3 Keys to Achieving a Growth Mindset at Midlife
- Brainz Magazine
- Feb 2, 2025
- 3 min read
John Michael O'Shea is the founder of One Purpose Wellness, a health and wellness coaching company that helps high-achieving males define their purpose, improve their daily habits, and create a sustainable plan that enables them to achieve their goals. The sustainable plan is based on the evidence-based pillars of a healthy lifestyle.
As we embrace the fact that we are now (or have been) in the middle section of our lives, an important step is to adopt a growth mindset. The term “growth mindset,” by definition, refers to an established set of attitudes held by someone. Adopting a growth mindset is a lifestyle change, a commitment to a healthy way of thinking. You focus on what is in front of you, not behind you. You do not fear change or shy away from pushing your limits.
This set of attitudes is by choice, and every day, we make decisions we make. One of the key decisions we can control is what we want to pursue. This pursuit can be a myriad of things, but it will require commitment.
Three keys to achieving a growth mindset
1. Create a vision for yourself and decide what do you truly want to achieve
What would fulfill you? Discovering what fulfills you can be challenging, and you may need to think back to a point in your life when you felt energized and inspired. If you struggle with defining what will fulfill you, focus on areas of your life that you want to improve. For example, if your vision involves feeling less stressed, consider focusing on learning effective ways to manage stress. This could involve meditation, exercising, journaling, etc.
2. Define your standard
Once you discover what you want to achieve, how will you measure success? What is your specific plan to achieve what you will pursue? To follow the example of reducing stress, let’s say you determine that meditation is what you need to implement into your daily routine. Define how often, where, and when you will meditate and hold yourself accountable to that daily standard.
3. How will you feel?
By committing to what you have decided to focus on, how will your life be different? Will you be more relaxed, sleep better, feel more energized, etc. What is that feeling you are pursuing?
Our best years are in front of us, not behind us. You have gained wisdom, fought through adversity, and learned from your mistakes. Build on your strengths and maximize this point of your life by committing to renewing your mind.
Read more from John Michael OShea
John Michael OShea, Seasoned Business Professional
John Michael O’Shea is a seasoned business professional with extensive experience leading and developing talent. Through his own struggles while advancing in his career, he realized he needed to implement change in his daily habits if he was going to achieve the vision he had for himself and his family. He dedicated himself to learning about the pillars of a healthy lifestyle, returning to school to earn a Masters of Science in Lifestyle Health Science & Coaching from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, TX. Additionally, John Michael is a National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach(NBC-HWC) and is Wellcoaches certified as a Health and Well-Being Coach. He is the founder of One Purpose Wellness, with a mission to help high achieving men define their purpose and unlock the best version of themselves.
