Why A Growth Mindset is Crucial in Uncertain Times
Did you know that Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school three times before getting his big break? Even Oprah Winfrey was fired from her news co-anchor position at a Baltimore TV station before going on to build a successful daytime talk show. A producer reportedly told her that she was “unfit for television news.”
So, how did they go on to see such phenomenal success? Talent for sure. That’s hard to argue, but there are a lot of talented people in the world, so what makes them different?
One thing to consider is their mindset. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, talks about how changing the power of our beliefs can have a profound impact on nearly every aspect of our lives. Dweck’s research spanning twenty years, studied students' attitudes about failure. After studying their behavior, Dr. Dweck coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and capability.
What is the difference between the growth and fixed mindset?
One of the most basic beliefs we carry about ourselves has to do with how we view what we consider to be our personality. A fixed mindset assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static and we can’t change in any meaningful way. The challenge with this way of thinking is it negates going beyond what we believe is possible and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining our sense of self.
In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work—brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great achievement.
Why is it important to adopt a growth mindset?
People who display a growth mindset, know that when you put in consistent effort, anything is possible. All efforts; win or lose is still a success story in the lessons learned along the way and is integral to the path to mastery. It means making a shift from “no I can’t” to “yes I can” regardless of how overwhelming or frightening that may seem. And in times of challenges, setbacks and immense obstacles, it can be the difference between those who thrive and those who survive.
How do you cultivate a growth mindset?
The good news is that you have a choice. Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind.
Here is a simple three part process to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset.
Self Awareness
It always starts here. Without awareness, we can’t make the transformational change required to grow. So, how do you know when its fixed versus growth?
You’ll come up against limiting beliefs. That self-saboteur. The inner critic. Approaching a new challenge, your inner voice might say, “Are you sure you can do it?” or “What if you fail?”
Turn limiting beliefs into liberating truths
You have a choice in how you deal with the inner critic. One path is see challenges, setbacks, and criticism as a sign that you have fixed talent and ability. Or, they can simply be an opportunity to challenge your thinking, step up your effort and change your strategies. The key here is to shift out of the framework of stuck and into the place of potential.
The fixed mindset says “Are you sure you can do it? Maybe you don’t have the talent.” The growth mindset answers, “I’m not sure I can do it now, but I think I can learn to with time and effort.”
Take the growth mindset action
Once you recognize limiting beliefs and turn them into liberating truths, you can then determine the necessary actions you can do in the now and in the future. This could include taking on a new challenge, learning from setbacks, persisting without exception, and adjusting your actions based on feedback, and so on.
It’s important to remember that nobody has a growth mindset in everything all the time. Everyone is a mixture of both mindsets and these can show up in your personal and professional endeavours.
Do you think there’s value in adopting the growth mindset?