Growth Mindset for Work From Home Productivity

Working from home isn’t going anywhere — Biz Journals reported a few weeks ago that Microsoft is giving their employees the option to work from home some or all of the time, even after the pandemic ends!

We’re eight months into the pandemic, so now is a good time to take stock of where you’re at with WFH, especially since this is the normal for lots of people. In fact, I created a LinkedIn Learning course called “Optimizing Your Remote Office for Maximum Productivity” to help you out.

Are you adjusting well to remote work routines? 

Or are you still stressed out and struggling?

If you answered “yes” to the first question, you probably have a growth mindset. You love learning new things. Your flexibility and curiosity are your biggest assets. You’re a lifelong learner.

But if you felt more aligned with the second question, you might have a fixed mindset. You may shy away from challenges and feel threatened when you see your colleagues succeeding at remote work. 

Carol Dweck is a psychologist who came up with the idea of fixed and growth mindsets about fifteen years ago. She says that everyone has a mindset about the way they work and learn. 

According to Dweck, people with fixed mindsets feel like they should stick with what they know. They’re afraid of trying new things and aren’t motivated to improve or be innovative.

People with growth mindsets, on the other hand, are excited about trying new tasks. They’re great at learning from their mistakes and they’re comfortable receiving feedback.

So which one do you have?

Most people probably want to think that they have a growth mindset. But when it comes to working from home, even people who usually have a growth mindset can find themselves facing the challenges of a fixed mindset.

If you’re having trouble working from home, understanding why you’re facing this challenge is an important first step to addressing the issue.

Ask yourself these four questions — and be honest!

• Do you feel like you can’t do your best work working from home? Why?
• Do you get defensive when people give you feedback about how you’re adjusting to remote work?
• Do you think people who are good at working remotely are just smarter than you?
• Do you think there’s nothing you can do to be more productive working from home?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, it’s time to start intentionally embracing a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset. 

This is hard work, but changing your mindset can be a very powerful way to challenge your ideas about yourself. 

Think deeply about where you got the idea that you can’t be productive working remotely. The truth is that there are many ways to become more productive working from home.

Here are a few key ways to get started with nourishing your growth mindset:

1. Create a home office that actually works for you — I have a whole LinkedIn Learning course about this for you.
2. Recognize Zoom fatigue and take steps to address it. 
3. Stop multitasking so you can bring your best self to every task.
4. Use lists to overhaul your routine and keep track of your work tasks and personal life.
5. Consider these four ways to focus on your goals during the pandemic.

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Join me on LinkedIn Learning for a course about using lists to boost your productivity!

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