Fixed vs. growth mindset

"Remember, no more effort is required to aim high in life, to demand abundance and prosperity than is required to accept misery and poverty" - Napoleon Hill

A fixed mindset is one where it thinks that our character, our intelligence and our creative abilities are fixed features that cannot be changed.  People with a fixed mindset believe that their basic abilities are what you are born with. These people always want to appear intelligent since they don't understand that intelligence can be modified.  They fear to behave dumb with others believing that they will always look that way once others see them as being unintelligent.

Some typical fixed mindset thoughts:

• I can't learn now, it's too late
• I'm not creative
• It's hard for me to lose weight
• Either I'm good at something or I'm not
• I always struggle with ...
• I'm a procrastinator
• There's no point in trying if I'm going to fail

On the other hand, people with a growth mindset believe that their intelligence and abilities are real and that they can grow with time and experience.  They know they can become smarter, that their efforts achieve their success and with persistence they can learn.  Those with a growth mindset believe that their basic ability is only the starting point for their true potential.  They create a passion for learning instead of craving a constant need for approval.

Some typical growth mindset thoughts:

• I can learn whatever I want or need to, exactly when I need to learn it
• I enjoy learning and growing.
• Learning is a lifetime pursuit for me
• I can always become better at something through practice
• I see failures as opportunities to learn, to reevaluate and to do better next time
• Determination and effort are the measures of my outcomes
• I can always to better at something if I want to, even if it will take more effort

There are some main differences between a fixed and a growth mindset:

1. Challenge - A person with a fixed mindset will stay away from a challenge, most likely due to fear of failure. They may go hiding to avoid responsibilities. A person with a growth mindset is excited by challenges.  They find them interesting and a key in learning something new; they accept the challenge and move to greater benefits.
2. Dealing with feedback and mistakes - A person with a fixed mindset is ashamed of making mistakes.  They blame others or become defensive when criticized.  A person with a growth mindset sees mistakes as a learing lesson.  They are open to criticism believing it helps improve their ability to do better next time, so they are less likely to take criticism personally.

If you find you have a fixed mindset and you genuinely want to change, you can.  It will take practice, determination and being more aware of your thoughts.  With these efforts you can have a growth mindset that can lead to succcess in every area of your life.

xxx