Life becomes harder as we grow older. Along with the hustle of doing something big, responsibilities also hit us hard. Millennials often find themselves stuck between the conflict of the hustle of achieving their dream and their responsibilities towards their families. A growth mindset can help you pass through all these struggles and will lead you towards your goal.
Stay calm, stay focussed and try to have a growth mindset. That's it. You will be at your destination.
What is a growth mindset? Why is growth mindset so important? What is the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset? All these questions may have come to your mind. Stay tuned. You will get to know everything as we proceed in this article.
Growth mindset definition:
What is a growth mindset? Carol Dweck philosophy of growth mindset:
A growth mindset is an attitude of constant urge to be better to achieve something big. Growth mindset endorses the philosophy that our basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. Brains and talents are the base point. Just having a higher IQ and talents won't lead you to success. Consistent hard work and dedication are the key to success. This philosophy increases the interest in learning new things which is the utmost essential for great achievements.
Carol Dweck explains growth mindset in a single line as “A growth mindset is when students understand that their qualities can be developed” (Carol Dweck in 2014)
Growth mindset vs fixed mindset:
We humans operate in both fixed and growth mindsets. Carol Dweck, a leading researcher on growth mindset explains this in a very insightful way.
So how do we all operate in both fixed and growth mindsets?
Lets have an example: Humans cannot fly. Even if you try a million times, do a lot of hard work with dedication, it's impossible. This is a very normal fixed mindset which is necessary to save your life.
Carol Dweck gives the definition of both fixed and a growth mindset:
Fixed mindset:
According to Carol Dweck, in a fixed mindset, people have a belief that their talent and intelligence will lead them towards success. Instead of developing their talents, they keep documenting them. This mindset is very toxic as it emphasizes more on intelligence, talents and less on hard work and dedication. ( Carol Dweck, 2015)
Growth mindset:
According to Dweck, People having a growth mindset give more emphasis on dedication and hard work. They believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication. Talents and intelligence are just the base. Having great talents does not guarantee a bright future.
Growth mindset for kids:
The experiences, situations and surroundings build a child's mindset. Our neurochemical system starts developing during the very early days of our childhood. Our view of the society, our basic reactions to situations and surroundings, everything are the results of these experiences during our childhood. Your being an introvert or an extrovert is a result of the experiences, treatments and the reactions you had during your childhood days. This can definitely be changed later but becomes harder as we grow older. As Jordan Peterson says, when we challenge ourselves to some situations beyond our comfort zone, our neurochemical alignment changes a bit which leads to changing in our basic reactions to such situations later.
It becomes very important for the childs to get an environment where they are appreciated, accepted and make them feel desired. As mindset starts forming even from our childhood, it's very essential to create an environment for the child to have a growth mindset. As childhood experiences build the base of our psychological system, it's very important to create an environment where they feel desired and accepted. An environment for building a growth mindset in childhood will eventually lead the child to have a better life ahead, be it in psychological aspects or in career perspectives.
How can a growth mindset help you overcome your shortcomings?
Growth mindset does not endorse someone to be a failure or loser, a fixed mindset definitely does. A growth mindset always emphasises on the process of working hard. Growth mindset is not about the outcomes. Scientists are working hard on developing antivirus of this corona pandemic. Even if the outcome turns out to be a negative for the first time, a growth mindset approach will be to value the tremendous efforts of the scientists. They are working hard, finding new possibilities and surely they are going to get success. They may not have found the perfect result so far, but the research was meaningful for humanity.
The best thing about the whole philosophy of growth mindset is it always pushes you to work harder. Setbacks will be there. But there is no failure until you are trying. This is the best approach to have towards anything, be it career, life or at the psychological level.
How to develop a growth mindset?
21st century millennials are blessed with the easy availability of the Internet. The best way to build a growth mindset is to consume productive contents over the Internet, read books and create a better environment which can help you grow. If it's not possible to create a proper surroundings, build a virtual one. Fill your surroundings with quality contents, podcasts and books. That's it.