Do you have a fixed or growth mindset?
To find out, start by reading the following statements and decide which ones you agree with most:
1. You're born with a certain amount of intelligence and it isn't something that can be changed.
2. No matter who you are, there isn't much you can do to improve your basic abilities and personality.
3. People are capable of changing who they are.
4. You can learn new things and improve your intelligence.
5. People either have particular talents, or they don't. You can't just acquire talent for things like music, writing, art, or athletics.
6. Studying, working hard, and practicing new skills are all ways to develop new talents and abilities.
If you tend to agree most with statements 1, 2, and 5, then you probably have a more fixed mindset.
If you agree most with statements 3, and 4, 6, however, then you probably tend to have a growth mindset.
How to Unfix a Fixed Mindset
While people with a fixed mindset might not agree, Dweck suggests that people are capable of changing their mindsets. Here's how.
• Focus on the journey. An important factor when building a growth mindset is seeing the value in your journey. When you're fixated on the end result, you miss out on all the things you could be learning along the way.
• Incorporate "yet." If you're struggling with a task, remind yourself that you just haven’t mastered it “yet.” Integrating this word into your vocabulary signals that despite any struggles, you can overcome anything.
• Pay attention to your words and thoughts. Replace negative thoughts with more positive ones to build a growth mindset.
• Take on challenges. Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn.4 So, instead of shying away from challenges, embrace them.
Are you using any of these tips to unfix your fixed mindset?
- Final thought: you might notice that you have a mix of fixed and growth mindset. That is possible, a person doesn't always have one or the other.
Many people who have growth mindsets learn that parts of their mindset that are fixed and they didn't realize until we dove into the details.
We all have growing to do. As David Goggins says, "We're either getting better or we're getting worse."