During my MBA studies, my classmates decided that I had the personality of a jar of Dijon mustard. I took it as a compliment, because it was part of an exercise in plotting personality types on a colour quadrant.

There was sunshine-yellow optimism at one end, and a deeper, darker shade of pessimism at the other. My mustard tint meant I was bright enough to see opportunity, but with enough bite to keep things real. A realistic optimist, that's me.

Where do you think you would fit in? How do you view the world? When you look at the future, do you see it as a terrain mined with obstacles, or as a field rich with opportunities, waiting to be brought to harvest?

Either way, it’s all in your mind. That’s because our true power as humans lies in our sense of agency, in our belief that we can actively create the future we want.

Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, is one of the key theorists in this field. She tells the story of a Chicago high school that replaced the word “fail” in its grading system with the words “not yet”.

This simple shift transformed the way that students approached and tackled challenges in their learning.

Dweck calls this “the power of yet”. It’s a mindset that sees every obstacle as a stepping stone, rather than a stopping point. Too often, we talk ourselves out of our hopes, goals, and dreams by focusing on all the “yes buts” along the way.

Instead, advises Dweck, we should “embrace the and”, shifting our mindsets to open up rather than shut down possibilities.

When you start looking at the future this way, a goal such as “I want to start a business, but the economy is uncertain,” becomes “I want to start a business, and I can start small while learning about the market”. That shifts your mindset from scarcity to possibility.

By adopting a “not yet” mindset, you can go a long way towards cultivating optimism and perseverance. When you encounter difficulties or feel inadequate at a skill, adding “yet” to your self-talk can help you reframe the situation.

For example, instead of saying, “I’m not good at public speaking,” say, “I’m not good at public speaking yet”. This subtle change helps you acknowledge that improvement is possible, and challenges are temporary.

Finally, create spaces that amplify rather than restrict you. Instead of trying to detox your life of challenges, aim to build your capacity to face them.

Leaders who cultivate growth mindsets in their teams handle obstacles better and find inspiration in the success of others. But you don’t have to be a leader to benefit from the principle.

As the Harvard Medical School psychologist Susan David reminds us, “Life’s beauty is inseparable from its fragility.”

Ultimate abundance comes not from removing the hard parts, but from embracing our power to shape what’s ahead. The challenges and opportunities, the setbacks and growth, the sunshine and the mustard.

What bright future will you create for yourself this year?