If we know that this life is all that ar have, wouldn’t we make the most of it?
I’ve just read Carol Dwecks book Mindset. Mindset explains the difference between having a fixed and a growth mindset, why one trumps the other, and what you can do to adopt the right one.
People with a fixed mindset believe talent is everything. If they’re not gifted with the ability to do something, they think they’re doomed to be a failure. Their skills seem to be written down in their genes, just like their looks, which is why they never try to improve in something they’re not already good at.
Lets take some relavent examples. Athletes with the growth mindset have the right idea. As Dweck says, “A superstar’s talent can win games, but it’s teamwork that wins championships.” People with fixed mindsets think of themselves as separate from the team. They rely solely on their own performance. People with growth mindsets see themselves as part of a larger whole. They do what is good for the team, not their own ego. those with the fixed mindset cant get past a bad perfromance.
Mindsets also affect one’s platonic and romantic relationships. Dweck says that many people have a fixed mindset when it comes to finding—and keeping—romantic partners. Unwilling to accept that people can change and grow, people with fixed mindsets often end relationships at the first sign of conflict or the first time their partner acts in an unexpected way. Lasting relationships take work, which is why people with fixed mindsets have difficulty maintaining them.
The seventh section of Chapter 6 deals with “Shyness.” People with fixed mindsets are more likely to be shy than growth-minded people. Growth-minded people who are shy generally display greater social skills than those with a fixed mindset. Growth-minded individuals work harder at becoming comfortable in social situations, so much so that it is often hard to tell they are shy in the first place. Fixed-minded shy people remain distant and socially awkward because they are always worried about how they are being perceived.
Since our mindset has a big influence on our performance, both are worth taking a closer look at.
People with a growth mindset believe that whatever they want to achieve is theirs for the taking, as long as they work hard for it, dedicate themselves to their goal and practice as much as they can. Every one of us has a journey to take. It starts by accepting that we all have both mindsets. Then we learn to recognize what triggers our fixed mindset. Failures? Criticism? Deadlines? Disagreements?
And we come to understand what happens to us when our fixed-mindset “persona” is triggered. Who is this persona? What’s its name? What does it make us think, feel, and do? How does it affect those around us?
Importantly, we can gradually learn to remain in a growth-mindset place despite the triggers, as we educate our persona and invite it to join us on our growth-mindset journey. Ideally, we will learn more and more about how we can help others on their journey, too.
Lastly, anyone can develop a growth mindset. For starters, try this: The next time you spill your coffee, don’t say: “I’m clumsy!” and associate the failure with your identity. Instead, see it as an external, one-time event and resolve to do better the next time, for example by saying: “What’s done is done, I’ll just mop it up and pay more attention the next time.”
This way, you’ll spend more time working towards your goals and dreams, and less time worrying about what’s wrong with you. You’ll develop a growth mindset soon and be well on your way to reaching your full potential.
