What Having A Growth Mindset Really Means

How shifting our mindset can have a profound impact on our lives

Our minds have quite the ability to influence our lives. It’s astounding how powerful our thoughts can be; how we view the world shapes our world.

I recently reread “Mindset” by Carol Dweck, a groundbreaking book about the power of mindset. One central idea from Mindset is that a growth mindset sees obstacles as a growing experience, which results in an increased capacity to gain knowledge.

The book uses the juxtaposition of two mindsets, “fixed” and “growth,” to show how success can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

A growth mindset believes that: “… the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can grow through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way, in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments, everyone can change and grow through practice and exercise.”

In contrast, a fixed mindset: “… believes that your qualities are carved in stone. The fixed mindset creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you only have a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn’t do, to seem lacking in these most fundamental characteristics.”

As I reread this book, I thought about my own life experiences, and how I continually reclaimed a growth mindset by believing in my abilities and perceptions of them.

It wasn’t always this way.

Like many of us, I was raised with the belief that intelligence was inherent, talent fixed, and abilities immovable. You either were good at something or you were not.

But as life progressed, I started to notice that while some people are more inherently talented in some areas, almost any skill can be learned with the right amount of perseverance, determination, and grit.

Here’s an example:

For many years, I thought that I was inept at math until I had a college professor who taught me that, with enough practice, repetition, and belief in oneself, anyone could be good at anything. Much to my surprise, after changing my mindset about my math skills from “I’m not a math person” to “I’ll practice until I get it right,” I started to excel in mathematics and placed out of most college courses because of how much I practiced.

To this day, I believe in my math abilities and no longer adhere to outdated and unsupportive mindsets about intelligence.

Another experience that cemented my belief in the power of mindset came unexpectedly while crafting with my son.

We were making a felt board with different objects and cutouts. My son asked, “Mommy, can you make a car?” My first thought was, I have no idea how to draw a car; this isn’t a talent that I naturally possess. But I really wanted to draw one for him, because my son lives, eats, and breathes automobiles. So I went online and brought up a tutorial, “How to draw a racecar.” I followed the instructions, practiced a few times, and soon I was able to create whole teams of race cars, and which actually looked like race cars.

This got me thinking: If I can learn how to draw in 5 minutes, what else can I learn how to do? What else can anyone learn to do?

These examples helped shift my personal mindset, but since mindset is often developed early in life, it takes conscious effort to break deep-rooted beliefs about ourselves.

Now, when the inevitable challenges and failures of life crop up (which they always do), I’ve started teaching myself how to continually shift from a fixed mindset to one that supports growth.

Here are ten ways that have helped me shift to a growth mindset.

1. Recognize challenges as opportunities to expand Cultivating a growth mindset means appreciating opportunities for self-development, even if they’re difficult.

2. Enjoy the process over the end result Take a growth-oriented approach throughout the learning process, and relish in any knowledge acquired.

3. Create a sense of purpose in life Make time for what brings you energy, and focus on the big picture of your life.

4. Ponder past growth experiences What previous circumstances have provided growth? Take time to think about how you felt before, during, and after those times.

5. Place effort before talent First and foremost, reward hard work versus skill. This is important for children as well.

6. Meet your weaknesses head-on Be willing to shine a light on any perceived shortcomings. Doing this helps us be authentic and embrace a new, healthier mindset.

7. Let go of misnomers The term “naturally smart” is the enemy of growth, implying that smartness is only an intrinsic trait versus the product of real and sustained work. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have unique talents; everyone is “naturally smart” at something. But it’s better to put in the work and enjoy where life takes us.

8. Be authentic in public If we want to increase our capacity for a growth mindset, be willing to “mess up” in public. No one is perfect, so it’s refreshing to see and embrace real authenticity. An example of this is the legend of how Steve Jobs had his share of demoralizing failures during his career, but which, in hindsight, contributed to his successes.

9. Take a break and be realistic Things are rarely, if ever, mastered overnight. It takes patience and hard work. Be kind to yourself and don’t expect perfection.

10. Use an empowering phrase for growth If you are struggling with something, it’s healthy to say, “Have I mastered this yet? Not yet, but I’m committed to being the best I can be.”

Viewing ourselves as people with an unlimited capacity to grow can assist us throughout the challenges of life, by shifting our perspective to see difficulties as just another opportunity to grow.