Beginners Guide to Shifting from a Fixed to a Growth Mindset
Looking to make changes in your life? Reflect first on the following questions:
- Do you see yourself as unable to change? Or are you capable of growth?
- Do you avoid challenges? Or do you embrace challenges even when the path to achievement is difficult and unclear?
- Do you give up easily? Or do you know learning and effort is part of the process?
- Do you ignore criticism or feedback? Or, do you accept and learn from it?
- Do you feel threatened by the success of others? Or can you find lessons and inspiration from others, enjoying competition?
American psychologist Carol Dweck, a researcher who has extensively studied human behaviour and motivation, offers two ways to view mindset — either being orientated toward fixed or growth. She explains:
“The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your
life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.”— Carol Dweck
Fixed Mindset
A fixed mindset means we believe that our skills, intelligence, general qualities, and talents are fixed traits and cannot be changed. This attitude can often result in resistance to learning or attempts to improve our skills.
People with fixed mindsets:
- Believe intelligence & talent are fixed
- Feel threatened by others success
- Believe failure defines who they are
- View feedback as personal criticism
- Hide flaws
- Avoid challenges
- Ignore feedback
- Believe effort is fruitless
Growth Mindset
A growth mindset means we believe that our skills, talents and general
qualities have the capacity to grow and can be improved by hard work and
persistence.
This mindset results in a positive attitude towards both learning
and critical feedback. People with a growth mindset are also generally more open to trying new things.
People with growth mindsets:
- Believe intelligence & talents can be developed
- Believe effort is a path to growth
- Believe mistakes are part of learning
- View failure as an opportunity
- Believe failure is temporary
- Embrace challenges
- Welcome feedback
- Is inspired by successes of others
Strategies to develop a growth mindset:
Just because you currently have a fixed mindset does not mean that you cannot transition into having a growth mindset instead.
Follow these simple strategies to begin to transform your static views into more dynamic ones:
- Acknowledge & embrace your strengths and weaknesses:
Be honest with yourself about your weaknesses as well as your strengths. Ask your friends and family for feedback, as they can offer you a different point of view and give you a perspective on what to focus on.
Create good habits around both your weaknesses and strengths. Take small steps every day that will help you move towards your goals.
2. View challenges as opportunities
If you are afraid to take on a new challenge, then stop and reframe the situation in your mind in order to shift the perspective.
Consider new challenges as opportunities and new experiences that you can learn from and grow. Think of different ways you can approach the challenge and remember that fear is only natural.
3. Choose the right habits & learning strategies
Everyone is different, so it is important that you choose strategies that are right for you and your current abilities.
If you are able to identify the best habits and learning strategies for you, then you can optimise the time needed to reach your end goal. The right level and intensity will also feel like you are making faster progress.
4. Focus on the process — not the end result
It is the journey that matters and it is important to enjoy it and make the
most out of it. Think of all the unexpected lessons and experiences you may encounter on the way to your goal.
Fully engage and put the effort into the process. Focusing on the process will improve the results you aim for.
5. Reward Your efforts & actions
Acknowledge the small wins on a daily basis and be proud of them.
Share them with your family and friends. Every effort and action you make is taking you closer to your goal.
6. Set realistic goals & timeframes
Be aware that change and achieving your goals takes time, sometimes a lot of time, there are no shortcuts.
It may take many different methods of learning or techniques until you are able to master a new skill or move swiftly towards your set goal.
Questions to Activate a Growth Mindset
If you’re ready to take your growth mindset to the next level — reflect on the following questions to activate your mindset further:
- What can I learn from this?
- What steps can I take to help me succeed?
- Do I know the outcome or goal I’m after?
- What information can I gather? And from where?
- Where can I get constructive feedback?
- If I had a plan to be successful at [blank], what might it look like?
- When will I follow through on my plan?
- Where will I follow through on my plan?
- How will I follow through on my plan?
- What did I learn today?
- What mistake did I make that taught me something?
- Is my current learning strategy working? If not, how can I change it?
- What did I try hard at today?
- What habits must I develop to continue the gains I’ve achieved?
Interested in learning more about mindset change? Or, are you ready for a personalised coaching plan to help you take your transformation to the next level?
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