How a Growth Mindset Can Change Your Life
Etel Leit
Growth mindsets could be the answer you’ve been looking for. Have you ever found yourself doubting your own capabilities, or witnessed others talk down on themselves? Well, unfortunately, it is not rare for us to doubt ourselves, we’re only human after all! In efforts to reverse this negativity, we can hone into that mindset that focuses on welcoming challenges. We can also focus on seeing failures as opportunities to learn!
What is a growth mindset?
A growth mindset is a belief that we can grow our intellectual abilities if the right amount of effort is put in. This compares against the idea of a fixed mindset, which instead believes that intelligence is fixed, and cannot be increased without natural advantage.
Oftentimes we believe in the fixed mindset, frequently wanting to give up on something when we face difficulty. This can occur in many situations like when learning a new instrument or subject. Although this is understandable, allowing ourselves to break through this blockage and accept a growth mindset can lead us to achieve whatever we put our minds to!
How does it increase achievement?
The development of a growth mindset can have huge effects on achievement. One study even found that introducing this mindset can lead to reinforcing cycles of motivational behaviors. Additionally, once you find success from the growth mindset, it will only provide more fuel for motivation and excitement for learning!
How can I develop a growth mindset?
Just like muscles in your body, the brain can grow stronger the more you work it out. Although it can be tedious to try and develop a growth mindset, there are many things we can do to make the process easier. Here are 5 things you can do to develop and strengthen your growth mindset!
Stop seeking approval from others
Often times we find ourselves trying to reach ridiculous standards because we are comparing ourselves to perfection. Instead, we should be focusing on our own journeys and growing our personal progress. Your focus should be on being the best you, for you, not for others!
Replace the word “failing” with “learning”
Practice makes perfect! Even if we are not successful on the first or second try, in each try there is still progress! In any situation, we must celebrate the tiny wins and focus on using our “failures” as learning moments. Oftentimes, in failures we can learn what things work and what don’t, we are only hindering ourselves by taking each of these possible learning opportunities as a “failure.” We should focus more on seeing things optimistically and strengthening the things we might have previously seen as weaknesses!
Find outside help
There is absolutely no shame in asking for help, sometimes an outside form of encouragement can be just what we need. Having a personal cheerleader or mentor can help us stay in the right headspace and fuel our motivation. But just like when it comes to seeking approval, we must remember that outside help is just in addition to our own journey! At the end of the day, this outside help should just be reinforcing your own positive growth mindset.
Listen to the growth mindset voice inside of you
By focusing on how you first react to difficult situations, you can determine if you have a fixed or growth mindset. Determining which you have is important, as it can help decide if you need to change your mindset completely or strengthen your existing growth mindset! No matter where you start in your journey, each one of us is capable of developing a strong and healthy growth mindset!
Recognize that you have a choice
With the recognition that both fixed and growth mindsets can exist inside your mind, it is important to recognize that you have the ultimate decision on which to listen to! It is up to you to decide to see your “failures” as stepping stones, and keep fighting!
These are just 5 of the many ways you can work to create and strengthen your growth mindset! Although it is hard to remember that we are all capable of growing our intellectual capabilities, adopting a growth mindset can be the key to unlimited learning! So don’t forget to learn from your mistakes and use them not as barriers but as stepping stones!