Have you ever thought about how you think?
Posted on April 21, 2022 by Lois Lavrisa , One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
A growth vs fixed mindset
Do you think that people who are successful got there by luck, or that they were just naturally gifted or talented?
Or do you think people’s success is a product of hard work, experience, resilience and not giving up?
These two different viewpoints are known as growth and fixed mindsets and were originally developed by Stanford Psychologist Carol Dweck.
A fixed mindset believes that talent and intelligence are something you either have or you don’t.
Whereas a growth mindset believe that skill and intelligence are something that people can develop.
Let’s dive into a little more about the differences between a mindset growth and fixed mindset.
- A person with a fixed mindset has the belief that basic talents are fixed, so they don’t try a lot of new things out of fear of being criticized. They give up easily. Believes they know everything already. They compare themselves to others. They feel threatened by other people’s success.
- A person with growth mindset is open to criticism. They learn from feedback, embrace their weaknesses, believe that their talent and intelligence grow with time. They persevere despite setbacks and find inspiration in other’s success. They see difficult situations as growth opportunities.
(Most people are somewhere in between these two mindsets)
So how can you encourage or foster a growth mindset?
Focus on these principles:
- Approach every challenge as a learning opportunity — one for growth.
- Don’t get caught up in fear of failure or fear of not performing well. Instead, focus on the learning experience itself.
- Don’t seek approval or validation from others – you are on your own path, so let the validation and acceptance come from within yourself.
- Don’t be afraid to take risks.
- Welcome any new challenge.
- Find inspiration in other people’s success.
- Embrace each problem presented and view it as a fresh experience, one to learn from.
- Work hard to find solutions to problems.
- When frustration sets in, don’t give up!
- Continue to challenge yourself.
- Remember, effort and attitude are the characteristics that determine success, not fixed abilities.
Enjoy your life, enjoy the journey-
Lois
