Embracing Imperfection: Strategies For A Growth Mindset

Processing Envy

This summer, I am working at a riding camp located at an equestrian riding school. The riding school is owned by a lovely family who truly loves horses.

At the end of the camp day, family members can enjoy the company of their horses.

At the end of my camp day, I can spend some time with their horses. Yet, I can’t hop on my own horse and go for a hack ride into the fields to clear my mind and connect with my horse.

I felt great sadness about this, realizing under this heaviness was the ugly emotion of envy.

I envied this family their ability to do so and had to process it.

I did this with:

gratitude
see how far I have come towards building a gap of one day owning my own horse
regaining perspective along with talk of possible exciting opportunities ahead

Psychology Today – 6 Simple Strategies to Neutralize Envy

Oprah Winfrey - Gratitude - Marriage - Quote

Fear of Making Mistakes

I am also noticing how I do not like to make mistakes.

Pride has revealed my closed mind-set.

Humility has opened my mind to a growth mind-set.

From: Psychology Today – How to Get More Comfortable Taking Risks

Practice This to Overcome Your Fear of Making Mistakes

The next time you come up against your fear of making a mistake (such as not being “perfect”), ask yourself:

How have I overcome mistakes in the past?

What is so bad about getting something wrong this time?

Who else have I seen embrace imperfections and mistakes?

The next time you make a mistake, ask yourself:

What can I learn from this?

What is something interesting I discovered in this process?

When is the next time I can try this again and use the new information I have learned?

Write reminders to yourself about why it is OK and normal to make mistakes. Remember that taking imperfect action is far more valuable towards making progress in your life than waiting until you’re ready to take “perfect” action.

Practice This to Become More Comfortable With Uncertainty

The next time you’re struggling to tolerate the discomfort that comes with change, try these strategies:

Take a 10-minute walking break to give your nervous system a chance to calm down. Our nervous system becomes activated when we’re surprised, disappointed, or stressed.

Practice a series of long, deep breaths, and give yourself some quiet time to re-ground yourself in your body and mind.

Talk to a friend or trusted person about what happened and how you feel about it.

Write about the situation and how you’d like to move forward given the new circumstances.

Remind yourself that change is normal, and you can flex or adapt to the new situation.

List the things you already know can help you re-stabilize mentally and emotionally when situations don’t go according to what you expected.