The concept of fixed and growth mindset was introduced by psychologist Carol Dweck in her 2006 book, Mindset: The New Psychology Of Success.

A person with a growth mindset believes that intelligence, talents, abilities, and capacities can be learned, and improved with effort. Such a person thinks that they can improve their skills with practice and effort. On the other hand, someone with a fixed mindset believes that these traits are innate, stable, unchangeable over time. This person thinks that they are either good at something or not.

 

For example, if you wish to change your job, you need to be proactive in finding a good fit for you. If you have a fixed mindset, you may think, “I’m not sure if I’ll effectively be able to find a better job. I’m not even good at interviews, and it’ll need loads of research, communication, and effort”.

 

However, if you approach the situation with a growth mindset, you’ll think that “I know it’s time to venture out of my comfort zone in order to advance my career. So I'll take out time for researching and practicing good interview skills”.

 

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Growth Mindset

People with a growth mindset view their skills and abilities as ever-evolving. They embrace lifelong learning and are always motivated to improve themselves through actions and behaviours. They tend to focus on developing their talents through practice and creativity.

 

According to Dr. Shreya Chakravarty, a psychologist at Apollo Health City, Hyderabad, people with a growth mindset:

• Believe that human abilities can develop with varied experiences and learning opportunities.
• See minor setbacks as learning lessons.
• Accept challenges and view them as an opportunity for growth and development.
• Believe that mastery over a task can be achieved with regular practice.
• Are open to novel ideas and concepts.
• Get inspired by others’ success.
• Handle constructive criticism positively.

 

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How To Develop A Growth Mindset

According to Dr. Shreya, a person can start thinking with a growth mindset by:

• Accepting their shortcomings.
• Facing challenges with a positive outlook.
• Concentrating on their thoughts and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones.
• Minimizing the need to seek validation from others.
• Accepting themselves as they are and preparing themselves to grow by learning and giving yourself opportunities to grow.
• Embracing failure.
• Taking criticism positively and learning from it.
• Being realistic.

 

 

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Fixed Mindset

People with a fixed mindset view their capabilities, skills, and intelligence as static, stable, and innate. They think that no matter how much practice, they cannot improve.

 

According to Dr. Shreya, people with a fixed mindset:

• Avoid doing tasks because of fear of failure.
• Believe that abilities like intelligence, once acquired, remain unchangeable.
• Have set and fixed rules.
• Low motivation level and give up easily.
• Cannot handle constructive criticism and feedback.

 

 

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How Can The Way You Think Make A Difference

Carol Dweck says that the way you think, and adopt yourself, can profoundly affect the way you lead your life. It determines whether you become the person you want to be, and whether you accomplish the things you value. According to Carol Dweck, the most powerful way that your mindset impacts your daily life is how you approach challenges put in front of you. In professional and personal lives, work, and play, how we react to struggles, determines our well-being and happiness.

 

Challenging situations can be demanding for those with a fixed mindset as they believe that they don’t already have the skills and neither is there any chance for improvement. As a result, they won’t be able to overcome the challenging situation. When you face a challenging situation with a growth mindset, you believe that you can gain the required knowledge and necessary skills to overcome the situation. This makes every challenge a learning opportunity. According to Dr. Shreya, people adopt a way of thinking, or a mindset, at an early age. This mindset impacts the way a person responds to literally all the situations in their life. How they treat little children, their dating experiences, how they behave in the workplace, and how well they perform in school and their job, all depends on the way the person operates based on their mindset.

 

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