How Can a Difficult Experience Offer Opportunities for Growth?
We are currently enduring an unpredicted, unpredictable and extremely difficult period, right now. Covid-19 has shattered our world views disrupting the normality of our lives. There are no boundaries to this virus. Everyone regardless of age, gender, race, socio-economic status or geography is susceptible to suffering through this experience. Despite the challenges we all face, we can take comfort in the fact that we are all in this together, united in our drive to stop the spread of the virus for the common good of humanity.
In various situations, stages of life and of varying degrees we all experience difficulties. However, by adjusting our mindset we can turn these negative thoughts and situations into positive outcomes.
How Does That Relate to Our Current Situation?
So far, this virus has abruptly forced millions out of jobs, sent billions of people into isolation, and has compelled nearly everyone on the planet to confront feelings of being suddenly physically and mentally vulnerable.
Corporate Edge has had its own struggles. Instead of leaning into the negatives, we moved into a different mindset and used this time as an opportunity to think differently.
Traditionally, our workshops and facilitations have been face-to-face. We radically shifted to remote facilitation and enhanced (and broadened) our service offerings through the digital productisation of our online micro learning modules.
Instead of focusing on the negatives, we seek to look for the positives. Instead of focusing on the things we couldn’t do, we are challenging ourselves to focus on changing what we can. We are consciously seeking to find “the gift” that coronavirus is offering to us.
How Can You Change?
The way you adapt in a time of transformation or disruption can make all the difference between being someone who thrives on change, versus merely surviving it. Read a similar blog post here.
Let’s start by talking about the difference. Thriving means that your overall sense of wellbeing, fulfilment, success and happiness is positively improved. In contrast, surviving means your wellbeing feels threatened or jeopardised in the face of change.
If you’re merely focused on surviving change, you’re stuck in a fixed mindset. Whereas if your intention is to thrive, you’ll need a growth mindset.
What a growth mindset looks like
Characteristics of a growth mindset include feeling open to change, being curious and looking at all factors when creating a solution. It requires you to be unbiased, objective and forward focused. This way of thinking will bring about the right behaviours during times of change.
What a fixed mindset looks like
On the other hand, characteristics of a fixed mindset include being closed off to change (sometimes without even realising it), being quick to judge, dismissive, cynical and caught in the past. This way of thinking will drive the behaviours that make it difficult to thrive in change.
How can this be used as a positive lesson?
If we take this experience at face value and lean into the positives that have arisen from it, we can begin to alter the conversation we are having about it and in turn, inform our growth mindset and habits to be more aligned with this new world we are living in.
We must ask ourselves a few questions to draw out the teachings we can be leaning into:
- How can we grow from this?
- How can I shift my mindset and focus on the positives?
- What are the lessons we can take away from this?
There are several areas that this virus has impacted positively. For example,
- Environment
- Businesses adapting
- New ways of communicating
- Deeper sense of appreciation
- The importance of slowing down
- Being grateful for what we have (family, friends, human connection)
- Greater sense of connection
- More awareness/support for local communities
- Better hygiene practices/more aware of personal hygiene
In other words, when we resist change, we hold on. We’re complacent, resistant, dismissive, and rigid and these things stem from a fixed mindset. But when we accept change, we let go.
We become curious, flexible, studious, and agile. These things come from a growth mindset – and it is the growth mindset that will allow us to thrive.
What are you taking away from this experience? How do you intend to grow by using this as a catalyst for change?
