A mindset is the particular way in which a person organises their thoughts and opinions. When we talk about growth mindset we are speaking about the attitudes and beliefs with which a person operates. Of course, your mindset is, in fact, quite fluid and changes more often than the British weather.
However, when we talk about a growth mindset we are talking about our prevailing attitudes within a specific set of conditions. E.g. work or relationships etc. Once we get to grips with the differences between a “fixed” mindset and a growth mindset we can easily apply this attitude across contexts and apply it meaningfully in al areas of our lives.
Let’s begin with a definition of a fixed mindset – remember this should be applied contextually. A fixed mindset, within a context, is indicated by the idea that your intelligence in that area is static. This in turn leads to a number of attitudes and actions.
You will generally try to appear smart, avoid challenges and give up easily. You will see effort as useless and avoid criticism, no matter how well meaning it is. You’ll also feel threatened by the success of others and therefor avoid opportunities to learn. You’ll end up plateauing and achieve less than your potential.
A growth mindset is the polar opposite – the prevailing attitude here is one of evolution increasing intelligence. This attitude leads to a desire to learn, a tendency to embrace challenges and persist in the face of roadblocks and setbacks.
You will see effort as a path to mastery and seek out criticism in order to learn and gain greater knowledge or skill. You’ll look to others who have been successful in order to learn and grow, and although you’ll experience plateaus, you’ll see them as rest stops to achieving your true potential.
You’ll see from the above that the two are very different mindsets and you may be tempted to categorise yourself as one or the other but, it’s vital you see that you can embody both in different contexts. Once we begin to see this it’s easier for us to shift from a fixed mindset back into a growth mindset, and to inoculate ourselves from the self-criticism that often comes from identifying with a perceived negative mindset.
The first step in shifting from a fixed to a growth mindset is to recognise you have slipped into a fixed mindset. After all, you can’t escape from a trap if you don’t know you’re in one. After that, it’s a case of reminding yourself that intelligence, knowledge and skill can be developed and actively looking for opportunities to learn and grow.
