It matters and it creates your daily reality. In Stanford psychologist Carol S. Dweck’s book Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, she shares over 30 years of research on the impact of your mindset. She articulates the differences between a fixed mindset or growth mindset.
With a fixed mindset, a person believes that their abilities are carved in stone and based on innate talent. With a growth mindset, a person believes that abilities can be cultivated through effort and that success goes deeper than personality, intelligence or talent.
Key Attributes of Each Mindset:
Fixed Mindset=Safe and Familiar
Focus on outcome as a measure of their competence and worth;
See every failure as a part of their identity;
They avoid challenges so as not to confront weakness;
Success requires proving intelligence or talent;
If a person succeeds, it is because they are smart and if they fail it’s because they are not smart enough.
Growth Mindset=Continuous Learning and Growth
Failure is a learning opportunity;
Work harder and learn from mistakes;
Basic qualities can be cultivated with effort, new strategies and help from others;
Success grows from a commitment to take on challenges and risks that lead to achieving your potential;
Sticking to it even when it’s not going well.
Dweck provides many examples throughout the book. We assume champions like Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan were naturals and talent drove their success. That’s not the case at all. Ali’s success was driven by his mindset. Jordan was cut from the high school varsity team. His mother told him to go back and discipline himself, and that he did. “The mental toughness and the heart are a lot stronger than some of the physical advantages you might have. I’ve always said that and I’ve always believed that,” – Michael Jordon. Track and field great Jackie Joyner-Kersee and soccer star Mia Hamm also overcame adversity and difficulties to become the best in their sports. Mind over matter to be sure.
In Angela Lee Duckworth’s book Grit, The Power and Passion of Perserverance and Ted-Talk, she articulates the value of grit. “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out, not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years, and working really hard to make that future a reality. Grit is living life like it's a marathon, not a sprint.”
Your mindset matters so if it’s not serving you well and you’re tired of the excuses that are holding you back from your potential, change your mindset.
Dweck summarizes five steps to a growth mindset:
Embrace challenges
Persist in the face of setbacks
See effort as the path to mastery
Learn from criticism
Find lessons and inspiration in the success of others.
Now get that growth mindset on and Start3Things today.