Growth Mindset
Free your mind. đź§
I can’t do it. I’m not good at this. It’s too hard. They are better at it than I am. I don’t know how. I don’t like challenges. I can’t make this any better. I give up.
Everyone (yes, everyone) has said either aloud or to themselves at least one of these sayings. Sound familiar?
These are traits of a fixed mindset. It is a belief that intelligence and other qualities, abilities, and talents are fixed traits that cannot be significantly developed.
A growth mindset assumes that continued growth and improvement are possible. People with a growth mindset take full responsibility for their lives. They believe that with the right motivation and skills, anyone’s true potential is virtually unlimited.
It doesn’t take long to recognize someone who is living with this mindset.
People with this mindset have a sense of curiosity; they are open to possibilities, they have a positive outlook, and they have a desire to learn and make a difference. In short, a growth mindset promotes continued growth personally and professionally.
The spoon represents doubt; remove doubt and you can accomplish anything.
Determining your current mindset
Answer these questions YES or NO:
- Generally, you can’t change how intelligent you are; we all have a set level.
- Once you reach adulthood, your abilities don’t change too much
- You have a certain level of talent, and there isn’t too much you can do to change it
- It’s hard to keep learning new skills.
- If you work at it, you can increase your intelligence levels.
- You can always improve your ability, even by small steps.
- Even if you don’t have a natural talent, you can increase your talent levels with dedicated practice.
- Learning new skills is in your control.
If you agree with the first four statements and disagree with the last four, the chances are you tend to sway more toward a fixed mindset. If you disagree with the first four statements and agree with the last four, you’re more likely to have a growth mindset.
“If you improve 1% a day, then in 100 days, guess what? You’re 100% better.”
— Ken Carter
How to change your mindset
Here are some steps that you can practice to help lean towards a growth mindset:
- Do not blame. If you catch yourself blaming someone or something else for your failure, stop yourself and refocus on your role in your success or failure.
- Aim for self-awareness. Ask yourself questions about your effort, strategy, and resources. Could I have practiced harder? Am I using the best schedule for my rehearsals? Is there a better way for me to study before the next test?
- Avoid negative self-talk. Try to catch yourself when you think in fixed mindset terms. Stop saying that you were not made to do this or were not born to become that. Instead, start focusing on the effort and strategy you put in.
- Ask for feedback (be open to feedback). Actively seek out feedback. Do not get defensive or make excuses and listen closely to feedback, no matter how harsh. Use feedback to develop a better plan for improving your abilities.
- Do not overreact to failure. Failure is a natural part of learning and improving, so do not overreact when it happens to you.
- Reflect and reassess. Set aside time to reflect on your progress and plan how to improve. Remember that effort is only one part of a true growth mindset. You also need to refine your strategy.
- Do not compare. When you compare yourself to others, it is easy to fall into a fixed mindset. We do not usually see the effort and perseverance others put in, which is why it can lead to a fixed mindset.
- Celebrate effort. Compliment yourself on how many hours of practice you have put in this week or what new topics you have learned so far. Count up all the little steps, which will lead to your ultimate goals.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.” — Thomas Edison
The originator of the terms growth and fixed mindset, Stanford Professor Carol Dweck talks about how it helps students learn and perform better in the classroom.
