Carol Dweck is a researcher at Stanford University in the USA who did a lot of research comparing schoolchildren with a fixed mindset versus children with a growth mindset. She found that there were significant and consistent differences between the two groups of students.
She also found that individuals with a growth mindset turned out to have more success both at school and in the workplace.
Sometimes, the people considered the most talented at the start of a year ended up underperforming. One of the main reasons for this was their fixed mindset. They thought that they couldn't change, so they didn't take on any feedback from others or keep trying to improve. Instead, they took as many easy tasks as possible and avoided doing anything new or challenging.
Other times, students who were not considered the most intelligent at the start of the year ended up outperforming many other kids who seemed more naturally gifted. This is mainly because they have a growth mindset. They kept trying to challenge themselves, saw mistakes as an opportunity to learn and get feedback from others so that they could keep improving, and they never gave up. Eventually, their continued effort and hard work paid off, and their grades at the end of the year were a lot higher than expected.
If you think you might tend towards a fixed mindset and want to develop a growth mindset, try to remember the following. When I have a growth mindset:
Intelligence or talent plays a role in how successful someone is. But having a growth mindset and putting in the effort to continue learning and growing is even more critical to your overall success.
If you have a setback with something, that is okay. See if you can learn anything from it, get advice if you need it from others, and keep trying until you get to where you want to go. A growth mindset and persistence will give you a better chance of eventually getting there.
If you need any extra support or guidance, please send us a message at Mental Health Vanuatu on Facebook or via https://mentalhealthvanuatu.wordpress.com/. Come visit us at the Mind Care Clinic at Vila Central Hospital or call us on Voip: 1081.
Your Mindset Determines Your Success.