A fixed mindset means that you believe intelligence is fixed and static—so if you’re not good at something, you might believe you’ll never be good at it (levels of intelligence and abilities are innate).
A growth mindset means that you believe your intelligence and talents can be improved through effort and learning, thus developed over time (understand that not being good at something is but a temporary state)
A growth mindset has a positive effect on motivation and academic performance. It helps you embrace failure and treat it as a learning experience. It allows you to recognize that setbacks are a necessary part of the learning process and thus helps you to bounce back, by increasing motivational effort. It’s more beneficial to praise the process itself rather than to praise talent or natural abilities.
| FIXED MINDSET | GROWTH MINDSET |
| Avoid learning new things | Embrace lifelong learning |
| Believe intelligence and talent are static | Believe intelligence can be improved |
| Avoid challenges to avoid failure | Put in more effort to learn |
| Believe putting in effort is worthless | Believe effort leads to mastery |
| Give up easily | Believe failures are just temporary setbacks |
| Ignore feedback from others | View feedback as a source of information |
| Hide flaws so as not to be judged by others | Willingly embraces challenges |
| Feel threatened by the success of others | View others’ success as a source of inspiration |
| View feedback as personal criticism | View feedback as an opportunity to learn |
How to develop a growth mindset:
- Science has proven that you can improve, so
- Squelch your fixed mindset inner judge
- Reward the process — rewarding effort results in improved performance
- View feedback as a precious gift, and
- Stretch out of your comfort zone
“What you think affects what you achieve!”