The Growth Mindset
Photo by Ravi Roshan on Unsplash
We all think we have limitations in certain fields or areas, but can this belief go too far? In this short blog post, we will be exploring how a "fixed mindset" can prevent you from challenging yourself & achieving your full potential. In addition, we will explore how a growth mindset allows people to leap in their career, education and much more.
Growth Vs Fixed Mindset
Taking a challenge is uncomfortable for most people as it takes us out of our comfort zone, where we can navigate and easily expect what will happen next. However, this puts us at risk of stagnating our growth as we shy away from challenges and novel situations. Even worse, it prevents people from becoming potential innovators as failure and setbacks are a part of innovation! As Elon Musk put it:
"Failure is an option here. If things are not failing, you are not innovating enough ."
With a fixed mindset, the whole currency is built on being smart, and anything that threatens that title becomes a chore and something that people should steer away from! When someone, say a student, never makes a single mistake in school and is told that making mistakes is bad, they will become paralysed by the first challenge they are presented with!
A fixed mindset tells us that we can only develop our skills in a certain field if we have the "talent" and are "smart enough". Whilst it is not always certain that your skills can be developed in all areas, the message of the growth mindset is that there is always room for improvement through trial and error! Let me give you an example of a question that was asked to a bunch of middle school students: "what would you do if you failed a test?". Students with a fixed mindset said they would stop trying or even cheat to succeed in the exam. On the other hand, students with a growth mindset said that they would work on their weaknesses and try to improve by asking for help from others & working harder.
The growth mindset is really not about saying that everything is possible with hard work and that everyone can achieve everything in their lives. A growth mindset is one where you believe that you can grow with every experience you take up and that there is always room for improvement and development. A person with a growth mindset thrives on challenges & learning from setbacks.
Why Fixed Mindset is harmful
Here are a few reasons why a fixed mindset can hinder your growth:
- Even when people are born with a certain talent, if they fail to improve their talent and keep working on it to keep up with the rest in that field, they will see themselves falling behind and blaming their failures on other people and circumstances. They see themselves as better than others and as infallible.
- A fixed mindset keeps you in your comfort zone forever and prevents you from taking that step to improve your business, career or studies because you think what you are doing is right and does not need to change. Someone with a fixed mindset is paralysed by risk!
- People with a fixed mindset tend to give up easily when faced with obstacles and ignore useful criticism, which can elevate them. In addition, they see others success as a threat when it could be a valuable learning point for them.
I know hard-working people who have a fixed mindset; how does that work?
Yes, someone can be hard working and have a fixed mindset. As Dweck says in Mindset:
"They may be people whose life goal is to win a Nobel Prize or become the richest person on the planet - and they are willing to do what it takes."
These people might like to put their talent on display and/or are constantly looking for validation from others & they may be intolerant to challenges, criticism or setbacks in life. They could be hardworking and talented people, but they always like to put themselves on a pedestal and think they are better than others! Therefore, some people can possess only a few subsets of a fixed mindset, such as rejecting constructive criticism or fearing failure. That is why it is important to assess ourselves & constantly reflect to see what could be holding us back from our next exciting opportunity in life.
What do you think is holding you back?
Further Reading & sources
- Mindset, by Carol Dweck (great read & you won't regret it)
- Who moved my cheese, by Spencer Johnson (not very related, but it is an excellent book on dealing with change!).
- Talk by Carol Dweck
- Article on Growth mindset
