Do you have a growth mindset?

There is a lot of talk these days about having a “growth mindset”. So, what is it and how do you get it? Are you born with it, or can it be learned?

When we are trying to reach a new goal, make a change in our lives or relationships, or transition to something new, we often have a hard time realizing that change.

By being aware of what it means to have a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset, we can better understand how to approach a situation and create a higher rate of success.

“When we have a growth mindset,” we believe that our intelligence, creative abilities, and character are things that we can improve in meaningful ways” according to Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck.

A growth mindset is one where you look at challenges as opportunities, you persist in the face of setbacks, where you see effort as the path to success, you learn from criticism and become curious about it, and find inspiration from the success of others.

Whereas, a fixed mindset is one where we avoid challenges, give up easily, see criticism as bad or ignore it all together, and feel threatened by the success of others resulting in achievements that are less than one’s full potential.

Much of our success in life and the ability to make change, comes down to an awareness of what mindset we usually work from, and what might be holding us back. And with that awareness, we have the ability to change, learn from our successes and failures, and improve ourselves and outcomes!