Your mindset can make all of the difference

No, I’m not going to read you your horoscope, or look into a crystal ball and as much as the statement seems like it goes in the field of mysticism, there is some hard science behind the difference that your mindset makes.  Research by Dr. Carol Dweck outlines those that approach the experiences in a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset can have very different outcomes.  People can be successful with either but there are marked differences in their reactions and specifically to failures that we’ll review.

Fixed mindset

The typical fixed mindsetter feels that people are predestined with certain “fixed” abilities.  The ability could be their intelligence, their artistics ability, their ability to communicate with others or pretty much anything you can think of that isn’t purely focused on physical ability.

When someone with a fixed mindset “fails” then they “didn’t have it in them”.  They feel that they can potentially get incrementally better, but they don’t have much hope in themselves of overcoming their deficiencies.  While having a fixed mindset is not bad in itself, it can be quite a challenge if you want to achieve your potential.

Growth mindset

One of my favourite quotes that embodies the growth mindset is “I never lose.  I either win or I learn” (aside: I haven’t found an accurate source on who to attribute this quote to, but if you know, then please reach out).  Very powerful words if you think about it and can live by it.  The quote basically means that you cannot fail, and even if you do, it isn’t failure, it is just a lesson for you to take to your next experience.

When someone with a grown mindset “fails” then they are more likely to pick themselves up, see what they could learn and perhaps try again from a different approach to hopefully succeed this time.

The good news

The bright side is that you can change your mindset.   The change might take practice, but it can happen, and hopefully gets a little more permanent everytime you catch yourself in that fixed mindset.

So as simple as that sounds, changing mindsets is a challenge, so keep it up and grow, and you’ll be well on your way to reach your career potential.

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