Everyone runs up against challenges in their work life which, at their core, haven’t really changed since childhood. Greg Hahn, writing in Adweek, recounts a visit to his daughter’s school, where he was handed this chart, as part of the second grade curriculum:

Most of us weren’t lucky enough to be offered this alternative mindset as seven year olds but we can work to apply them at any stage of life.

Instead of saying, I can’t make this any better, try thinking, I can always improve.

This one is especially challenging for people working in creative fields (like web design). They tend to work in isolation, designing solutions in ways that make sense to them. After some number of hours of intensely focused work, a finished product emerges. And then it has to be shown to the wider world where it is opened up to criticism. As tempting as it is to reject the comments of people who haven’t made the same kind of investment in the project, Hahn suggests:

Instead of immediately fighting it and picking up your crayons in a fit, pause and think for a minute, “Maybe they’re right, where are the holes I didn’t see?” It’s turning a setback into a springboard. Remind me to make that into a coffee mug.

Take a look at the list and see where this Growth Mindset could apply to your work/life. If you want to offer any examples, just reply to this email and I’ll include them in next week’s newsletter.

Until next week...