Mindset

Mindset refers to the established set of attitudes or beliefs that an individual holds, which significantly influences how they interpret and respond to situations. There are two primary types of mindsets often discussed in the context of personal development:

1. Fixed Mindset: This is the belief that abilities, intelligence, and talents are innate and unchangeable. People with a fixed mindset may avoid challenges, give up easily, and feel threatened by the success of others. They often believe that effort won't improve their skills, leading to a reluctance to try new things or take risks.

2. Growth Mindset: Coined by psychologist Carol Dweck, a growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, effort, and learning. Individuals with a growth mindset embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and view effort as a path to mastery. They are more likely to learn from feedback and find inspiration in others' success.

Mindset affects many areas of life, including learning, resilience, goal-setting, and relationships. A growth mindset can foster motivation and lead to greater achievement and satisfaction. Cultivating such a mindset involves being open to new experiences, accepting that mistakes are part of the learning process, and believing that skills and intelligence can be developed over time.

How Mindset Forms

So how is your mindset created in the first place? Dweck's research reveals two primary sources: praising and labeling, both of which occur in early childhood.

The Impact of Praise

In a landmark series of experiments, Dweck and her colleagues found that kids behaved very differently depending on the type of praise they received.2 They found that personal praise, or praising a child’s talents or labeling them as “smart," promotes a fixed mindset. It sends a message to a child that they either have an ability or they don't, and that there is nothing they can do to change that fact.  

Process praise, on the other hand, emphasizes the effort a person puts in to accomplish a task. It implies their success is due to the effort and the strategy they used, both of which they can control and improve over time. 

Here’s an example of how they’re different. If your child gets a good grade on a math test, personal praise might be, “See, you are good at math. You got an A on your test.” Process praise, on the other hand, might sound like this: “I’m impressed by how hard you studied for your math test. You read the material over several times, asked your teacher to help you figure out the tricky problems, and tested yourself on it. That really worked!”

The Impact of Labels

Labeling, which involves assigning people characteristics based on stereotypes or associations with different groups, can also lead to the development of fixed or growth mindsets. A person who holds a stereotype that girls are bad at math or that boys are bad at reading may form a fixed mindset about their own abilities in those specific domains.

For example, researchers have found that just having students check boxes about sex and race was enough to invoke internalized stereotypes that affected test performance.3

The Impact of Mindset

Your mindset plays a critical role in how you cope with life's challenges. When a child has a growth mindset, they tend to have a hunger for learning and a desire to work hard and discover new things. This often translates into academic achievement.

As adults, these same people are more likely to persevere in the face of setbacks. Instead of throwing in the towel, adults with a growth mindset view it as an opportunity to learn and grow. On the other hand, those with fixed mindsets are more likely to give up in the face of challenging circumstances.

In her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," Dweck writes that those with fixed mindsets are constantly seeking the validation to prove their worth not just to others, but also to themselves.4

What Is My Mindset?

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.5 So, instead of shying away from challenges, embrace them.

1- Accept that your thinking needs adjusting – We’ve all had goals and dreams that didn’t unfold the way we hoped or expected. When this happens repeatedly, we start to wonder what we need to change. But rarely do we look inside at our own thinking as the place to start making changes.

2- Identify your counter-mindsets – Mindsets are formed through prior experiences and emotional milestones, and the mindsets that aren’t producing the results you want are called counter-mindsets. Some examples of these are self-doubt, limiting beliefs, and any other negative thoughts that get in the way of your fulfillment.

3- Flip the switch – Once you’ve identified your top negative thoughts, you need a way to stop them from holding you back. A good technique for this is something called “flip the switch,” which moves thoughts from negative to positive.

4- Understand your “why” – Changing your mindsets takes work because formed habits aren’t easy to break. This is especially true since many of our most harmful habits and counter-mindsets were established when we were kids, and we’ve been doing things the same way ever since. Understanding your “why” is about starting fresh and deciding on one goal or dream that, when you achieve it, will mean a transformational change. Losing weight. Being happier at work. Improving your relationship with your companion. Identify something that could make a significant impact on your life. After all, if it’s going to take work to make it come true, it better be meaningful, right?

5- Realize that motivation and willpower are not enough – Most people incorrectly believe that motivation and willpower are all that’s needed to achieve their goals. And no wonder they do, since it’s common advice you hear from friends and family to motivation gurus and life coaches.