Everyone was a Beginner once. If they can I can too

My changed mindset toward growth

I wish I had realized this opportunity before. People are doing great and I missed my chance. It is too late now.

Have you ever thought like that? Have you ever felt like you lost your chance?

Well, I have felt this numerous times. The reason being I compared. I compared how my first attempt looked with maybe others’ 1000th or whatsoever.

In my opinion, this was being too tough on myself and disrespecting the effort of people I was looking up to.

The real fact is they once were Beginners too, and they worked hard for whatever they have achieved.

Here is my story of how one mindset shift can lead you to a clearer vision in life.

I got a Reality Check

A few months back, I opened my journal from last year (2022). The first thing that was written there was about starting my Blog by February 2022 and then eventually starting my YouTube channel.

So, you must be wondering if I have a Blog.

No, not yet… But why?

Here are the reasons:

1. Comparison

I thought I was not good enough in comparison to the already existing huge Blogs. I am not a professional writer, so why will anyone visit my Blog when they can easily access others?

I doubted myself when I never even gave myself a chance.

My lesson:

Be your critic but be your biggest cheerleader first.

Give something at least this much time to realize whether you want to do it or not and stop comparing.

2. Niche

I got lost in niching down. When I started planning to have a blog, everyone was talking about “Niches are the riches”.

I agree, that there should be some direction, I can’t go from writing about human emotions to writing about space advancements. Or can I?

But again the main point, starting is most important. For example this time, I have just started writing about things mentioned in my journal. The first few pages in my journal are for quotes I love, words, self-motivation, or some concept that stuck with me, I am just picking up on those.

My lesson:

Find your interests and build on to them.

Niching down is important but there is always an option to pivot, it could be hard but there is. Start with maybe 3–4 most important things that you love talking about, or reading about.

3. Time

I don’t have time, I am too busy… yeah that one.

I moved to a new city, I am at a new job, and I need to focus on that more; that was my excuse.

My lesson:

You are never too busy, Make Time.

Exactly like you make time for people you love, you should always make time for things you want to do.

4. Results

I was scared of the results, what if I wrote the story and people didn’t like it or worse they didn’t even want to read it?

Or should I only write about architecture after all that’s what I have studied for 5 years in college.

The biggest realization is that whatever I write, if it connects with even one person out there then it’s worth it.

My lesson:

Allow yourself to cringe over your content and still feel proud about it.

You will always be better next year than you are today, so the best time to start is Right Now!

My changed Mindset

It was not that difficult to derive those lessons and learn, but it took me more than a year.

Life is very funny, it will give you chances but you have to acknowledge those chances and make them yours to win in life.

It all depends on what place you are in life because it changes the perspective of how you look at situations.

Similar chance I got when I came across the book, “Mindset” by Carol S. Dweck. It is one of those books that has made an impact on me for life. And again it was about that moment that I connected so much with the book.

To give you an idea, in this book, Carol Dweck introduces the concept of two mindsets: Fixed mindset and Growth mindset.

As mentioned in the book:

A person with a Fixed mindset often believes that talents and skills are innate and unchangeable, that’s why they tend to avoid challenges and fear the success of others.

On the other hand, a person with a Growth mindset believes that talents and skills can be developed through the efforts and learning from our failures. These people love challenges and see them as an opportunity to grow and they get inspired from others achievements.

Reading “Mindset” made me realize that my own fixed mindset was holding me back from pursuing what I wanted to for such a long time.

Now, when I look back I realize my thought of being exceptional from the beginning led me to never even start.

If we start and it doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world; it’s that simple.

Progress is always greater than perfection.

I am not saying that I completely have a growth mindset now, but as Carol Dweck mentions in the book the journey to a Growth mindset is a work in progress, you develop it over time… identify the areas where you have a fixed mindset and work on it.

Final thoughts

Being a beginner requires a lot of patience, no one was an overnight success even if it looks like that from the outside, that is not true.

The harder you work the luckier you look, so start doing things at your own pace ignoring all the noise.

Here are the 5 biggest takeaways for you from this story:

• Everyone starts as a beginner.
• Avoid constant comparison.
• Overcoming self-doubt is important.
• Be your biggest cheerleader.
• Embrace opportunities.

And the biggest of all “JUST START”!

Just because someone went on that journey before you doesn’t mean you won’t be successful. First, put in that much effort then decide because everyone can do it just by believing in themselves and being consistent.

As Carol S. Dweck says,

“No matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”

Hi, I’m Ayushi. I hope you liked this article. If you did, consider following me. I would appreciate it. :)

Today’s affirmation: “Believe in yourself to do wonders.” 🖤