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Growth vs Fixed Mindset

Exceptional people seem to have a special talent for converting life’s setbacks into future successes.

How do they do it? Through their mindset. It’s the view that they adopt for themselves. And it profoundly affects the way they lead their lives, shaping their ideas about risk and effort.

Broadly, we see two different mindsets; Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset. People can be a mixture, but most people lean towards one or the other. We can also hold different mindsets in various areas of our lives (e.g. personal versus professional).

What is a Fixed Mindset?

  • Believes: that your qualities are carved in stone and unchangeable over time. Expect ability to show up on its own, before learning takes place. If you have it you have it, and if you don’t you don’t. 

    • Means that you’re always trying to prove yourself and will be super sensitive about being wrong and making mistakes.

  • Estimating Abilities & Feedback: Those with the fixed mindset account for the most inaccuracy in their estimations of their own abilities. Information about yourself is viewed as either good news or bad news about your traits. Distortion and resistance almost inevitably enters the picture.

  • Concerns: Makes you concerned with how you’ll be judged.

  • Thrives on: safety. When you’re not feeling like the smartest or most talented- you lose interest. People with the fixed mindset stay interested only when they do well right away. 

What is a Growth Mindset?

  • Believes: intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort.

    • Recognize the value of challenging themselves and the importance of effort.

  • Estimating Abilities & Feedback: More accurate estimation of their own abilities. You believe you can develop yourself, and are therefore open to accurate information about your current abilities, even if it’s unflattering.  What’s more, if you’re oriented toward learning, as they are, you need accurate information about your current abilities in order to learn effectively.

  • Concerns: Makes you concerned with improving. You know that important qualities can be cultivated. You confront obstacles. You stretch yourself. 

  • Thrives on: stretching themselves and challenges.

One belief leads to love of challenge, belief in effort, resilience in the face of setbacks, and greater success. 

You can change your mindset. You get to choose your beliefs.  

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