Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset

Opportunity is everywhere... if you’re willing to believe it’s meant for you too

Mental Limitations

Right out of college, I found myself working in a warehouse. I was a material handler and truck driver. I’d start my mornings early, stocking shelves, processing filters, and delivering materials around town.

If you’ve ever worked a job like that, you know the kind of environment I’m talking about… high turnover, repetitive tasks, and a strange mix of new faces and people who’ve been there 20 or 30 years, just waiting to retire.

Some of those old-timers had been with the company longer than I’d been alive. And while there’s a certain respect to be given for their loyalty and consistency, I started to notice something deeper in the conversations I had with them.

You couldn’t listen to music or zone out, so talking was all there was. And as I talked to the people around me… especially the ones who had been there for decades… I noticed a theme: their mindset was fixed.

Anytime I brought up a new idea, whether it was starting an online store or investing, they’d shut it down instantly. “That’ll never work,” “I’d never do that because,” or “You’re better off just sticking with a good job.”

They weren’t trying to be mean. They were trying to protect me… from failure, from risk, from disappointment. But in doing so, they were also revealing their own set limitations.

At the time, I had just started getting into e-commerce, dabbling in building websites and learning about day trading. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was curious. I believed there might be a better way. And every once in a while, I’d meet someone… who didn’t shut down the idea. They’d say something like, “That’s cool, you should go after it.” That encouragement, as rare as it was, made all the difference.

Trying Something New

While at that warehouse and a new job I transitioned to a year later… I threw myself into learning everything I could about content creation, social media, and growing businesses.

I hired a business coach and started working to get clients of my own to serve with social media marketing. And here’s what stood out to me the most: every CEO, entrepreneur, or small business owner I worked with had one thing in common… they believed in possibility.

They saw the world differently. They looked around and saw opportunity everywhere. Not in some vague motivational way, but in a real, strategic sense. They believed they could figure things out… even if they didn’t know how yet. And that mindset created a gap. Not just in income, but in outlook, confidence, and freedom.

When I was in the warehouse back in 2019, $13 an hour was the norm. I started at $16 and thought I was lucky. Now I speak with people who earn millions, and the biggest difference isn’t intelligence, education, or even effort… it’s belief.

So I’ve tried to keep this mindset close ever since:

I don’t know everything. But I can learn anything.

I look at problems now and say, “Yeah, I can figure that out.” Even when I have no idea how… because I trust that with time and effort, I can learn. And you can too.

You don’t have to settle for a job you hate. You don’t have to stay stuck. You can completely change your life in six months if you give it your all. It’ll take risk. It’ll take consistency. But if you want excitement, growth, and purpose… you can have it.

Believing in Possibility

Start small. Go on YouTube and watch speeches by entrepreneurs. Listen to audiobooks from people who’ve done what you want to do. Most of the time they’re not just talking about business… they’re talking about life, belief, mindset. And if you let it, that stuff will sink in and start to change how you think.

Honestly, I brainwashed myself into believing that I could do anything. And looking back now, I’m glad I did.

Because why not me?
Why not you?

The investments you make in yourself… your mindset, your skills, your knowledge… those are the ones that compound. No one can take that away from you.

So start today. And keep going.