Almost everyone can relate to trying something new and having a moment of discouragement when they think they just won’t be able to accomplish it. That’s a fixed mindset in operation. Alternatively, have you ever heard someone being described as brainy? Or naturally clever? Have you ever turned down a karaoke opportunity believing that you just can’t sing?
All of these things, which are common to everyone are what is described by Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck as a fixed mindset. In a nutshell, a fixed mindset is an outlook or attitude towards the world that says that your intelligence, character, and creativity are not only inherent but are virtually unchangeable.
Having such a belief can have many ramifications especially if you are not open to mindset coaching. On Superprof, you can find a whole series of articles on fixed and growth mindsets, but in short, if you have a fixed mindset, you are likely to take fewer risks, be less appreciative of other peoples’ success, and less willing to persevere to see change. If you are willing to develop a growth mindset, then mindset mentors or other types of mindset coaching could be your answer.
The Growth Mindset Meaning
According to Dweck, everyone has something of a fixed mindset and everyone could use some mindset coaching in some area or another of their lives. Dweck’s theory tells us that we are all placed on a spectrum between a fixed and growth mindset. Having said this, breaking out of a fixed mindset starts with an awareness that you have one. After that, it’s about knowing how to develop a growth mindset through the help of mindset mentors or mindset coaching.
So now that you know that your mental attitudes which could have something to do with your success in life, are dependent on where you are on the growth to fixed mindset spectrum, you can begin to do something about it.
It’s the fixed mindset that will tell you that you could never learn to play the guitar or get better grades at school. So for anyone who knows why a growth mindset is important, the possibilities to grow and develop one are endless.
To grasp a growth mindset meaning you should know that everyone has some of it to start with, it is knowing how to hone it that will make all the difference.
To truly make the most of a growth mindset meaning it is also important to understand the opposite. In short, a fixed mindset says you cannot improve, and that when you suffer a setback you should just give up, but this limiting belief system can be radically changed with the help of mindset coaching.
While the fixed mindset will tell us to give up at the first sign of a setback, the difference is that a growth mindset will look at it as an opportunity for personal growth. One growth mindset meaning is that through cultivating perseverance and praising others in their success and achievement, we
So forget those thoughts about not being a natural singer or maths person. It’s not necessary to think that way and it is possible to change too!
If you are wondering why you should develop a growth mindset, check out the other articles in this series too.
How to Benefit from Mindset Coaching
To understand how you can benefit from mindset coaching, you should know why a growth mindset is important.
So let’s take a look at some of the key aspects of how to develop a growth mindset as well as the definition of a growth mindset.
At a fundamental level, the growth mindset meaning is made up of three parts: the importance of praise, the role of failure, and the science of neuroplasticity.
Let’s unpack them.
Neuroplasticity
Even though it seems like a complex term, it need not be as intimidating as it seems.
Neuroplasticity is based on the idea that brain neurons are plastic. This does not mean that they are made from the same material as a coke bottle, but rather that it is possible to mould and reshape them, especially with the help of the right mindset mentors to help you.
A good example of this is the study that was done on the brain of London taxi drivers. When compared with other members of the population, taxi drivers were found to have much bigger hippocampi (the area of the brain associated with memory).
Findings revealed that this was the case because, before the days of Google Maps, taxi drivers were required to memorise all the streets of London. Through these exercises, the size of their hippocampi basically grew.
This is a good example of not only how the brain is plastic, but how it continually grows and changes until new skills are developed.
A person with a fixed mindset would deny this phenomenon, however, growth mindset individuals relish the idea that as Dweck suggests, the brain is a muscle that needs to be exercised.
Why Mindset Mentors Teach about Praise
Dweck’s theory originated from the studies that she embarked on as a professor. In short, on returning test results to students she deliberately either praised effort or intelligence. The students whose efforts were praised went on to achieve higher things than those whose intelligence was highlighted.
Drawing attention to effort over intelligence was the starting point of Dweck’s theory for developing a growth mindset over a fixed mindset.
Failure and Perseverance
One of the important characteristics of the growth mindset is its predominant outlook towards failure. While fixed mindsets struggle to navigate failure, individuals with growth mindsets are more likely to view setbacks as opportunities for growth.
The fixed mindset believes that the workings of our brain are an epistemological assumption, whereas Dweck’s theory is that it involves many aspects of our lives too.
Find out what mindset mentors believe about fixed and growth mindsets.
Strategies to Develop a Growth Mindset
So how do you develop a growth mindset? How do you go from believing that intelligence is fixed and immovable to believing that is able to develop?
One theory is that mindset is not just an opinion, it is something you hold. According to Dweck, mindset is demonstrated through actions, habits of the mind, and the way that we respond to making mistakes. Quite simply, it is the way we go about living life.
In the same way that intelligence is not a static thing, neither is mindset. Changing a mindset is conceived as a process that is either done through daily behaviour or change of opinion.
How are some of the ways that you can change your mindset?
Rethink the Meaning of Genius
One of the most important jobs of mindset mentors is to change the notion that to achieve the results of a genius, you need to be born one.
Ask yourself, what is a genius to you? Someone who has changed the world through thoughts and actions or someone who has worked hard to make a difference?
Growth mindset theory says that the stereotype of genius is wrong and that we all need to learn that the ability of the genius is more important than the natural talent with which they were born.
Becoming Better is Worth More than Being Better
To develop a growth mindset, the first thing to do is to believe that you are clever and that everyone should know it.
Developing a growth mindset means that success doesn’t mean being clever at all, but rather it depends on what you do with the talent that you are given. So rather than focusing on being something, why not focus on becoming something?
Learn How to Take Criticism
One of the hallmarks of someone with a fixed mindset is that they are generally not good at taking criticism. For them, it somehow rings in their ears like an attack.
When you are committed to developing a growth mindset, you will not need to get defensive. Taking criticism will be seen as an opportunity to learn and grow into a better person.
Find personal development courses on Superprof.
Turning Failures into Lessons
Failures should never be reasons to give up! That is the fixed mindset that you should be trying to avoid.
Rather, try to see failures as lessons or as good reminders that you are not perfect. Remember that when you inevitably fail, it is possible to pick yourself up and keep going.
Share Your Successes
Dweck proposes that individuals with a fixed mindset don’t like to admit to the successes of others. Instead, they feel daunted or intimidated by successful people.
Rather, as you aim to develop a growth mindset, try to find ways to see what is inspiring about other people. Always try to be on the lookout for what you can learn from others.
Ditch the Need for Instant Results
Part of cultivating a growth mindset is knowing that results do not necessarily ever come quickly. If you are after instant wins, a good plan would be to remind yourself to slow down.
Find out about growth mindset resources!
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