Mindfulness -Why a Growth Mindset is Essential to Success and How to Shift Your Mindset

 

Mindfulness -Why a Growth Mindset is Essential to Success and How to Shift Your Mindset

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Fixed vs. growth mindset

A fixed mindset assumes that our intelligence, character, and creative ability are static. You are dealt a hand in life and are required to accept it. Believing that your qualities are set in stone creates a desire to prove yourself over and over again. A fixed mindset can result in career stagnation.

On the other hand, a growth mindset is based on the idea that your essential qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. It assumes that everyone can change and grow through experience and practice. A growth mentality sees failure not as a detriment, but as a springboard to success.

Failing is a form of learning. In one study conducted by Dweck with children, she offered four-year-olds a choice. They could either redo an easy jigsaw puzzle or try a harder one. Those with a fixed mindset chose the easier puzzles that would affirm their existing ability.

They wanted to make sure they succeeded to seem smart. The children with a growth mindset tried to stretch themselves because their definition of success was about becoming smarter. In her book, Dweck writes, “After thirty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.”

There are several things you can put into practice immediately to help you make the shift:

1. Embrace challenges as they arrive. Instead of avoiding obstacles, head directly for them and use them as an opportunity to learn how to overcome them. Everything is an opportunity if you can frame it that way.
2. Recognize your abilities and how they can be built upon. Give yourself credit for what you can do well while understanding that they can almost always be developed further. Note your potential and focus on your strengths while working in parallel to improve your weaknesses.
3. Take calculated risks. The key word in that sentence is calculated — welcoming risk doesn’t mean you should ignore your instincts. Be cautious without being afraid, and step outside of your comfort zone when it feels right.
4. Practice self-reflection. It’s difficult to develop without taking an honest look at yourself and how you’ve gotten to where you are, and periods of reflection will help you see what’s working as you shift into a new mindset.
5. Surround yourself with like-minded individuals. They say that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and if the people around you operate with a growth mindset, it’ll be a lot easier to achieve one yourself.