Learning about fixed and growth mindsets, I was curious to understand more as they are relevant to performance, well-being and motivation.
A person with a fixed mindset believes that your personal qualities (such as intelligence) or abilities (such as musical talent or sporting prowess) are carved in stone. "If I have to work hard it must mean I'm not clever".
A person with a growth mindset believes your personal qualities and abilities can be changed and developed over time. "The harder I work the more likely they are to succeed".
Even as long ago as the 1970's research demonstrated how mindsets can have a significant impact on our behaviour and the way we live our lives.
Did you know your mindset affects your behaviour;
The type of goals you pursue,
Whether you give up or stick at something,
How much effort you make to achieve an ambition
If you are willing to try new solutions when problems occur.
So I want you to think of an occasion in the past when you set your sights on achieving something, and when you didn't, instead you gave up, pretending that the goal didn't matter at all.
What did you learn?
Yes, you can think of ways we can do something different next time.
A fixed mindset limits your opportunities.
A growth mindset expands your horizons.
I believe they stem from a deeper identity level. It's about getting to why you began thinking this way in the first place. By giving the individual an opportunity to explore why they have this fixed mindset and explore their own beliefs about who they are and what's stopping them from having this growth mindset.
A fixed mindset can be changed and the brains grows in density the more you learn and practice new things. Your brain is like a muscle so exercise it!
Persistence and refusing to give up when faced with disappointment or discouragement is essential for success. However, the labels you are given can help cement a fixed mindset when you were a child. Were you known as "The clever one" or were you known as something else,
So, when you think of giving someone praise. Praising them for their efforts not for their intelligence or abilities. The same as criticism from people. As we know as children grow, your voice becomes their inner voice whether it's praise or criticism and it has the ability to affect their confidence and self esteem.