In Mindset, Dr. Carol Dweck tells us:
“For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value. How does this happen? How can a simple belief have the power to transform your psychology and, as a result, your life? Believing that your qualities are carved in stone—the fixed mindset—creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character—well, then you’d better prove that you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn’t do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characteristics. In the growth mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. The growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way—in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments—everyone can change and grow through application and experience.”
| Fixed Mindset | Growth Mindset |
| Avoid challenges | Embrace challenges |
| Give up easily | Persist in the face of obstacles |
| Effort is fruitless | Effort is the path to mastery |
| Ignore useful negative feedback | Learn from criticism |
| Threatened by others’ success | Inspired by others’ success |
| May achieve less than full potential | Reach ever-higher levels of achievement |
When people are reminded and taught about neuroplasticity, it leads to more of a growth mindset.
The power of yet. Whenever my children say they can’t do something, I rephrase, “You can’t do it yet.”
In an interview, Dr. Carol Dweck mentioned two essential components of a growth mindset that are often overlooked: pursuing different strategies and getting help.
Anything you can’t do yet? Any different strategies you can take? Anyone you can reach out to for help?
