The idea that we have the power to shape our life circumstances is a common underpinning of self-development practices. Whether we’re conscious of it or not, personal growth teachers often say, each of us is ultimately in control of our finances, relationships, and other aspects of our lives — and, perhaps, our thoughts and emotional states as well.
Personal development perspectives and techniques are (1) consciously intended to work with our “inner experience,” meaning our thoughts, emotions, and sensations; and (2) meant to produce progressive and lasting results. By “progressive” change, means that each time the user does the activity, they make progress — however gradual — toward their ultimate goal, whether that goal is happiness, a better job, a Buddhist-style attitude of non-attachment to their experience, or something else.
Personal growth activities are things we do with the specific goal of transforming our inner experience. We do them consciously intending to create a specific mental or emotional state.
Fixed Mindset VS. Growth Mindset
These terms are used to describe each person’s underlying beliefs about intelligence and learning. Those who believe they can get smarter and understand that it takes effort and practice to get stronger with their skills are considered to have a “growth mindset.” They tend to be more motivated to work harder, enjoy challenging lessons that help them learn more, and are interested in expanding their intelligence. They do not believe they have a single unchangeable level of intelligence, but rather that they can change and expand their intelligence over time, with practice. As a result, they are more likely to apply themselves, practice, and learn more, which results in them having expanded intelligence.
The alternative to a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. As you might expect, this type of mindset is the exact opposite of a growth mindset. People who have a fixed mindset believe that they have a foundational or fixed level of intelligence that cannot be changed, no matter how hard they try. They are less likely to attempt to learn new things because they do not think they can, and they are put off by challenges. They prefer things to be easy and like to have everything done perfectly. People with a fixed mindset tend to think that even minor failures have a terrible reflection of who they are, and they can be extremely devastated by them. This may be why they gravitate towards doing things they are already good at and refrain from learning anything new.
The Value of Growth Mindset
Researchers were beginning to understand more about growth mindset alongside neuroscientific discoveries as well. They learned that there is a strong link between mindset and achievement. In other words, if you believe you can, you can. If you believe you cannot, you cannot. Those who believe they can learn new things, that their brain can grow, or that they can do any other number of things they desire often can. They find a way, and as a result, it happens. Alternatively, those who do not believe they can, do not. This is because they have a fixed mindset and therefore a decreased level of motivation and achievements.
How Do You Get a Growth Mindset?
Regardless of what type of mindset you presently have, fixed mindset or growth mindset, you can certainly transition so that you have a growth mindset. Learning to develop a growth mindset takes time and practice, but with the proper application of techniques, adequate time and patience, and enough effort, you can have a growth mindset. It is never too late to learn about the values of a growth mindset, and how you can use it to expand your quality of life and lead your best life possible.
Misconceptions
One of the biggest misconceptions about a growth mindset is that it is the same thing as being open-minded or flexible in your beliefs. This is untrue. Being open-minded, positive, and flexible in your beliefs is often the belief of what a true growth mindset is, but this is actually called a “false growth mindset” in the research community. This is essentially people who have an “I already have it, and I always have” attitude. What this means is that they have a fixed belief on their intelligence level, which is exactly what a fixed mindset is. They refuse to actually foster growth, so they delude themselves with these beliefs as an opportunity to believe that they are growing when in reality they are not. Being open-minded to other people’s beliefs and new things is great, but it does not mean that you are actually learning anything.
Furthermore, there is no way to ever have a truly complete growth mindset. It is virtually impossible, as we are all fixed in some way or another. It is important that you acknowledge this and embrace it, while still aspiring to experience growth anyway. This is the only way you can truly foster as much of a growth mindset as humanly possible, and reap the benefits that you are seeking from it.
Finally, mindset is a lot harder than “just do it.” You cannot simply “have” a growth mindset. You have to want one, and be willing to work for it. If you are not, you will never have a growth mindset. A growth mindset comes from being motivated to work and do well. If you are not motivated, you will not work and do well. You might get things done, but you will not successfully learn anything. You cannot simply “have” a growth mindset, you have to want one, and invest in having one. It is something that you have to work for on a regular basis, or you will never have one.
Positivity VS. Optimism
In order to truly understand what a growth mindset is, it is important that we look at the difference between optimism and positivity. Although they may sound like the same thing to you, there are actually fundamental differences between the two.
Positivity is essentially the act of being positive. The way it tends to be taught, it essentially requires you to ignore all things negative, uncomfortable, or otherwise non-beneficial to your ideal goal. Instead, you must focus solely on the positive things and let the rest “work itself out.” Optimism is similar but allows you to actually regard the negative stuff. You are allowed to work through it, embrace it, and move forward in your life with the good and the bad. The benefit here, however, is that you choose to see the good in life. Even though you may be experiencing and working through bad parts, you are willing to actually embrace these parts and learn from them. You view them as a positive by allowing them to be lessons and tools in driving you forward, rather than obstacles and excuses that hold you back.
When you are fostering a growth mindset, it is important that you avoid attempting to be a positive-only person who refrains from recognizing their reality. This is not beneficial, and it does not help you in any way shape, or form. If you truly want to have a growth mindset, you will foster optimism. You will willingly embrace the hard and “bad” parts of life, and use them as an opportunity to learn so that you can do better. Remember, a growth mindset heavily focuses on learning, and one’s ability to continue learning. If you do not embrace this, you are going to struggle to embrace a true growth mindset. You have to understand the difference between the two and choose optimism over positivity.
Put simply, a growth mindset is a mindset that accompanies the growth process within’ our brains. It is the mindset that we have when we believe that we can do things, so we do. This is the mindset that is required for us to actually take on activities and experiences that encourage us to experience genuine growth in our minds.
It comes when we learn new skills, expand our abilities with existing skills, and otherwise engage in learning and activity. It is not something we can “have,” but rather it is something we work towards. It is not something we can accomplish and keep, but rather a regular maintenance process that we continue to balance over time. A growth mindset is not something that comes easily. It is something we must be motivated to have, and therefore we invest in having it.
One of the greatest values of a growth mindset is that you learn to enjoy life more. Those who have a fixed mindset tend to be very stressed, and tend to suffer from a desire to be perfect at everything. As a result, they may avoid learning new things and challenging themselves because they fear failure and the stress that comes alongside failure.
People with a growth mindset are not fearful of being bad at something because they see it as an opportunity to get better. Since they have a more optimistic view of the learning experience and are void of the symptoms of perfectionism and the stress that comes with it, they can better enjoy life. They are not afraid of wanting to learn new skills or try new things because they are not afraid of being “bad” at it. They know that everyone starts somewhere, and so they are willing to start at whatever level they are at. They do not suffer from the need to be good at everything, so they are willing to be bad at something until they get good at it.
Improved Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
When people have a fixed mindset, they tend to also struggle with perfectionism. They are afraid to do anything wrong because they get embarrassed and feel like a failure as a result. Those who have a growth mindset are capable of understanding that perfectionism is not required and you are allowed to make mistakes. They see everything as an opportunity to learn and do better, and therefore they do not spend any time feeling embarrassed or silly for doing things wrong. Instead, they realize they are simply learning. This alleviates a lot of the stress and pressure that comes with perfectionism, making them more likely to have increased self-esteem and self-confidence.
Embrace Imperfection
Perfectionism is a trait that is particularly common in those with a fixed mindset. This is also the trait that tends to hold them back from learning anything new. If you want to foster a growth mindset, you need to be willing to acknowledge your imperfections and embrace them. Recognize that not a single person is perfect in any way. Even people who are good at things are not perfect at them because “perfect” does not truly exist. There is no such thing as being truly perfect at something. Understand that there are going to be mistakes along the way and that you will face challenges and obstacles. Learn to view these as opportunities and lessons, and embrace your own imperfect experiences along the way. The more you can embrace this part of reality, the more you will be truly fostering the growth mindset mentality.
Learn New Things Often
Whether you think a new skill is necessary or not, practice learning new things often. No matter how large or small it is, make a conscious effort to learn something new every day. Work towards building skills and put effort into the process every single day.
Avoid Seeking Approval
One reason why many people find themselves in a fixed mindset is that they are obsessed with seeking the approval of others and of themselves. This obsession results in them being afraid to look foolish, silly, or incompetent in front of anyone because this might mean that they would not be able to get approval. They also tend to frequently mistake people’s reactions for disapproval when, in reality, their reaction is typically not related to approval or disapproval at all, but rather related to a single isolated event. People who attempt to seek the approval of others often fail to take action because they are afraid of losing the approval of others, or of themselves. If you want to master a growth mindset and take advantage of it in your own life, you need to break up with the idea that you are going to be able to get the approval of anyone. Approval should not matter: experiences and processes should.
Value the Process More
Those who are focused on a growth mindset heavily value the process. This is where the learning, the lessons, and the life experience all come from. The process of learning is where memories are made, experiences are had, and new skills are born. Those with a fixed mindset are often fearful of this part, but this happens to be the most important and fulfilling part of the entire process of learning anything.
Own Your Purpose
Your purpose is unlikely to be the same as anyone else’s, which is why it is so important that you do not place value on the approval of others, or even the approval of yourself. When you own your purpose, and you work towards it, you are more likely to experience approval of yourself, and therefore you will have a greater sense of purpose in life overall.
References:
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(2017). Growth-Mindset-The-Door-to-Achieving-More.
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(2010). Why Growth Is Good.
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