Fixed vs growth mindset
So you’re not sure whether your mindset is fixed or if it is growth? We’ll look at the difference between fixed vs growth mindset. Did you ever wonder why some people thrive on challenges and after a challenge they rise like a phoenix rising from the ashes?
Well, it all comes down to their mindset – specifically, whether they have a fixed or a growth mindset. Understanding fixed mindset vs growth mindset can be a game-changer for anyone.
We’ll look at the differences between these two mindsets, the characteristics of a growth mindset, examples of a growth mindset, and activities, and exercises you can do to develop a growth mindset and to inspire you, I added a few quotes about growth mindset.
By the end of this post, you’ll know what kind of mindset you have, and you’ll know how to change it so you unlock your full potential. Let’s get started!
Understanding fixed mindset vs growth mindset
It’s very fascinating how our mindset shapes the way we look at life. It impacts the way we think about our skills, intelligence, and potential and can shape our success and happiness.
What is a fixed mindset?
A fixed mindset is like wearing glasses with a limited prescription. People with this type of mindset believe that their intelligence and abilities are set in stone. For example:
- They believe that their intelligence can’t be changed: They often say things like, “I’m just not good at math,” believing that no effort can change this. They believe that no matter how much effort and time they invest in a certain thing, their knowledge and ability in that field will not change because “it’s just the way it is”.
- They have a fear of failure: People with a fixed mindset will avoid challenges because they fear failure so much that they want to prevent failure and embarrassment. They don’t look at failure as a learning opportunity but as just one more proof of their inability.
- They avoid effort: Since they think their abilities and intelligence are fixed, they may see no point in putting in extra effort. They often say, “If you have to work hard, you must not be good at it.”
- They ignore feedback: Because they look at criticism as a personal attack, they won’t take feedback as something that they can improve on, but they will dismiss it and ignore it or even get defensive.
Having a fixed mindset limits you, limits what you think you can do in your life, and closes doors to growth and opportunity. It limits your willingness to adapt and learn and keeps you in your comfort zone where life happens to you, and you’re just floating with it, wherever it takes you.
What is a growth mindset?
On the flip side, a growth mindset is like wearing glasses with ever-changing lenses, adapting to see clearly whatever comes your way. People with this mindset believe that their talents can be developed through dedication and hard work. People with a growth mindset:
- Know that they can learn and grow: Because they see intelligence and skills as qualities they can develop or improve, they know that if they practice and put effort into something, they will improve.
- Embrace challenges: They see challenges as opportunities to grow. When they are faced with a problem, they know that it’s their chance to learn something new, experience something new, and come out stronger and wiser.
- Understand that persistence and effort go a long way: They understand that effort is a path to mastery. They don’t mind putting in hard work, because they believe that it will pay off in the long run.
- Welcome feedback: They use feedback and constructive criticism as tools for improvement. They don’t get offended or defensive about it, they use it to understand their weaknesses and work on them.
A growth mindset opens doors to continuous learning and resilience, making it easier to bounce back from setbacks and keep moving forward.
By understanding the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, we can start to see how our thinking shapes our experiences and results. It’s about shifting from a static view of our abilities to a dynamic one, where the potential is limitless and learning never stops.
Characteristics of a growth mindset
Only when we change our mindset to a growth mindset, we unlock our true potential. Having a growth mindset means believing that our abilities can always improve through hard work and dedication. Here are some key characteristics that define a growth mindset.
People with a growth mindset see challenges as opportunities for personal growth. Instead of hiding from difficult tasks, they embrace them. They understand that pushing through obstacles will lead to progress, and gaining new experiences and knowledge.
Imagine you’re climbing a steep hill. Instead of being discouraged by the incline, someone with a growth mindset would see it as a chance to build strength and endurance.
Persistence is a defining trait of a growth mindset. When faced with setbacks, people with a growth mindset don’t give up. They view failures not as dead-ends, but as steps on the path to success.
Persistence is important because it helps you build resilience, it helps you improve your problem-solving skills, and whenever you overcome something you’ll get such a huge boost to your confidence that it’s worth it just because of that.
People with a growth mindset actively seek and use feedback. They view it as valuable information that can help them improve. Instead of taking feedback personally, they see it as a tool for growth.
For example, Stanford University’s Carol Dweck has done extensive research indicating that feedback, whether positive or negative, can drive better performance if approached with a growth mindset.
Those with a growth mindset understand that constructive criticism is not a personal attack, but a roadmap for improvement. They separate their self-worth from the critique and focus on how they can use the information to get better.
Instead of feeling threatened by the success of others, individuals with a growth mindset feel inspired by others’ success. They use others’ achievements as motivation to pursue their own goals and believe if others can succeed, so can they.
These characteristics are foundational to cultivating a growth mindset. By embracing challenges, persisting through setbacks, valuing feedback, learning from criticism, and drawing inspiration from others, anyone can develop a growth mindset.
Do I have a fixed or a growth mindset?
I created a self-assessment questionnaire that will help you determine if you have a fixed or growth mindset.
Rate each statement on a scale:
1 (strongly disagree)
2 (disagree)
3 (neutral)
4 (agree)
5 (strongly agree)
- I believe my intelligence can be developed with effort and learning.
- No matter how much intelligence I have, I can always change it quite a bit.
- I can change significant aspects of who I am with dedication and effort.
- I can overcome challenges and improve through hard work.
- I see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow.
- I enjoy learning new things, even when they are difficult.
- With effort, I can improve in areas where I am not naturally good.
- When I make a mistake, I see it as an opportunity to learn and improve.
- Criticism and feedback help me to improve and grow.
- I feel inspired by the success of others and use it as motivation to improve myself.
- I see failures and mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
- I tackle tasks where I might fail as chances to learn.
- Everyone needs to put in effort to be truly smart.
- I persist through difficulties because I know I can improve with effort.
Once you’re done calculate your score. Rate as you answered:
1 (strongly disagree), 2 (disagree), 3 (neutral), 4 (agree), 5 (strongly agree)
And sum the score for all 14 statements:
14-28: Indicates a fixed mindset.
29-42: Indicates a mixed mindset, with tendencies towards both fixed and growth mindsets.
43-70: Indicates a growth mindset.
Why is having a growth mindset important
Having a growth mindset means believing that our abilities and intelligence can grow with effort and practice. Unlike a fixed mindset, which believes these traits are static, a growth mindset unlocks greater potential. This mindset is important for many reasons.
Having a growth mindset will improve your learning: When we believe that we can improve, we’re more likely to face challenges head-on rather than avoid them. Having this kind of attitude will help us adapt to different life situations.
- We will embrace mistakes and see them as learning opportunities: Whenever we make a mistake, we won’t feel defeated and discouraged, we’ll analyze what went wrong and learn from it.
- We will persist and keep trying even when things get tough: Persistence becomes a natural response to obstacles. Obstacles won’t stop us, they’ll push us to adjust our plan, improve our tactics, and move forward.
- We will develop a love for learning: Because we keep trying to improve our life and our skills, we develop a genuine interest in gaining and learning new skills and knowledge. Every new concept or skill is a chance to grow. Whatever we don’t know doesn’t stop us, but gives us a chance to learn something new.
For example, students with a growth mindset often perform better because they search for challenging tasks and know that effort is a way of mastering something. This approach helps them develop resilience and adaptability, making them better equipped for life’s ups and downs.
Having a growth mindset is a game-changer in our life. Because a growth mindset pushes us to seek new experiences and take calculated risks, it leads to personal fulfillment and professional advancement.
- We never stop improving ourselves and our lives: we actively look for ways to improve our skills. This constant self-improvement makes us valuable in any job market.
- We embrace feedback: Instead of taking feedback personally, we use it to improve. Constructive criticism becomes a tool for growth.
- We adapt: In a fast-paced work environment, those with a growth mindset adapt more readily to changes. This flexibility is crucial for career development.
A study from Forbes shows that employees with a growth mindset are more curious and open to learning, which drives career success. Ford (who performed the study) recognized that nothing will hold you back as much as the belief that you can’t do something.
Growth mindset examples
Let us look at a few growth mindset examples that show just how much our mindset impacts our lives.
Michael Jordan: Often called the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan wasn’t initially talented enough to make his high school basketball team. But he didn’t give up, he used this setback as motivation to improve his game. He kept practicing and trying, until he succeeded. Imagine that he’d decide to quit, because ‘he wasn’t born with enough talent’ to succeed?
J.K. Rowling: Before Harry Potter became a worldwide phenomenon, J.K. Rowling faced numerous rejections from publishers. But she didn’t let these rejections stop her. She persisted and believed in her work. We can read Harry Potter today because she tried and didn’t let other people’s opinions stop her. She knew what she did, and what she had and didn’t stop until she reached her goal.
Thomas Edison: Thomas Edison’s journey to invent the electric light bulb was filled with thousands of failed experiments. He didn’t look at all his attempts as failures, he saw each attempt as a step closer to success. His statement, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work,” sums up the growth mindset perfectly.
Having a growth mindset isn’t just a thing only famous super successful individuals have. It can also transform our everyday lives. Here are some common situations where a growth mindset can make a difference:
1. Having academic challenges: Students who believe their intelligence can grow through effort usually perform better. For example how to change your fixed mindset to a growth mindset, instead of saying, “I’m just not good at math,” try saying, “I need more practice to become better at math.”
2. Professional development: In the workplace, facing criticism can be tough. However, viewing feedback as an opportunity to learn rather than a personal attack can lead to professional growth. Instead of thinking, “I’m bad at giving presentations,” consider, “I can improve my presentation skills with practice and feedback.”
3. Fitness: When trying to get fit, many people give up after a few setbacks. Adopting a growth mindset means understanding that progress takes time. Instead of, “I’ll never be able to run a marathon,” think, “With consistent training, I can improve my endurance.”
4. Relationships: In personal relationships, conflicts are inevitable. Approaching disagreements with a growth mindset means viewing them as opportunities to understand each other better and grow together, improve the relationship, and not view them as obstacles that can not be dealt with.
Growth mindset activities
Having a growth mindset can make a huge difference in how we approach challenges. We’ll explore some growth mindset exercises and activities that will help you on your journey towards having a growth mindset.
Reflection and journaling
Regular journaling is a great way to reflect on your thoughts and experiences. When we write about what challenges us and what we’ve learned it helps us see patterns and areas for growth. Journaling isn’t just writing; it’s writing with a purpose to connect with our thoughts, explore our inner world, and find where we can improve or how can we be a better version of ourselves.
At the end of each day write down what went well and what didn’t. Write what did you do in a day that you’re proud of. Did you learn something new? Did you do something that’s outside of your comfort zone? Writing down things that you did and you’re proud of will help you build confidence and gain momentum to do more and more of those things.
If there’s anything that you see you could do differently, explore. Did you react in a way you shouldn’t, and you want to improve on that? Did you miss a chance because you wanted to stay in your comfort zone? Write about it and explore. Why did I decide to react the way I did? What can I do differently next time? What was I feeling at that moment? These reflections will help you see the progress you’re making but also help you recognize areas for improvement.
Gratitude lists
Write about things you’re grateful for, especially those related to learning and growth. Did you do something today that was hard for you? Acknowledge it. Did you step outside of your comfort zone today? Celebrate yourself. Did you change your outlook when something went wrong? Give yourself a high five.
This practice will shift your focus from what’s wrong to what’s going right. Doing exercises like this will help you build momentum to do more. And the more uncomfortable unknown things you do, the more your mindset will change.
For more ideas on gratitude exercises check Amazing gratitude exercises to boost your mood. Another great exercise for cultivating gratitude are journal prompts for gratitude, and I gathered 100 of them in my post: 100 best gratitude journal questions.
Goal setting
To know if you’re making progress and to feel like you’re actually moving forward and achieving something you need to set goals. If you say you just want to make progress, change how you feel, or change your life, is not specific enough.
How will you know when you get where you want if you don’t know where you’re going? So set small, achievable goals and track your progress. You should set goals that push you outside of your comfort zone just enough.
If you set goals that are too high, too outside of your comfort zone, and push you too much, there’s not a high chance that you’ll actually work towards them. But if you set your goals small at the beginning, you’ll build momentum so you’ll be able to set higher and higher goals and progress further.
Achieving small actionable goals will help you see that, ok, I can do this, and will push you further while you’ll build your confidence.
Embrace and tackle challenges
This one goes hand in hand with pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. As a famous quote by Jocko Willink says: “There is no growth in the comfort zone.” In order to grow we need to push ourselves, because whenever we get uncomfortable that is where the real growth and change happen.
So whenever you face a challenge, don’t shy away from it and try to avoid it. Face it head-on, know that you can do this and you will do this. Push forward because you will make it. And when you overcome a challenge reflect, what did you do? How did you do it? What did you learn from it? Is there anything you can do better next time?
The same goes for making a mistake. It’s normal to make mistakes because we’re human. What matters is how we react to the mistake and what we do with it. So whenever you make a mistake reflect on it.
What could you do better next time? Could you see it coming and was there a way to prevent the mistake if you’d do something different? What happened after the mistake was made? Did the world crash or did you learn something from it?
Learn from others and be curious
There are so many amazing people out there who walked the same path we’re walking and who were at the exact same spot as we are. Especially in today’s age when everything is at the other end of the screen, not using that and using the internet to learn from others is such a waste of time.
Choose people that you admire and watch how they approach their problems. What’s their mindset like? How do they live their life? Is there anything you can learn from them that will help you on your path?
Find people to follow on social media, and use social media as a resource not as a tool to waste your time. Follow people who inspire you, who share tips and ideas to become a better person, and follow people that are where you want to be. Explore, be curious, and learn.
Don’t waste your life endlessly scrolling through social media comparing yourself to this person and that person, being jealous of what they have, and thinking what you don’t have. Will that get you anywhere? No. It’s ok to look at someone and wish you’ll be there at one point, but being stuck in jealousy and not doing anything about it will get you nowhere and keep you stuck.
So look at their strategies, experiences, and what can you learn from them. Be open to new ideas and different perspectives. Explore, be curious, ask questions, and seek answers.
Adopt a positive attitude
It’s very easy to fall into a negative attitude of why bother, life will never change, I’m made to live the life that I have. Even if I try I’ll fail. Some people are just born lucky. The reality is that we have full control over our lives. We can adjust, change, do whatever we want. But yes, it does require effort, doing the uncomfortable and pushing yourself.
So focus on what you can control. Imagine your dream life, where you want to go, and how you want to feel. Where do you want to be in 5 years? What are you willing to do to get there? How can you make your life better?
Continue pushing yourself, and continue making progress because at the end of the day what matters is that you are getting closer every day to the dream life that you want. Doesn’t matter how small the progress is, what matters is that you’re making progress. Celebrate the smallest victories. Did you work out today for 10 minutes even when you were feeling extra tired? Celebrate! Acknowledge what you did.
Don’t get stuck into the negative mindset where you feel like a toy being pushed around. Know that you can change, you can change your life and you’re in full control of it. What matters is what you do with the time you have, what are you willing to do to make your life better, and how you choose to view life.
Quotes about a growth mindset and growth mindset sayings
When it comes to developing a growth mindset, words can be powerful motivators. The wisdom and quotes from people who have succeeded no matter all the hardships they had to go through in life, can inspire you and show you that progress is possible. You just need to try, do the work, and never stop.
I compiled a list of quotes I find the most inspiring:
“Be not afraid of growing slowly; be afraid only of standing still.” – Chinese proverb
“It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.” – Albert Einstein
“I never lose. I either win or learn.” – Nelson Mandela
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t – you’re right.” – Henry Ford
“In a growth mindset, your flaws are just a to-do list of things to improve.” – Derek Sivers
“A challenge only becomes an obstacle when you bow to it.” – Ray Davis
“Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” – Robert H. Schuller
“An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.” – Niels Bohr
“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” – Michael Jordan
These quotes are not just words; they are guiding principles that can help us shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. They encourage us to keep pushing boundaries, learn from every experience, and believe in our capacity for growth and improvement.
If you’re interested in more quotes about a growth mindset, check 74 growth mindset quotes to inspire hard work and perseverance.
Understanding the key differences between a fixed vs growth mindset is crucial for personal development. While a fixed mindset limits us by making us believe our abilities are static, a growth mindset opens up endless possibilities by helping us believe that we can develop and grow through effort and learning.
Which mindset will you choose today?
The mindset that keeps you stuck, miserable, and feeling like no progress can be made, or a mindset that makes you feel that everything is possible? For more ideas and guidance on growth mindset, I have an article about 15 effective ways to build a growth mindset.
And as always,
don’t forget, you got this and everything will be ok!
