The Growth Mindset that Propels Your Success Isn’t Always Good for You

Sometimes adopting a fixed mindset is better

There’s been a lot of research about the benefits and value of a growth mindset since Professor Carol Dweck first wrote about mindsets in her book. (Not an affiliate link). Mindsets are just beliefs about our own and other’s abilities. They influence our attitude about what we are capable of and how much we can develop and achieve. If you’re not familiar with mindsets, here’s a quick rundown:

Growth mindset: “According to Dweck, they are motivated to put effort into learning and improving themselves. As a result, they are more likely to see failure as something they can learn from.”

Fixed mindset: “According to Dweck, people with a fixed mindset are motivated to avoid failure. They believe that people’s abilities are set in stone, so they want to show the world that they possess high levels of ability. As a result, they avoid taking risks that may lead to failure.”

The majority of us have a combination of fixed and growth mindsets with one being more dominant than the other. A strong growth mindset improves achievement and the likelihood of long-term success and satisfaction in life and work. Sounds good, right? The emphasis has always been on cultivating a strong growth mindset by identifying fixed mindset beliefs and modifying them to encompass stronger growth characteristics. But this focus on the value of a growth mindset means that fixed mindsets get a bad rap, and those with a fixed mindset often feel as if they are somehow less than their growth colleagues.

A fixed mindset is not wrong, and those with a strong fixed mindset may be perfectly satisfied with their work and lives. In fact, there are times when a fixed mindset may be better for us.

“Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.” — Steve Maraboli

The desire to face down challenges may not be the right move.

One of the main components of a growth mindset is the willingness to take on challenges; however, not everyone likes facing challenges in life and work. While someone with a growth mindset may be eager to take them on, that might be the wrong decision.

Not all challenges are created equal, and some are not worth the effort. The key is understanding why we want to take on the challenge, what we will gain from it, and if we want to expend the effort needed to overcome it. In some cases, the better mindset might be a fixed one, not because we don’t believe we can succeed, but the effort it will take is not worth the payoff.

Sometimes insisting we can do it no matter what is the wrong decision.

Those with a growth mindset don’t give up; they keep going even if the uphill climb seems overwhelming because they believe that they can get to the top with enough hard work. This belief can handicap us, especially if our fixation on the goal causes us to lose track of what it is costing us.

I’m reminded of a college friend whose husband was in a high-profile, highly compensated, fast-track position with his company. He was on the road 80% of the time while my friend was home with two toddlers, one of whom suffered from seizures and needed constant monitoring. His focus on the goal propelled him to the executive suite but doomed the marriage. Sometimes giving up is the best decision and has the better payoff.

The desire to keep learning and growing can get out of hand and become an end in itself.

Those with a growth mindset seek to expand their knowledge and abilities while a fixed mindset person prefers to maintain the status quo. They know what they know and are content with that level of knowledge. It doesn’t mean they disbelieve their ability to learn, they have decided not to. Is one approach bad and the other one good?

The pursuit of knowledge can become an excuse for not doing, so it needs to be tempered with a bit of a fixed mindset to know when to stop. For example, I spent several years studying writing rather than writing, but when I started writing, I gained more value from the practice itself and feedback from others than all of the studying I had done. A growth mindset doesn’t always recognize when enough is enough.

We don’t need a growth mindset to be happy and satisfied.

In my workshops where I discuss mindset, there are always a few people who score high for a fixed mindset, and they are perfectly happy and satisfied with their lives and work. Many people don’t want the executive suite or even the next promotion; they are content with where they are with what they have. Their more growth-oriented colleagues may think they should change, but why?

A mindset is not a set of rigid beliefs that lock us up in one way of living and working versus another. There’s no black or white, always or never, right or wrong. They are practical beliefs that can help us achieve satisfaction in life and work regardless of what that means to us.

We can choose which mindset we want to use in any situation because mindsets are dynamic. If we are dissatisfied with our fixed mindset beliefs because they prevent us from having greater success and satisfaction, we can change. It’s up to us to decide how to use our mindset to our advantage.

“Personal satisfaction is the most important ingredient of success.” — Denis Waitley