WATCH: Which Context or Which Mindset?

Today, I’d like to talk about ‘Mindset’, and the work of Carol Dweck who coined the phrase ‘Growth Mindset’ and also talked about ‘Fixed Mindset’. And, the different ways that these mindsets can influence our behaviour and our success in life. 

 

Because in a number of different contexts, people with a ‘Fixed Mindset’ tend to have one set of behaviours. And people with a ‘Growth Mindset’ have a different, radically different, set of behaviours. 

I’d like you to think of how you behave in these different situations. So, when you have a challenge: Do you tend to ‘Avoid’ challenges, because they might you know cause problems for you. Or ‘Embrace’ them because they’re an opportunity to ‘Grow’. 

Do you take ‘Obstacles’ and give up easily when an obstacle comes and goes, “Oh no I’m no good at that. I’m going to give up”. Or have there been particular contexts where you’ve done that. 

Because that might be a fixed mindset or in other situations where you go “No, I’m going to persist, I’m going to learn through this challenge. I’m going to grow through this challenge.” And when it comes to ‘Effort’, people with a fixed  

mindset tends to go “That’s pointless, why bother?”. Where people with a growth mindset go, “You know what, this is a path to mastery. This is how I can become really brilliant at this by just  Persisting”. 

When it comes to ‘criticism’, people with a fixed mindset tend to ‘Reject’ criticism. They go, “No, that’s not me or you don’t understand”. And they don’t take it on board, where people with a growth mindset go, “Okay, it might be uncomfortable but I’m going to take it on board because it’s an opportunity to learn, to become better, to get a different perspective”.  

So, again think about that when you receive feedback. How open are you to receiving feedback? And whether you have a fixed or growth mindset in that context. And then when it comes to ‘Success of Others’, people with a fixed mindset tend to see other success as a ‘Threat’ to them. They feel lesser or their status being dropped in some way by other people’s success. Because they tend to do a lot of comparing themselves to others. “You either have it or you don’t. And if they have it then I may not and that’s not good for me or their status”. Where people with a growth mindset don’t see it like that at all. They see it as a “Everybody has the opportunity and if some people have done it then I can do it too”. 

 

And what Carol Dweck found from all of the studies that she did. And she did numerous types of studies. And really exploring how people approach life. People with a growth mindset tend to have ‘Continuous Growth’, ‘Achieve More’, ‘Be Optimistic’ and have a ‘Sense of that they have Purpose’ and a 

‘Sense of Free Will’ in the world. Where people with a fixed mindset tend to ‘Plateau Early’, ‘Achieve Less’, ‘Be Pessimistic’ and be very ‘Deterministic’. 

 

So, when it comes to Mindset. Stay Curious! 

 

With best regards,

David Klaasen 

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©David Klaasen – 2014