Fixed Vs Growth Mindset

A fixed mindset is limiting, it avoids challenges and is threatened when others are successful. Those with a fixed mindset don’t see the point in putting forth effort because they view themselves as either naturally gifted at something or incapable of doing it. A growth mindset, on the other hand, actively seeks out ways they can grow and improve themselves. They are always up for a challenge, especially if it means that will learn something along the way. They see themselves as ever growing and progressing. If they don’t know how to do something its only a matter of time for them to learn it. The concept of growth mindset was first introduced by Dr. Carol Dweck, a professor at Stanford University. Her research looked into why some people fail while other people have a tendency for success. In a study of high school students, she found that when faced with a difficult challenge or a failure some of the students treated it as a learning experience. This attitude was further developed into the term known as growth mindset. Dr. Dweck also looked into how to improve or encourage her newly discovered growth mindset. She found that it is better to praise the process, the work, persistence, and strategies that go into accomplishing something. It does not help to praise natural talent or abilities if they aren’t cultivated. To really develop a growth mindset one needs to constantly be looking for ways to improve. When you look at your life you are likely to see that in some areas you express a growth mindset, but in others you have a more fixed mindset. This is completely normal, you’ll have areas where you are further along or have a better understanding. Your life not likely to be all fixed or all growth. You will have areas where more growth and other areas where more fixed. The goal is to recognize the areas where you have a growth mindset, determine how that mindset is different than the other areas, and then apply that to the areas where you have a fixed mindset. The tips provided here are to help you when you do recognize an area of your life where you’ve had a fixed mindset. Use them to not only recognize the mindset, but to move toward a growth mindset in all areas of your life. Episode Breakdown Differences Between Fixed And Growth Mindset Attitude toward learning new skills and abilities. The fixed mindset views abilities as something you are either talented at doing or you are not. They see themselves and others as either innately talented or unable to learn or perform the ability. The growth mindset views abilities as skills that can be learned and enhanced. They see accomplished individuals as people who have put in the work to master a particular skill. The growth mindset will admit that there are people who are innately more talented than others but this does not mean someone without that innate talent cannot become skilled in that area. Intelligence is a tricky area when looking at the differences in mindset because from the scientific standpoint it is the measure of a person’s ability to learn new things, however the common view of intelligence is how much a person knows. From the scientific definition of intelligence, it is not something that changes much throughout a person’s lifetime. Though a person can learn better ways of learning their capacity for it will not change. From the common definition though, knowledge and learning can grow and with a growth mindset a person will see their knowledge as something to continue to cultivate. Where they put their focus. A person with a fixed mindset will focus on the results and outcome of what they are doing. To them the outcome or result of their endeavors is tied directly to who they are as a person. Their identity is in what they accomplish. A person with a growth mindset focuses on the process and on how ...