Issue 91: How To Build A Growth Mindset
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 91 | HOW TO BUILD A GROWTH MINDSET
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
A fixed mindset is “believing your qualities are carved in stone,” while a growth mindset is “the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.
~ Carol Dweck
THINK
The term growth mindset was coined by Carol Dweck, who discovered that the way we think about learning can dramatically change the way we do it. In her opinion this profoundly affects the way we lead our lives.
A person with a fixed mindset believes we are all born with a certain set of skills and competencies. We either have a talent for something or we don’t. There is no in between, no possibility for serious personal growth.
This fixed mindset is a source of limiting beliefs and it often drives the stories we tell ourselves about our skills.
Which mindset do you have?
Read each of these statements and decide whether you mostly agree or disagree with it.
- My intelligence is something very basic about me that I can’t change very much.
- I can always substantially change how intelligent I am.
- My artistic talent is something very basic about me that I can’t change very much.
- I can always substantially change how artistic I am.
- My sporting ability is something very basic about me that I can’t change very much.
- I can always substantially change how athletic I am.
It’s important to note we're not one mindset or the other - we shift back and forth by the day, by the project, by the skill, even by our mood.
Ask yourself the following reflective questions:
- In the last seven days, when have I displayed a fixed mindset?
- In the last seven days, when have I displayed a growth mindset?
- Which mindset worked out better and why?
- Would I like to adopt a growth mindset more often?
“We can all build our skills, and the more skills we build, the more things we get better at, usually the more things we can do.We have to stop letting the stories, the fixed mindset, rob us of those skills. You are designed to be continuously improvable. Nobody's done. I can tell you, whatever you think your limits are, you're wrong. Absolutely everyone has the capacity to be better at virtually everything.” Dr Michael Merzenich - Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life.
FEEL
To develop a growth mindset, you’ll have to intentionally leave your comfort zone and move towards the zone where growth can take place. To do that, you’ll need to recognise the fixed mindset triggers that hold you back.
For some it will be fear of failure, for others uncertainty about their competence, still others may struggle with the unpredictable nature of growth. Whatever it is, you must recognise what makes you feel defensive or threatened so you can challenge those thoughts and feelings.
Reflecting on the following to identify your triggers:
- Do you feel like you have to prove yourself over and over?
- Do you feel like you lack intelligence, personality or character?
- Do you constantly evaluate whether you will succeed or fail?
- Do you constantly evaluate whether you will look smart or dumb?
- Do you feel like you avoid challenge?
- Do you feel threatened by the success of others?
We all have strengths and weaknesses, we all make mistakes. A willingness to embrace our whole selves and seek out experiences that will stretch us, sticking with those challenges even when they get tough, is an indication of a growth mindset.
The alternative is to view our deficiencies as something to hide and avoid failure at all costs. When we do so, success is reduced to being a way of showing off how smart or talented we are, rather than an uplifting experience driven by a sense of pride in our efforts.
DO
A growth mindset is not a magic pill or secret formula - it is simply a skill we can develop that will enable continued growth. Maintaining the belief that we can grow and improve, no matter what is thrown at us, requires we put in some effort. Remember - beliefs happen between our ears!
Start looking for evidence of a growth mindset in your life by reflecting on previous success. Bring to mind an area in which you once had little ability, but have improved significantly. How did you make that shift?
Next, identify someone in your life who consistently exhibits a growth mindset. Ask yourself…how do they view and approach obstacles? How do they stretch themselves?
Here are a few tips to get you started working on your growth mindset:
1: Listen To Your Inner Voice
Pay attention to what your inner voice is saying as you approach a challenge, hit a setback or face criticism. Your fixed mindset will have a particular voice - with enough practice you’ll be able to identify it easily and then you can shift towards your growth mindset.
2: Recognise You Have A Choice
How you interpret challenges, setbacks and criticism is completely up to you - remember you are making a choice.
3: Talk Back To Yourself With A Growth Mindset Voice
When you’re feeling challenged, deliberately speak to yourself with a growth mindset, even if you’re not quite there yet.
4: Take The Growth Mindset Action
Take a deep breath and identify what the fixed mindset action would be and what the growth mindset action would be. Take the growth mindset action, even if it feels scary. Once you start to challenge yourself and grow, you’ll keep learning from your experiences and working from a growth mindset will become easier and easier.
5: Aim Low, Start Small
Pick one small skill you’d like to develop and start practicing to improve. The magic of this is that once you get into growth mode, when you’re regularly taking action to improve yourself, you’ll improve the ‘machinery’ that controls learning for everything.
Remember - the learning process begins with our beliefs.
We know action is the key to growth, but we still have to do the work. That can take time and patience, which isn’t always easy, but the belief we can grow provides all the fuel we need.
Read. Watch. Listen.
