Fixed Vs Growth Mindset

The attitudes and beliefs we have about ourselves are often referred to as a mindset and they can shape our view of the world.

A psychologist called Carol Dweck described two types of mindset that can have a big impact on how we live our lives: a growth mindset and a ﬁxed mindset.

With a ﬁxed mindset, we assume that basic qualities like our intelligence and talents are ﬁxed traits that we have no control over. We’ll say things like, “you either have it, or you don’t” and will stop trying when faced with a challenge.

With a growth mindset, we believe that new abilities can be developed through practise. We just have to keep trying and learn from our mistakes. On average, people with a growth mindset, get better grades, do better in the face of challenges and are generally more successful.

Watch the video below and read on to ﬁnd top tips on how you can develop a growth mindset.

If you’re feeling scared, remind yourself of all the things you’ve
achieved in the past.
Break challenges down into smaller, more manageable steps so they
don’t feel so overwhelming.
See learning as “brain training”! Like any other muscle, the brain can
be trained. When we take on challenges and keep practising until we
overcome them, our brain cells grow and make more connections.
Our brain gets stronger and our skills do too!
Never stop learning, set a new goal every time you accomplish an
existing one.

Replace the word “failing” with the word “learning”.
Rather than seeing failure as “the end”, try to see it as a steppingstone on the road to success.
Remember that it takes time to learn!

Plan your goals taking them into consideration:
Maybe you know that you tend to put things off until the last
minute - try to plan around that by making modest goals and
giving yourself a reasonable amount of time to accomplish them.

Think of feedback as a way to learn.
If you have an area of weakness and someone is able to point that out
to you, think of it as a gift that makes you aware of where you can
improve
Don’t be afraid to give constructive feedback to others, so that they
also can learn and improve.

Outline what your long-term goals or purpose is.
Try to study and work with a purpose so you have the motivation to
keep going.
Remind yourself of your purpose whenever you need a motivation
boost.

Celebrate their achievements. If they can do it, so can you!
Learn from their mistakes. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment
and pretend that it was you making the mistake, what would you do?
What would you be able to learn?

The words we use affect how we think & feel and can make a huge
difference.
Try changing your language for an added confidence boost:

Cultivating a growth mindset isn’t always easy – it means doing new and difﬁcult things, not being afraid to fail and giving ourselves conﬁdence to learn and grow. When we do, we realise that anything is possible.