that was needed to shift my state to one conducive to growth and learning.  There was nothing to be fearful of in the moment – it existed only in my mind at some future time.  A timely lesson re-learned!

Two days later and I am still feeling the effects of my amazing encounter with my whale shark – my energy remains higher and I am reminded once again to be in awe of what is possible in this life of mine.

If you ever get the chance to swim with this mysterious giant of the ocean, just do it!

 

I recently sent an article I had written to an editor friend and asked for his critique, feedback and thoughts from an editor’s perspective.  I was proud of this piece – it felt raw, insightful, honest, challenging, disturbing… it came from the heart.  Notwithstanding my pride – I still felt somewhat vulnerable about having this “opinion” of mine published – to be critiqued by readers… some would do so silently, others not so.

Anyway, my article came back to me beautifully edited – it was now safe, mundane, it certainly wouldn’t challenge the status quo of the reader or disturb a rather mainstream why of thinking.

As I read the edited version I got to thinking where else in my life am I choosing to be edited – to fit in with what others expect – to be mediocre rather than remarkable, to be palatable rather than refreshing, to be common place rather than unique.

What is the cost of this editing??  The cost is way too high – we dilute our potential, our uniqueness, and our vitality – and as a consequence de-value our worth.  This unedited worth is our contribution to the betterment of our world – we are short-changing ourselves and those we influence by choosing to be less than we are.

Why not rock the boat, why not think outside the square, why not ask “why not” and just do it. Thing is…  We’re often the most limiting editor of all as we self-edit constantly and without real awareness.  We are up against a fearsome combination of ego, intellect and beliefs.  Our ego doesn’t want us to look bad (or different), it doesn’t want us to fail, or be vulnerable – and likes to see us safely installed in our comfort zone.  Our intellect conducts its due diligence, its cost benefit analysis and will err on the side of conservatism.  And then there’s our beliefs some of which are no longer relevant or compatibility with our real selves.  And this is even before we consider the external influences of society, family, peers, religion and on and on it goes.

How are you being edited?  It is your choice to be original or not – you choose your editor!  Have you been self-editing for so long that you no longer recognize the original version of you?

At our LIFE by DESIGN Programs we empower you to undo the editing and re-discover the original you with all your uniqueness and value.  At our BUSINESS by DESIGN Workshops we challenge you to embrace your originality as a critical part of enabling your brand to stand out from the pack.