We all hold beliefs about ourselves – what we can achieve and how we approach learning. This way of thinking forms our personal convictions, known as our mindset, which influences how we perceive and respond to challenges in life. Psychologist Carol Dweck developed the concept that there are two types of mindsets: fixed and growth mindsets. Her research shows that those with a fixed mindset avoid challenges, limiting growth, while those with a growth mindset continually improve. The good news is that our brains are adaptable, making it possible to create a growth mindset. This article provides ten tips to help you unlock the growth mindset.
Fixed Mindset
Individuals with a fixed mindset believe intelligence is predetermined at birth, something innate and unchangeable. This belief often leads them to avoid challenges, fear failure, and give up easily when faced with obstacles. The desire to appear competent and avoid judgment drives these behaviors, consequently feeling threatened by the success of others. A fixed mindset limits personal potential, increases anxiety, and lowers self-esteem. Those with a fixed mindset often have thoughts such as, “I am not good at this,” or “I will never be able to do that.” These thoughts create a self-fulfilling prophecy where the fear of failure prevents them from trying, confirming their belief in their limitations. This mindset can lead to stagnation in both personal and professional growth as they shy away from opportunities that could lead to development.
Growth Mindset
Individuals with a growth mindset believe intelligence can be developed throughout life and view challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. They embrace effort as a path to mastery, persist despite setbacks, and see feedback as valuable information for improvement. Embracing this mindset builds resilience during setbacks, turning challenges into chances to improve performance. With a growth mindset, you are open to feedback from others and inspired by others' successes. If someone is better than you, they can also help you improve in what you do.
Common thoughts among those with a growth mindset are, “I am not good at this yet” or “With practice, I can improve.” This perspective helps embrace challenges and overcome obstacles, leading to increased learning and development. When adopting this mindset, you become resilient to setbacks. You turn adversity into a challenge, which helps you perform better.
Unlocking The Growth Mindset
A growth mindset among pilots leads to optimal self-development and offers numerous benefits, such as greater satisfaction in work, better handling of learning new technologies, increased resilience during stressful events, enhanced creativity in problem-solving, stronger team relationships, improved adaptability to changing flight conditions, heightened motivation to learn and improve, and a more optimistic approach to overcoming challenges. Here are ten tips to help you activate your growth mindset:
💡Tip 1: Become Aware of Your Mindset
The first step to developing a growth mindset is identifying your current mindset. Ask yourself questions like: How do I handle obstacles? What do I tell myself when something does not work out? What impression do I want to make on others? How do I view the successes of others? Write down your answers and reflect on them. Compare them with the descriptions of the growth and fixed mindsets in this article to discover your current mindset.
Exercise: Questionnaire Growth vs. Fixed Mindset
This is a ten-question questionnaire designed to help identify whether you have a growth or fixed mindset. Choose the answer that best reflects your typical thoughts and behaviors in each scenario.
How do you react when faced with a difficult challenge?
a) I avoid it because I'm afraid of failing.
b) I embrace it as an opportunity to learn and grow.
When you encounter a setback, how do you respond?
a) I feel discouraged and give up easily.
b) I see it as a learning experience and try to find ways to improve.
What do you believe about intelligence?
a) Intelligence is a fixed trait that can't be changed much.
b) Intelligence can be developed through effort and learning.
How do you view effort in relation to success?
a) If you have to work hard, it means you're not naturally talented.
b) Hard work and effort are essential for success.
When you see someone who is exceptionally skilled at something, how do you feel?
a) I feel envious and believe I could never be that good.
b) I feel inspired and believe I can improve by learning from them.
How do you handle criticism?
a) I take it personally and feel defensive.
b) I see it as valuable feedback that can help me grow.
When learning something new, what is your approach?
a) I stick to things I'm already good at to avoid failure.
b) I enjoy the process of learning and trying new things, even if it's complicated.
How do you perceive the success of others?
a) I feel threatened and think it diminishes my own abilities.
b) I feel motivated and look for lessons I can learn from their success.
What is your attitude toward making mistakes?
a) I try to avoid making mistakes at all costs because they show my lack of ability.
b) I understand that making mistakes is a natural part of the learning process.
How do you set goals for yourself?
a) I set easily achievable goals to ensure success and avoid failure.
b) I set challenging goals that push me to grow and improve, even if there's a risk of failure.
Scoring:
You likely have a fixed mindset if you had mostly “a” responses.
You likely have a growth mindset if you mostly had “b” responses.
A mix of both indicates that you have a mindset that can benefit from further development towards a growth-oriented approach.
If you have a fixed mindset, the tips in this article will help you develop a growth mindset. If you already have a (partial) growth mindset, use the tips in this article to further enhance your growth mindset or to help others develop theirs.
💡Tip 2: Get to Know Yourself
Choosing a growth mindset requires self-confidence. Self-confidence is developed by understanding who you are, what matters to you, and where your strengths lie. In other words, developing self-awareness is essential for building self-confidence. You gain self-awareness by asking yourself questions such as: What do I truly value? What energizes me? In what ways do I serve as a role model for others? What do I appreciate about myself?
Exercise: Self-Reflection Journal
Take some time each day this week to journal about the following prompts:
- Write about a recent experience that made you feel proud of yourself.
- Reflect on activities or tasks that you find most fulfilling and why.
- List three values that are important to you and explain why they matter.
- Describe a situation where you felt confident and capable.
- Identify one quality or skill that others admire in you and explain why it is meaningful to you.
Review your journal entries at the end of the week to gain insights into your strengths, values, and areas where you can further develop self-confidence.
💡Tip 3: Language Adjustments
How you talk about learning, development, making mistakes, and getting back up says a lot about your mindset. If you often use terms like wrong, right, smart, and dumb; these do not promote a growth mindset. Do you tell yourself that you “just can’t do it?” This will not encourage you to keep practicing. Instead, be mindful of your language and use words that help develop a growth mindset. Give others compliments based on their effort and emphasize the importance of growth and challenge. Always frame things in terms of “not yet” being able to do something.
Exercise: Language Reflection
Today, pay close attention to how you talk about learning, mistakes, and personal abilities. Throughout the day, try the following:
- Whenever you catch yourself using terms like “can't,” “wrong,” “always,” or “never,” pause and rephrase your statement in a more growth-oriented way.
- Give yourself and others compliments based on effort and progress rather than just outcomes.
- Encourage someone else to use language emphasizing growth and learning, such as “You are improving,” or “Keep learning; you are on the right track.”
💡Tip 4: Focus on the Process (rather than the outcome)
To develop a growth mindset, focus on the process rather than the outcome. It is not about the result of your efforts but the effort itself. You learn from practicing, trying, falling, getting back up, and persevering. This process makes you better at what you do. Therefore, it is important to emphasize this focus for yourself and others.
Exercise: Process Reflection
Take a moment to reflect on your journey and the steps you have taken to progress. Consider:
- Write down three recent experiences where you faced challenges or setbacks.
- For each experience, describe the effort and strategies you used to overcome them.
- Reflect on your learning from each situation and how it contributed to your growth.
At the end of your reflection, recognize and commend yourself for your efforts and perseverance.
💡Tip 5: Discuss Your Progress
Talking about progress with someone you trust can make you feel more competent, positive, and creative. Discussing and reflecting on progress stimulates a growth mindset. Therefore, try to do this with the people around you as much as possible. Discuss the progress you have made in an important area, whether it is related to your work or personal life. Remember to encourage your conversation partner to discuss their progress as well.
💡Tip 6: Seek Feedback and Support
Additionally, seeking feedback and support from others can significantly impact your progress. It can be challenging to assess what you are doing well and where you can improve by yourself. Others often have a more objective perspective. Therefore, ask for feedback from someone you trust who can provide valuable insights.
There are times when you need support to move forward. This could involve clarifying something you still need to understand or a boost when facing difficulties. Do not hesitate to reach out to others for help, whether it is a friend, family member, or colleague. People are often willing to support your growth. Remember to pay it forward and offer assistance to others when they need it.
💡Tip 7: Learn from Mistakes
Mistakes are inevitable and valuable learning opportunities: everyone makes mistakes. Take a moment to consider the mistake and recognize that it is manageable. Then, reflect on why the mistake happened and consider what you can do differently next time. Learning from mistakes promotes personal development and boosts your skills.
Exercise: Reflect and Plan for Growth
- Think of a recent mistake or setback you experienced.
- Write down what happened and how you initially felt about it.
- Reflect on what you learned from the error and how you can apply this knowledge in the future.
- Outline one specific action you can take to prevent a similar mistake in the future or improve your response.
💡Tip 8: Discover What Works Best for You
Learning new things is essential for personal growth. The learning process is diverse and can look different at any given time. Not everyone finds the same learning methods enjoyable or effective. Discovering which learning approaches align best with your needs and work most effectively for you is valuable. Experiment with different learning methods and keep exploring. Read a book one day, listen to a podcast the next, or try applying your knowledge. This helps you find what works best for you. Remember, making mistakes is part of the process—it is how you improve.
💡Tip 9: Let Success Inspire
A growth mindset involves learning from and being inspired by the success of others. Take a moment to ask yourself who you look up to and why. Reach out to these people and engage in a conversation. Discover how they progressed, the mistakes they made, and how they handled them. If the person is not around to talk to, delve into the stories of inspirational figures, for example, by reading a biography or watching a documentary. Let their resilience and perseverance inspire you.
💡Tip 10: Expand Your Comfort Zone
You will not progress if you remain in your comfort zone. Skills and tasks you are already familiar with are within your comfort zone. Outside your comfort zone are things you have not yet mastered but can learn. You have to step outside your comfort zone and engage in new experiences to learn. This can sometimes be daunting, but it is part of the shift. Without challenge, there is no sense of accomplishment and pride.
Exercise: Try Something New
- Identify Your Comfort Zone: Think about an area/skill where you feel comfortable and confident.
- Choose a New Challenge: Select something you have been curious about but have not tried yet—whether it is a hobby, skill, or activity.
- Set a Small Goal: Break down the new challenge into a small, achievable goal that pushes you slightly beyond your current abilities.
- Take Action: Commit to trying this new activity or skill within a specific timeframe. Focus on the process rather than the outcome.
- Reflect: Afterward, reflect on your experience. What did you learn about yourself? How did stepping out of your comfort zone make you feel?
Final Thoughts
Studies show that many people perceive their abilities and intelligence as fixed traits rather than qualities that can be developed through effort and learning. With awareness and effort, anyone can shift from a fixed mindset towards a growth mindset, positively impacting your personal and professional life.
Are you interested in developing new skills and enhancing your approach to personal growth? Emerald Mental Health provides individual coaching sessions tailored to help you expand your skill set and improve your personal development. Contact Emerald Mental Health for a free consultation via email at [email protected] or visit www.emeraldmentalhealth.com.
Resources
Dweck, C. S. (2020). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (Updated Edition). Random House.
