Are You Living a Fixed or Growth Mindset?
If you have been following me you know by now how much I speak around the topic of one's own mindset. But really, how much does your mindset really matter?
Your mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel, and behave in any given situation.
In my experience, mindset may be one of the most powerful and important muscles that so many of us neglect to flex and strengthen. If you take a bird's eye view of mindset and consider how much it impacts our daily lives moment by moment, hour by hour, and day by day. Our mindset dictates our path in life. The choices we make, the way we respond to situations, our overall joy, and satisfaction, our relationships, and our hopes and dreams all are due to our mindset.
How does our mindset form? Research reveals that two primary sources lead to the development of our mindset in early childhood. These two are defined as personal praise and process praise.
Personal praise, or praising a child’s talents or labeling them as “smart," promotes a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset is when “people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, are simply fixed traits.” Personal praise sends a message to a child that they either have an ability or they don't, and that there is nothing they can do to change that fact.
Process praise, on the other hand, emphasizes the effort a person puts in to accomplish a task, which aligns with a growth mindset. A growth mindset is when “people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point.” Process praise implies a child’s success is due to the effort and the strategy they used, both of which they can control and improve over time.
Adults can take steps to ensure that their children develop growth mindsets by praising efforts, not results. By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, adults can help kids understand that their efforts, hard work, and dedication can lead to change, learning, and growth both now and in the future.
When reading this definition, for example, are you able to see the similarity and effects in your adult life? Do you suffer at work with impostor syndrome? Do you feel that you need to validate and prove yourself? Do you feel like you're constantly fighting against the label that you have internally accepted? If you are answering yes to this, you may be living with a fixed mindset.
So, what can you do to support yourself in seeking a growth mindset?
1. PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR ANTS
ANTS are “automatic negative thoughts.” They are that inner critic voice that is telling you false statements that are holding you back from being your best self. Replace those negative thoughts with ones that are forward-focused and curious. More positive thoughts will build a growth mindset over time.
2. FOCUS ON THE ENTIRE JOURNEY
One of the most important factors, when you're working on building a growth mindset, is seeing the entire journey ahead of you. When you are fixed at the end result, you will miss out on all of the things that you could be learning along the way. These lessons are little nuggets of joy that will keep you inspired and keep you growing in the direction of the results you strive to achieve. If you only focus on the end result and deny yourself the awareness of the moment you are in, you are missing out on the joy of the process.
3. VIEW ALL YOUR BREAKDOWNS AS FANTASTIC MOMENTS FOR BREAKTHROUGHS
Individuals who are seeking to live and learn through a growth mindset view all their breakdowns as moments and lessons to be learned. Every individual has breakdowns. Do you feel these are moments of failure or do you view these as opportunities for growth? Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn. Instead of shying away from challenges to avoid making mistakes, embrace them.
4. SEEK OUT OTHERS WHO WILL SUPPORT YOU
Reaching out to others who can support you in your journey toward this growth mindset can be a key and instrumental addition. Having someone that can hold you accountable, challenge your mindset, and help you flex that mental muscle can make a huge difference.
Your mindset is a very powerful tool. It will support you throughout the various stages of life. When you focus on your mindset, you can unlock additional strength and better equip yourself to handle emotional experiences. And if you have found that you have a primarily fixed mindset, that’s okay. It is never too late to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset.
Celebrating your success,
Krista Ryan