Should I quit grad school to launch my own business? Take a pay cut and accept a job offer in my *dream* industry?
Making good decisions is based on which mindset we’re in.
Our judgment can be strongly influenced by which side we want to win – which job to take, how we vote, which team we want to win, etc.
Many years ago, I accepted a job offer at my dream company. I really wanted to pivot into that industry so I took it – despite many warning signs – pay cut, challenging team, tough company culture. Needless to say, the role didn’t work out and I left in 2 months.
I *desperately* wanted to make it work as it was my dream job. Qualify “dream job” one more time!
What if I had let go of my own biased assumptions and adopted a more open mindset? Listened to friends and colleagues and done more research?
A growth mindset can be illuminating by opening up our views of the world AND also how we receive information that is in conflict with what we believe – e.g. feeling intrigued vs. defensive, or proud vs. ashamed.
In one of my favorite TED Talks, The Scout Mindset, Julia Galef discusses the importance of adopting a growth mindset in being open to the feedback we receive (content) – and equally important is *how receptive* we are to hearing the feedback itself.
It takes great humility and courage to accept that our ideas, perceptions, and assumptions may be off-base – what’s the truth here, versus what I *perceive*?
What beliefs or assumptions are you willing to let go of?
Related Resources:
The Scout Mindset (TED Talk by Julia Galef)
Think Again (Adam Grant)
