It’s tricky to point to one reason for someone’s success. Achieving what you set out to do comes down to all sorts of factors, from the luck of being born with privilege to nailing those soft skills and meeting the right people (at the right time). But what we can do is identify certain things that will block a path to success. And a big one of those is your mindset.

If you navigate the world with a view that you’re destined to fail, for example, you’re less likely to take chances that could pay off. If you think it’s ‘embarrassing’ to put yourself out there, you’ll miss out on opportunities that could have been yours if you’d taken the risk. The wrong mindset can limit you, so it stands to reason that the right mindset can help you go further.

What we need, says Kayleigh Greenacre, founder and CEO of Actually, I Can!, is a growth mindset. “Our mindset plays a big part in our success and achievements. It can empower us and give us confidence and motivation when we need it the most, or it can limit us and make us doubt ourselves, stopping us from reaching our goals,” Greenacre tells Stylist. “By having a positive ‘growth’ mindset and believing you can achieve what you are trying to achieve, you are more motivated, focused and determined, which are all key ingredients to succeeding in anything. A growth mindset also cultivates self-confidence and self-esteem.”

What exactly is a growth mindset? Simple: it’s the belief that you can grow and improve. It’s knowing that success is not down only to innate talent, but skills and abilities you can develop. It’s being aware that hard work and dedication can take you a long way.

How to build a growth mindset (and why it matters)