This one idea, more than anything else, determines how successful you will be at anything!
When you’re confronted with a challenging task, do you
A) give it your best shot.
B) have a nap?
Your answer to this question is probably determined by the kind of mindset you have. Get the info on fixed and growth mindsets, how to make the most out of your mindset and what to do if it’s troubling you.
“If you imagine less, less will be what you undoubtedly deserve. Do what you love, and don’t stop until you get what you love. Work as hard as you can, imagine immensities!”
One of the most basic beliefs we carry about ourselves has to do with how we view what we consider to be our personality.
A fixed mindset assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static givens which we can’t change in any meaningful way, and success is the affirmation of that inherent intelligence, an assessment of how those givens measure up against an equally fixed standard; striving for success and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled.
A growth mindset, on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of unintelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities. Out of these two mindsets, which we manifest from a very early age, springs a great deal of our behavior, our relationship with success and failure in both professional and personal contexts, and ultimately our capacity for happiness.
Key Differences Between “Fixed” and “Growth” Mindset
1. Amount of Effort
When faced with hard work, the “fixed mindset” person may recruit others to do the hardest parts, spending as little effort as possible, while the “growth mindset” person believes that good outcomes often require exertion—“effort” is just a part of the process. In order to master a new task, one usually needs to apply energy, whether mental, physical, or simply by using repetition over time.
2. Lowering the bar on Challenge
A “fixed mindset” person shies away from challenges, possibly from fear of failure, and may go into hiding as a way to avoid responsibilities. In contrast, the “growth mindset” person finds challenges to be exciting and engaging, knowing that they will learn something valuable from their experiences. They “stick to it,” mastering the challenge, and then are able to move on to ever greater accomplishments.
3. Mistakes and Feedback
The “fixed mindset” person hates making mistakes because it’s embarrassing. They may blame others or be defensive when criticized. Meanwhile, a “growth mindset” person will see the mistake as a lesson to learn from and will be less likely to take criticism personally. Being open to criticism can help improve one’s ability to do better the next time, which is another reason why a growth mindset can lead to success.
5 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset
Changing one’s mindset from a “fixed” perspective to a “growth mindset” may seem daunting, but by taking baby steps, anyone who wants to can build a “growth mindset.” Here’s how:
1. Acknowledge and allow for things to never be perfect in self and others, as it is the spice that makes us individuals. We all have our flaws, peculiarities, and weirdness—our imperfections. Like the small black mole on Marilyn Monroe’s face, our imperfections make us unique. And self-love is a good thing.
2. Face your challenges with courage. If you find yourself terrified in the face of a serious challenge, stop and reframe the situation in your mind. Consider your challenge as an “opportunity,” thus slightly shifting your perspective to make it easier for you to engage. Each challenge or opportunity invites us into a new experience that is a sort of adventure.
Try different tactics to coach yourself about how to explore a new path, or how to develop a new skill, or how to interact with a new group of people, or to navigate through new circumstances. As an adventure, fear is an acceptable feeling. You press forward anyway because it’s exciting and new. If you take this same attitude with a crisis at work or whatever the challenge, you can discover abilities you didn’t know you even possessed.
3. Pay attention to your words and thoughts. Start to pay attention to the words you speak, even the words in your mind. If your words are low or dark, the results may be also. So watch yourself. Listen to what you are saying and thinking. Censor yourself and become your own guide.
Replace negative thoughts with more positive ones to build a growth mindset. Replace judgment with acceptance, hate with compassion. If you are disrespecting yourself or lowering your ethical standards, the outcome of your decisions and their consequences will reflect that. Intend to think higher thoughts and hold yourself to them.
4. Stop seeking approval from others. Approval from others can often prevent a growth mindset. Cultivate self-acceptance and self-approval. Learn to trust yourself. You are the only person who will always be there for you in your life so you are the only one you need to impress.
5. Be authentic. Pretending to be someone who you are not disrespects who you really are. It makes you a fake. It diminishes what you have to offer. Becoming truly authentic is a process that takes time and a lot of inner work. Once you do, you'll likely be more driven to pursue your true goals, which puts you in a growth mindset.
A growth mindset means one embraces challenges, persists in the face of setbacks, takes responsibility for their words and actions, and acknowledges that effort is the path toward mastery. It is basically the reason why “practice makes perfect."
By choosing to make the extra effort to build a growth mindset, you can make your mental processes work for you, resulting in a greater likelihood that you get the results you're looking for and live the life you want to live.
Believing that your qualities are carved in stone — the fixed mindset— creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character — well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn’t do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characteristics.
I’ve seen so many people with this one consuming goal of proving themselves — in the classroom, in their careers, and in their relationships. Every situation calls for a confirmation of their intelligence, personality, or character. Every situation is evaluated:
Will I succeed or fail?
Will I look smart or dumb?
Will I be accepted or rejected?
Will I feel like a winner or a loser? . . .
What it all comes down to is that a mindset is our point of view that tells us what is going on around us.
In the fixed mindset, that point of view is constant judging and evaluation, using every piece of information as evidence either for or against such whether you’re a good person, whether your partner is selfish, or whether you are better than the person next to you.
In a growth mindset, the point of view is not one of judgment but one of curiosity and excitement for learning.
Need help creating a growth mindset?
The future is not somewhere you are going, but one you are creating.
Hi, I’m David, a Vancouver life coach and mindfulness teacher.
I help people help themselves by combing two powerful approaches.
Mindfulness makes you feel happier
Co-Active Coaching makes you productive.