The Importance Of Mindset

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Do you feel like no matter what you do, nothing seems to change for the better in your life? Believe it or not, you might not be wrong. According to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck what you believe and how you see yourself might play a pivotal role in what you achieve.

What Is a Mindset?

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary a mindset is:

1. A mental attitude or inclination

2. A fixed state of mind

A mindset is a belief system, or a paradigm determines the way we think or act. Basically, a mindset is what we believe our qualities are and whether we can change certain aspects.

People with a fixed mindset believe that these qualities are inborn, fixed, and unchangeable.

• Those with a growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that these abilities can be developed and strengthened by way of commitment and hard work.

Why Mindsets Matter

Your mindset plays a critical role in your life, it determines how you address the challenges you face every day. During our formative years when we’re in school, a growth mindset could result in greater achievement and a hunger to try harder and do more. Those of us with a growth mindset tend to show greater resilience when faced with tough problems.

When we have a fixed mindset, according to Dweck, we tend to create a need for approval. Every situation in our lives requires some sort of confirmation of our intelligence, personality or character. We over-analyze everything: What if I fail? What if I’m not accepted.

When we have a growth mindset we are constantly searching for knowledge and trying to learn as much as possible. We have a desire to work hard, tackle hard tasks and learn from our mistakes. When those of us with a growth mindset fail at something, it doesn’t discourage us. Instead we see it as a learning experience.

How Does a Mindset Form?

Through her research Dweck has determined that many people are trained in their mindset early in their life, often through the way they are raised or through experiences in school.

Fixed Mindsets

1. Children who are taught that they should look smart instead of loving learning tend to develop a fixed mindset.

2. They become more concerned with how they are being judged and fear that they might not live up to expectations.

Growth Mindsets

1. Kids who are taught to explore, embrace new experiences, and enjoy challenges are more likely to develop a growth mindset.

2. Rather than seeing mistakes as setbacks, they are willing to try new things and make errors all in the name of learning and achieving their potential.

The growth mindset is about living up to one's possible potential. This potential, however, is never really known. People with a growth mindset truly believe that the effort they put in to learning and expanding their understanding and talents is worth the effort.

What Is Your Mindset?

Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? Start reading the following statements and decide which ones you agree with most.

1. People have a certain amount of intelligence, and there isn't any way to change it.

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 with statements 1, 2, and 5, then you probably have a more fixed mindset. If you agree with statements 3, and 4, 6, however, then you probably tend to have a growth mindset.

Can You Change Your Mindset?

Your mindset can certainly be changed, although those of us out the with fixed mindsets will disagree. You’ll hear it from every well-known public speaker, and basically any successful entrepreneur, a positive mindset and repeating a set of positive affirmations will change the way we approach difficult situations. But developing a growth mindset can start early in life. Parents can reinforce the development of a growth mindset through praising efforts instead of focusing on the end result.

By focusing on the process rather than the outcome, adults can help kids understand that their efforts, hard work, and dedication can lead to change, learning, and growth both now and in the future.

Do you feel like you need to make a mindset switch? Does your current mindset limit you from the growth and life you know you can achieve?

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