My Biggest Regret? Not Adopting a Growth Mindset Sooner (Here's Why)

Over the years, I’ve learned that having an open mind and embracing continuous learning can be life-changing. It’s not just about acquiring new skills; it’s about personal growth and happiness. Keeping a learning mindset has helped me evolve as a person, making me more adaptable, resilient, and—most importantly—happier.

My goal with this article is to share the actions that have benefited me, hoping they can help you too. Everyone’s journey is unique, but sometimes, hearing someone else’s experience can spark ideas or motivation to make a change.

A young pirate reading a book in a pirate pub by Jaime López using Designer

I wasn’t always like this. There was a time when I resisted learning new things, sticking to what I knew. But shifting my mindset made all the difference.

Let me take you through my journey—what life was like before I embraced learning and how everything transformed once I did. Maybe my experience will inspire you too.

The Struggle Before Embracing a Learning Mindset

Before I adopted a learning mindset, my approach to personal and professional growth was far from effective. I set unrealistic goals—too ambitious, too big, and within impossibly short timeframes. Inevitably, this led to frustration when I couldn’t reach them.

I remember setting the goal to be the SharePoint expert guy in the company I worked for in just 1 year. The year was 2007 so you can imagine the unrealistic goal it was. SharePoint 2007 was in the process of being launched. And I didn’t prepare a plan, or tasks, or anything.

I also believed I knew more than I actually did. This false confidence made it hard for me to accept new ideas or recognize gaps in my knowledge. When I saw others accomplishing more in the same amount of time, I felt discouraged instead of inspired.

Even when I mastered something, the rapid pace of change meant that knowledge quickly became outdated. Instead of seeing this as an opportunity to grow, I saw it as a setback.

All of this created a cycle of frustration. I wasn’t learning—I was just struggling. But everything changed when I shifted my perspective and embraced learning as an ongoing journey rather than a finish line.

The Transformation

Once I shifted my perspective, everything started to change. Instead of obsessing over unrealistic goals, I focused on continuous improvement—step by step. I learned to set both short- and long-term objectives, ensuring they were achievable based on my time, abilities, and circumstances. More importantly, I stopped seeing success as a final destination and started enjoying the process itself.

One of the biggest changes was my mindset toward challenges and failure. Instead of feeling frustrated when I didn’t reach a goal, I asked myself: What can I learn from this? I began treating obstacles as challenges to overcome rather than barriers to progress. Mistakes became valuable lessons rather than reasons to feel defeated.

To reinforce this growth, I adopted new habits. I started writing down my ideas—whether in a physical notebook or a digital tool—so I wouldn’t lose valuable insights. I also set aside dedicated time to review them, refine my thoughts, and put them into action.

Perhaps the most transformative habit I developed was writing a weekly blog. Not only did this help me organize my thoughts and track my progress, but it also became a space to share my experiences with others. By putting my journey into words, I reinforced my own learning and, hopefully, inspired others to embrace their own path of continuous improvement.

Shifting to a learning mindset didn’t happen overnight, but once I committed to it, I saw how powerful it could be. It turned frustration into motivation, mistakes into growth, and learning into a lifelong adventure.

Final Thoughts

I hope my story and experience can offer you something valuable. Embracing a learning mindset has given me more control over myself—my goals, my growth, and my reactions to challenges. It has also helped me understand my own limits, not as barriers, but as starting points to build upon.

That doesn’t mean the path has been easy. Learning and growth aren’t always smooth; there are setbacks, frustrations, and moments of doubt. But instead of seeing these as reasons to stop, I now view them as part of the journey.

Continuous learning isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. It’s about adapting, improving, and making the most of every experience. If you keep an open mind and embrace the process, you’ll discover that every challenge carries a lesson, and every mistake is an opportunity to grow.

So, keep learning, keep evolving, and most importantly—enjoy the journey.