How many times have you heard a friend, colleague, or even your kid say, “I’m just not good at ‘X’” (sports, math… you insert the right word)? Or, how often do YOU say that when faced with a challenge?
I said it just the other day when describing the training I’ve just started for an Ironman triathlon. Half joking, I relayed to a friend that, “I’m just not a good swimmer.” This is what I believe about my ability to perform well in the first discipline of what is sure to be the toughest race I’ve ever done.
But what if I change what I believe? What if, instead, I say something like this:
“I find the swim to be the toughest event, but I know that with some instruction, maybe a little help from YouTube, and A LOT of work, I can improve.” Huh, that sounds a bit better.
And that’s what’s called a growth mindset.
A growth mindset is the belief that our abilities and talents can be improved through practice. This is in contrast to a fixed mindset, which is the belief that our abilities and talents are innate and unchangeable. The concept of a growth mindset is based on years of research by Dr. Carol Dweck, the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. The research not only shows that those who utilize a growth mindset tend to learn, grow, and achieve more over time, it also proves that the more you push yourself to ‘grow’, the greater the number of neural connections made in the brain. Just like a muscle, the more you work it, the strong it gets!
A great way to understand the impact of having a growth mindset is to see it applied in 4 ways:
· Effort: the effort you put in ignites your ability and turns it into accomplishments
· Challenge: overcoming challenges allows you to see your potential and build expectations of yourself
· Failure: experiencing failure provides an opportunity to learn
· Feedback: receiving constructive criticism provides new perspectives and ways to move forward
This video does a great job explaining a growth mindset from these perspectives.
I recently had the chance to facilitate a discussion about growth mindset with a group of young athletes, and I got more than I bargained for. Not only did the kids actively contribute to the discussion, they easily gave me examples of how they’ve had a fixed mindset about things in their lives that they find challenging, and then identified examples of how they could reframe their thinking to improve and grow. I came away from that discussion inspired, and up for the challenge of reframing the way I think of my own abilities and potential.
Having a growth mindset can apply to virtually every aspect of our lives, from work to relationships to athletics. It can have a big impact on how you lead your life, what you believe you’re capable of, and ultimately what you achieve.
If this intrigues you, I highly suggest picking up a copy of Dr. Dweck’s book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.
As an eternal sports fan, I’ll leave you with a few quotes that inspire me to face challenges, reframe failure, and put criticism to good use:
· “The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory.” Bianca Andreescu
· “Failure is an action, not an identity. If you learn from it, you’ll get better, and that’s how you grow.” Desiree Linden (2018 Boston Marathon champ)
“I like criticism. It makes you strong.” LeBron James