Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Challenges

“In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I'm going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here's a chance to grow.” (Carol S. Dweck) [i]

Our minds have such an ability to influence our lives. It's amazing how powerful our thoughts can be. How we look at our world often shapes our perception of it. Our mind can work for us instead of against us

There's an important difference between fixed mindset versus growth mindset. People love labels. It's easy to give labels to people, but the problem is that we tend to reinforce that label. This concept is similar to nature versus nurture:

Here are some important things to consider about these two mindsets:

1.   People in a fixed mindset believe you either are or aren’t good at something, based on your inherent nature, because it’s just who you are. People in a growth mindset believe anyone can be good at anything, because your abilities are entirely due to your actions.

 
2.   In a fixed mindset, you want to hide your flaws so you’re not judged or labeled a failure. In a growth mindset, your flaws are just a list of things to improve.

 

3.   In a fixed mindset, you stick with what you know to keep up your confidence. In a growth mindset, you keep up your confidence by always pushing into the unfamiliar, to make sure you’re always learning.

 

4.   In a fixed mindset, you look inside yourself to find your true passion and purpose, as if this is a hidden inherent thing. In a growth mindset, you commit to mastering valuable skills regardless of mood, knowing passion and purpose come from doing great work, which comes from expertise and experience.

 

5.   In a fixed mindset, failures define you. In a growth mindset, failures are temporary setbacks.

 

6.   In a fixed mindset, you believe if you’re romantically compatible with someone, you should share all of each other’s views, and everything should just come naturally. In a growth mindset, you believe a lasting relationship comes from effort and working through inevitable differences.

 

7.   In a fixed mindset, it’s all about the outcome. If you fail, you think all effort was wasted. In a growth mindset, it’s all about the process, so the outcome hardly matters. [ii]

 “No matter what your current ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.” (Carol S. Dweck)




[i] Carol S. Dweck is known as the founder of the fixed and growth mindsets in psychology.
 
[ii] Sources used:
·        “Carol Dweck” from Wikipedia
·        Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset” by Derek Sivers
·        “Fixed Mindset” (https://mindsetonline.com/whatisit/about)
·        “Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset” by Robert Puff
Dedicated to Frank and Suzan Siegal
 







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