Growth Mindset

Growth mindset is exactly what you think it means – continuous evolution through lifelong learning. It’s a principle I embrace and practice. And the best thing? There’s no age limit.  

For me, embracing a growth mindset requires me to simultaneously learn and “let go” of expectations around outcomes of the learning. What do I mean with this statement? In my core school days, I learned and enjoyed school for the learning itself and for a pursuit (usually, high marks so I could gain admittance to a good college). What I do now is growth mindset at its purest intention: learning and evolving for the joy of it. That’s it – no agenda.

The best example I have of this is golf.

By way of background, golf has been on my “extreme dislike” list ever since someone in high school informed me that tennis wasn’t a sport – but golf was. I was so livid that I immediately began my anti-golf stance (putting this very mildy).

What changed my mind about golf?

My younger brother has been yapping about golf for nearly five years, and recently I became curious about his sustained passion for the sport. This curiosity led me to explore a place where I could take lessons and practice to determine whether golf could become a part of my life, too.

In addition to learning the fundamental mechanics so I can competently swing the club and hit the ball (most of the time), learning golf was about practicing being a beginner in a conscious, deliberate manner. As we accumulate experiences and expertise in our specific domains, it’s easy to allow the ego to take over and think “been there, done that” and not leverage our sense of curiosity and excitement in learning something new.

This is the mindset I’ve brought to my golf game (and how I approach life in general). It wasn’t always the case. What I’ve learned through some difficult moments was that retaining my inner child and being intentional about experiencing life with joy and wonder makes it a more enjoyable and rewarding journey. Life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured. I can't remember where I read that; it did, however, resonate with me immediately.

So – back to golf. I made a deliberate decision that, despite my golf coach being almost half my age, he was the expert, and I was going to learn everything I could with openness and curiosity.

I quickly learned that golf is difficult. It looks so deceptively easy. All I have to do is pick a club and hit a small ball. Easy peasey, right? Oh goodness…so much more than that.

I recently found the courage to see how these past few months of swing practice translate into stats. Thanks to Trackman, I'm spreading my golf wings on the Old Course at St. Andrews (nostalgia, as I’ve physically walked those grounds). My stats are deplorable beyond imagination right now. And that’s ok – it’s all part of embracing the beginner golfer I am. With plenty of curiosity, willingness to grow, openness to expert guidance, and joy of stretching myself, I’ll be able to kick my brother’s behind on the golf course soon enough ;)

TL;DR: stay curious, open, and nurture your inner child no matter your numeric age. Explore you, the world, and the universe with a beginner’s heart. Be the version of yourself achieving the impossible.

How do you stay curious? What tips do you have for living life with joy?

AI-generated image capturing the essence of a growth mindset