Maybe It’s All in Your Mind(Set): How a Growth Mindset Helps You Thrive
By: Judy Kneiszel
Brenda and Sharon have a lot in common. They started with the company in the same year in similar positions, and both performed well in that position. Over time, however, Brenda has risen through the ranks in the company, while Sharon has not. One reason for the difference may be that Brenda has a growth mindset, while Sharon has a fixed mindset.
Someone with a growth mindset believes:
- People can learn anything they want
- They are constantly evolving
- The more you challenge yourself; the smarter you become
A person with a fixed mindset believes:
- Either someone is good at something or they are not
- You can’t change who you are
- If you have to work hard to learn to do something, you don’t have the ability
Through the years, when presented with new opportunities, Brenda has said, “That position sounds challenging, of course I’m interested.” Sharon, on the other hand, has said, “I don’t know how to do that; that position is beyond me.”
How to unfix a fixed mindset
According to Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck who wrote the book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, if you’re like Sharon, you are capable of changing your mindset. Here’s how:
- See value in the journey. If you only focus on the end result, you may miss out on learning along the way.
- Add the word “yet.” If you’re struggling with a task, remind yourself that you just haven’t mastered it “yet.” This signals that despite any struggles, you can overcome anything.
- Pay attention to your thoughts. Replace negative thoughts with more positive ones to build a growth mindset.
- Take on challenges. Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn to embrace challenges rather than shying away from them. Of course, the challenges must be workable — not everyone can be a concert pianist, for example, but you might learn to play “Happy Birthday” and be a big hit at parties.
This post is locked to comments.
