Fixed mindset vs Growth mindset- Let’s dig in!
How do you deal with failures in life?
Failures can be excruciatingly unpleasant. But does it describe you and prevent you to learn from the mistakes you make or does it serve as a powerful mechanism to embrace new challenges. Our mind plays a very important role in what to believe and the way we think. What we think of ourselves and our abilities guides us to decide how to act on something and go ahead with our life.
When you see successful people or those who have gained so much in life, what do you think of yourself- they are the lucky ones, they have talent, they have advantages or you believe that success comes to those who do hard work, develop new strategies, getting inspired by others and investing to learn?
What you believe determines what you accomplish. Whether you’re conscious of it or not, how you interpret your experiences might limit what you can do. By viewing failures and setbacks as opportunities for growth, you can believe that you can improve and achieve what you set out to do. It’s being tenacious in the face of adversity that has unforeseen effects.
So, how do we go from being constrained by our abilities and intelligence to finding freedom in their development? How do we commit to a lifelong journey of learning and development? Before we can turn on this switch, we need to comprehend Carol Dweck‘s concept of fixed mindset vs. growth mindset, which she established as a Stanford University researcher.
Fixed Mindset Vs Growth Mindset
People with a fixed mindset feel their attributes are fixed traits that cannot be changed. Rather than attempting to develop and improve their intelligence and talents, these folks document them. We also feel that skill is enough to achieve success and that no effort is required.
They view failures as proof of their lack of intelligence and limited abilities, which hinders them from attaining their objectives. They readily give up due to a fear of failure and a perception that they will never be able to progress.
People with a fixed mindset are continuously striving to look bright because they feel they were born with an unchangeable level of intelligence. These people are afraid of seeming stupid in front of others because they don’t believe they can redeem themselves if others think they’re stupid.
Whereas, if you have a growth mindset, you feel that your intelligence and abilities can be improved through time. If you have a fixed mindset, you believe that intelligence is fixed, therefore if you’re not excellent at something, you may believe that you’ll never be good at it.
When people believe they can improve their intelligence, they realize that their work has an impact on their performance; therefore they devote more time to it, resulting in higher achievement. They enjoy the process of seeking out new knowledge, developing new techniques, and drawing inspiration from others. They welcome obstacles and challenges as opportunities to learn and improve.
The following are some of the key contrasts between fixed and growth mindsets:
Fixed Mindset is limiting:
- It is who we are that determines our talents, abilities, and intelligence.
- Avoid error at all costs; do not deal with it out of a desire to look intelligent.
- Avoid challenges
- Giving up easily
- Feel frightened by other people’s success.
- Ignore negative review even if it’s for their good.
- Fear of failure makes you avoid new experiences.
- Look for people who can boost their self-confidence.
- Can lead to dishonesty and cheating.
Growth Mindset is freedom:
- Effort and practice can help you grow your talents, abilities, and intelligence.
- Deeply engage with the issue and process it with a willingness to correct it.
- Accept challenges with open arms.
- Despite setbacks and disappointments, they keep going.
- Look for inspiration in the accomplishments of others.
- Accept criticism as a tool for self-improvement.
- Seek out people that push them to grow.
- Concentrate on the process and learning rather than the outcome.
- Accept change with a drive to learn unique skills.
Why it is important to develop a positive mindset?
Your fixed conceptions about yourself will prevent you from making great changes. If you have a quality that you believe you can’t change, such as your intelligence, weight, or poor behaviors, you’ll avoid circumstances that might make you uncomfortable or that you believe are pointless.
If, on the other hand, you believe that your behaviors aren’t fixed, that conviction will be the first step toward making real changes in your life. Having a growth mindset can help you establish the notion that you are 100 percent capable of achieving any important objective, whether it’s acquiring a new skill, learning a new language, or breaking a negative habit.
Disadvantages of a fixed mindset
In the workplace, a fixed mindset manifests itself when we avoid constructive conflict, stick to existing solutions even when new ideas are needed, avoid speaking up for fear of sounding stupid, refuse to take on a new challenge in unknown territory, keep blaming others for not meeting our goals, and feel jealous of others’ success and growth.
It can cause us to lead from a place of fear, to avoid making difficult decisions, to avoid taking responsibility, and to stifle cooperation and innovation. We can only dream of success without actually attaining it if we don’t gain the skills necessary for growth and development.
A growth mentality, as you can see, offers us hope in our ability to learn and create a better future for ourselves.
How to shift the fixed mindset to a growth
1. Recognize that you can improve
Understanding that our brains are designed to grow and learn is one of the most direct ways to foster a growth mindset. By exposing yourself to unique experiences, you can build or strengthen neural connections in your brain, allowing you to ‘rewire’ your brain and become smarter.
2. Remove the inner fixed mindset
A negative inner voice exists in many people, and it works against a growth mindset. To cultivate a growth mindset, try flipping thoughts like “I can’t do this” to “I can do this if I keep trying.”
3. The process should be rewarded
Although society frequently honors people who achieve exceptional results, this might be counterproductive to a growth attitude. Rather, commend the process and the effort put forward. Dr. Carol Dweck’s research found that rewarding effort over outcomes boosted performance in a math game.
4. Get feedback
Make an effort to get feedback on your work. Students are motivated to keep going when they are given progressive feedback on what they did well and where they can improve. Feedback is also linked to a happy dopamine response and aids in the development of a growth mindset.
5. Push yourself out of your comfort zone
Having the courage to step outside of your comfort zone can aid in the development of a growth mentality. When faced with a challenge, select the more difficult alternative to allow you to progress.
Summary:
The growth mindset holds that intellect and ability may be developed through hard work and learning. Setbacks are a crucial part of the learning process for growth-minded people, and they bounce back from ‘failure’ by putting in more effort. This approach has a favorable impact on student motivation and academic performance. Those with a growth mindset have more active brains than those with a fixed mindset, especially in areas related to error correction and learning.
Did you like the article Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset – Road to Success! by Inthera? We hope you got some insights on where you are going wrong. And also how you can shift your mindset from being fixed towards growth.
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