The Goodness of Growth Mindset 

 

All of us grow up to learn about the world based on our circumstances and the society we are a part of. We all develop certain mindsets over our lifespans, which is the total of our attitudes, feelings, core values, and philosophical outlook on the world.  

 

In this article, I would like to explain certain important concepts through a movie. Let's imagine that you, the reader, are going to a movie, and there are two prominent characters.  

 

Both characters are in the same period and grew up in the same society. Raj grows up with a mindset that sees his qualities as fixed traits and that he cannot change them. He believes that he is born with specific talents and cannot work towards improving them. He grows up believing the world is either black or white: he thinks he is either good at something or not. The saddest part is that he makes no effort to improve himself and believes he is the best at something and can't get better than that.  

 

As he grows older, he starts to hate constructive criticism and gets jealous of other people's successes. He stops trying new hobbies or activities, believing he will surely fail. He lives life constantly upset and continually frustrated, not taking control of his life. The minor failures make him give up on the task in itself. On the other hand, Radha grows up believing that she always develops her talents through effort and practice. She appreciates feedback when criticized and always believes there is room for improving her skills. She dismisses the belief that humans are born intelligent, and she believes that we can all improve with time, effort, and persistence. She is encouraged by other people’s successes and motivated by them. Raj has a fixed mindset, and Radha has a growth mindset. 

 

So what is the mindset you would choose? It would be the growth mindset. All the traits that Radha possesses relate to the growth mindset. So now that we know what the growth mindset is, what are the benefits of the growth mindset? 

 

Benefits of the Growth Mindset:  

• A growth mindset helps you become more resilient when faced with constant setbacks.  
• A growth mindset helps in improving our self-esteem. It increases our confidence because we believe we can achieve something if we put in the time and effort to learn and work. 
• A growth mindset helps us accept challenges and lead people around us toward growth and success. 
• A person with a growth mindset will look at challenges as opportunities. A growth mindset-inclined individual will look at challenges, logically understand them further and find solutions to the problem.  

•  A person with a  growth mindset will ask for feedback to improve their results and methods the next time.  

 

Let's now look further into the research on the Growth Mindset to look into scientific proof of its importance.  

 

Research around Growth Mindset: 

 

Neuroscience points out that our brains constantly change and develop, even during adulthood. The Brain is considered quite plastic and continually reshaped over time, forming new neural pathways. Neuroscientists call this concept Neuroplasticity. Specific actions or thoughts about particular things develop neural pathways. The things we do or say more often become established in our brains as habits. Defined routes are then formed in our brains, which become easier to use. But you can still change them. We can always train our brains to develop new skills. Hence creating a growth mindset is considered possible through science. 

 

Carol Dweck is considered a pioneer in research on the Growth Mindset. Over 30 years ago, Carol Dweck and her colleagues started to look into students' attitudes toward failure. They noticed that some students returned to normalcy while others seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks. After studying the behavior of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck created the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. Some students understand that they can become more innovative and effort makes them stronger in any field of knowledge. The students put in extra time and effort, leading to higher achievement. These forms of research further reinforce the belief in the importance of a growth mindset.  

 

Despite extensive research on Growth Mindset, there are certain myths surrounding this concept that we will have to address and find real answers.  

 

Myths surrounding Growth Mindset: 

• You either have a growth or fixed mindset: The truth is that we are generally on a spectrum between a growth and a fixed mindset. We continuously evolve and choose mindsets.  
• An organization can have a mindset: Various leaders often claim that “our organization has a growth mindset.” This, indeed, isn't true. Companies are made up of many people who have different mindsets. But an organization can look to develop strategies to help individuals develop a growth mindset.  
• A growth mindset and a positive mindset are the same: A growth mindset is not just about always being positive. A growth mindset is about believing in the potential for development and that learning a new skill comes from practice and perseverance. 
• A growth mindset automatically leads to success: A growth mindset in itself doesn't equate to success. A growth mindset should be accompanied by motivation to improve, a commitment to growth and time to develop skills. 
• Everyone has unlimited potential: Some believe that having a growth mindset means achieving anything possible, and this statement is inaccurate. Individuals with a growth mindset recognize their abilities and limitations, paving the way forward accordingly. 

 

Ways to develop a growth mindset: 

 

There are specific strategies that we can employ to develop a growth mindset: 

• Explore why you want to develop a growth mindset: It is crucial to understand why we would like to create a growth mindset and work towards it. 
• Looking out for examples of others who have developed a growth mindset: Having conversations with individuals who have developed a growth mindset or are trying to develop a growth mindset, helps us learn tools and techniques that could help us on our journey.  
• Changing our perspective on failure: Starting to view failure as an opportunity to learn and not as a setback is a great way to start your journey toward developing a growth mindset. 
• Understanding our limitations: Setting realistic goals and understanding our limitations help us understand the efforts needed to integrate a growth mindset into our everyday lives. 
• Seeing our challenges as opportunities: Look at challenges as opportunities to understand ourselves better. This can also help us overcome something difficult and grow. The more difficult the challenge, the greater the chance of learning and growth. 
• Focus on rewarding actions, not traits: You can also help others develop a growth mindset by praising their efforts rather than traits. For example, praise someone by saying they are good at something due to practice rather than saying they were born with talent. 

 

“Don’t worry about failure. Worry about the chances you miss when you don’t even try.” by Sherman Finesilver accurately captures the essence of a growth mindset. In a limited lifetime with limitless opportunities, a growth mindset helps us utilize every chance to truly live life on our terms and achieve all our goals and dreams! 

 

 

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