Have you ever wondered if you can change your mindset? While doing research, I found this book, Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.
She discusses the difference between fixed and growth mindsets. Here is the difference between fixed and growth mindsets.
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The Difference between a Fixed Mindset and a Growth Mindset
Fixed mindsets can stop you from seeing the process's beauty and what you have accomplished. Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., says, "In a fixed mindset, it is not enough just to succeed. It is not enough just to look smart and talented. You have to be pretty much flawless. And you have to be flawless right away... After all, if you have it, you have it, and if you don’t know, you don’t…" from mindsetonline.com(no longer in existence).
A growth mindset allows you to learn and change your mindset more easily. The definition of a growth mindset from mindsetworks.com (no longer available) is "the understanding of intelligence and abilities as qualities we can develop, which has been shown over and over to have powerful ramifications on student motivation and learning, and school success." By the way, this site offers services to help students be more growth-minded.
Questions to help determine your mindset
While pondering these definitions, I came up with some starter questions to help determine my mindset. Feel free to use it to help you learn yours.
- Where am I now in my perception of where I want to be? Am I fulfilled but not happy?
- Am I looking at my future optimistically? Or do I foresee the same things happening over and over?
- Am I making my decisions from past actions? Do I feel I am not intelligent enough to make a change in my life?
- Am I willing to clear those thoughts? Or do I think those thoughts are set in stone and can't be changed?
- If I could change those thoughts, what thoughts would I put in their place?
I hope these questions help you start determining how fixed you are with your mindset. It helped me.
Listening to where you came from in your mindset and replacing those thoughts with the growth mindset will help get you to where you want to be in your life.
How to Change Your Mindset
A great way to change your mindset is to tell yourself over and over that you want to learn and grow. Each morning, you may want to say to yourself while looking in a mirror, I am open to change and learning something new. Creating your favorite mantra also works well. But be vigilant; do it every day, no matter what or wherever you are. I find that to keep the change going, I must be committed to making a move. So, to start to be more committed to change, I will do this to reinforce I am ready for my life to change.
I also find that reevaluating your surroundings and the people and friends you see on a regular basis helps, too. Make an effort to determine if you are around toxic people. Do they often have a cynical look at life? Do they express it to you? Any comment or remark you are exposed to on a regular basis can ingrain you without you even knowing it.
Another area to analyze is what you watch and listen to on social media. Scrutinize what you are hearing and ask yourself, "Is this something that will help me change myself?" or "Is this a positive motivation that will influence me to become an even better person?". These questions will help you see if your surroundings are making you who you are but not who you want to be.
I hope this helps motivate you to change your unwanted mindset.
If you took the test, what were the results? What did you learn about yourself after reading the questions above? Please leave a comment below.
Note: I did not get a commission for this post. I love to share great finds. I hope you enjoyed it and it helped you become a better person.
Feel free to check out these posts for further information on this topic.
10 Ways to Cultivate a Positive Mindset and Change Your Life
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Andi Willis says
I have found that mantras are very helpful in changing my mindset especially when it is negative. I read somewhere that one way to do this is to write down the negative thoughts you have (I don’t know what I’m doing, I feel like a fraud, I don’t think people take me seriously) and then say the opposite. “I am an expert, I know what I’m doing and people respect me.” This exercise has carried me through many rough patches.
Seana Turner says
So many important changes begin with an understanding of where we are truly beginning. Recognizing where we might have become a bit too rigid in our thinking is a classic example. We may say we want to "get things in order," but underneath have some very set ideas that are hindering the process. Something to think about for sure!
William Rusho says
I know for myself, I am constantly trying to alter my mindset. I am not one who likes to be stagnant on anything. I try to adjust and grow all aspects of my life, being it working out for my physique, or reading and teaching myself something new for my mind. When I do that, I notice my outlook is brighter. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Jeri says
Those are great starter questions for exploration. I am striving to create a better growth mindset for myself post-divorce and I think I will add the ones here to my list of topics to explore in my journal.
Ken Dowell says
I took the test and got a growth mindset rating. I did, however, think the test was kind of predictable and I'd be surprised if anyone came up with anything different. I think that is reflected in the comments.
Pamela Chollet says
I'm wondering if a growth mindset isn't similar to an inquisitive nature. It doesn't surprise me that everyone commenting has a growth mindset. I would think that people who blog are interesting in exploring new ideas and expanding their minds and fields of interest. It sounds like Dr. Dweck approach has underpinnings in Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Suggesting that we form a set of negative core beliefs that keeps us from taking an action toward change. It looks like a very helpful program.
Erica says
The test said I had a Growth Mindset. We can always benefit from working to make our own mindset more positive. Even if you are an optimist, you can still get caught in a rut, so little reminders like this are really helpful.
Sabrina says
Thanks for commenting, Erica! Yes we are creatures of habit. It does help to have a reminder to wake us up and grow again.
Tuhin says
Fixed mind set is something we should fight against. I am not sure why people with this mindset manage to cope up with this fast changing world.
Meredith @ The Palette Muse says
This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately while my kids are going through elementary school. It seems like schools have a fixed mindset, while kids innately have a growth mindset and I wish we would do a better job encouraging them to keep growing rather than "get it right."
Sabrina says
Great point Meredith. It is really hard for people to get out of their fixed mindset. This should be something that is taught to the teachers so they can teach the students. It shouldn't just be left up to the parents to teach this.
Marquita Herald says
Excellent tips Sabrina. I've read Carol's book as well as much of her associated research and found it very helpful with my own focus on building emotional resilience. I also have a growth mindset but considering how pro-change I tend to be that's not surprising. 🙂
Sabrina says
Thanks for sharing Marquita, I assumed you have read her stuff. 😉 Thanks for commenting.
Patricia Weber says
Growth mindset from the quiz. I intuitively knew that's how it would turn out! hahaha I'm going over to read the article on the quiz page about the 4 steps to change your mindset. Hoping I'll find the practical application of how to BETTER change any thoughts I have that are interfering with my growth mindset.
Phoenicia says
I have 'mostly a growth mindset'. This does not surprise me as there us definitely room for development.
I need to fully let go of negative talk and thinking which is a result of my past experience.
You arrive at a point where you just cannot make any more excuses.
Sabrina says
You are not alone, Phoenicia. I total agree - enough already with the excuses. Thanks for commenting.
Lenie says
I took the test and have a growth mindset - interesting experiment. Don't quite know what I should do with it. I like the way you phrased this question - If I could change those thoughts, what thoughts would I put in their place? = I am going to think that one over for a bit.
Jacqueline Gum says
I tested as having a growth mindset too. Mostly, I hate being put in a box! I do think, for the most part, the biggest limitations are the ones we impose on ourselves. Looks like a really good book!