Growth mindset
Mindset is a term you’re seeing more and more often. ‘You just need to change your mindset,’ ‘He has the right mindset,’ or ‘She won that race purely because of her mindset.’ But what does mindset actually mean—and more specifically, what do we mean by having a fixed versus a growth mindset?
What's a growth or fixed mindset?
Loosely translated, you could say a mindset is how your brain is set up—almost like a few switches you can tweak to change their position. Strangely enough, that’s exactly what it is.
‘The mental attitude or set of beliefs that shapes how someone thinks, feels, and responds in different situations.’
In the context of a fixed and growth mindset, mindset specifically refers to how you think about your own abilities, intelligence, and potential:
Fixed mindset: The belief that your qualities—like intelligence or talent—are fixed and can’t really be changed.
Growth mindset: The belief that your qualities and skills can be developed through effort, training, and learning from mistakes.
Why is a growth mindset crucial?
Having a growth mindset—sometimes called a ‘growth mentality’—is vital. Yes, you read that right: I can’t emphasize enough how profoundly positive the impact is when you adopt a growth mindset. It’s like seeing the world through a completely different, more positive lens.
Carol Dweck is the founder of this theory, and she has devoted her life to understanding human motivation. The health benefits of a growth mindset are endless. People with a growth mindset are mentally healthier, experience fewer mental health complaints, have more motivation and perseverance, and are far more resilient to stress. In short: it’s essential to your life!
Pit falls of a fixed mindset
‘That’s just who I am’—a phrase you’ve probably heard before. It’s a classic expression of a fixed mindset. ‘I can’t do that,’ ‘I’m just not talented enough,’ ‘You’re simply better at that.’ In everyday life, we often toss around these fixed-mindset statements without even noticing. It can feel convenient, but for our personal development it can be a serious problem!
Avoidance of challenges
‘That’s just who I am’ makes you avoid challenges. People with a fixed mindset are often afraid of failing and of having their intelligence or abilities questioned—by themselves or by others. As a result, they’re less likely to push themselves to learn new things.
You end up avoiding challenges because your self-worth or confidence feels tied to the outcome. Instead of learning from athletes who are better than you, you dodge the confrontation to avoid failing. That stalls your learning curve and slows your progress dramatically.
Quickly throwing the towel
Your perseverance also tends to be underdeveloped. Instead of wanting to learn from setbacks and seeing them as opportunities to improve, you get confirmation of your belief: ‘See? I can’t do this.’
This goes hand in hand with a feeling of helplessness rather than fighting spirit. Instead of exploring new strategies to make it work and solve the problems, they give up and feel they have no control over the outcome. They become a victim instead of an active participant.
Low self esteem
Lack of self-confidence and doubts about their career are the biggest reasons athletes seek my help as a sports psychologist.
Every time people with a fixed mindset face setbacks, it confirms their suspicion that they’re not good at something. They’re much less able to learn from setbacks. Failure gets linked to a lack of quality and skills. This undermines self-confidence and can cause you, as an athlete, to sink further into a mental quagmire.
Developing a growth mindset
Developing a growth mindset starts with recognizing your current thinking patterns. Ask yourself how you respond to challenges, mistakes, and criticism. See challenges as opportunities to learn, and mistakes as valuable lessons rather than proof of your shortcomings.
Use positive self-talk and replace thoughts like ‘I can’t do this’ with ‘I can’t do this yet, but I can learn.’ Focus on the process and value your effort along the way, not just the outcome. Be open to feedback and use it as a tool for growth.
Let yourself be inspired by other people’s success and ask what you can learn from them. Surround yourself with people who have a growth mindset, and be patient—change takes time, but every step brings you closer to a resilient, growth-oriented mindset.
Practicing a growth mindset
A great first exercise to encourage a growth mindset—and move away from your fixed mindset—is to observe your own beliefs. How often do you say in a day: ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘I’m not good at this’?
Practice using the word ‘yet’ and experience the huge difference it makes: ‘I can’t do this yet,’ or ‘I’m not good at this yet.’
Found this interesting and helpful?
Knowing is one thing, putting it into practice is another. Through the link below you can book a free Mindset Scan so I can help you develop a growth mindset!
