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Do you still believe that a person’s success is determined by their god-gifted high intelligence or mere great miraculous luck? In that case, you might be wrong. According to Carol Dweck’s research, those with growth mindsets are more likely to be successful than those with fixed mindsets irrespective of their IQ. Wondering what a growth mindset is?

Well, a growth mindset is nothing but the belief that intelligence, abilities, and talents can be developed through dedication, hard work, and a willingness to learn, and even though people have inherent qualities and traits, success comes from constant personal development. This concept was originally developed by Stanford Psychologist Carol Dweck in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. 

What is a fixed mindset?

By contrast, individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence, talents, and personalities are fixed traits that cannot grow. They also believe that if they were born with a certain level of ability (or special skills) they are unable to improve their level of abilities over time. They aren’t ready to accept the fact that practice, failure, and strategy development can help with developing talent or intelligence.

Pros of having a growth mindset

• You embrace challenges and see them as an opportunity for growth and show your capability to deal with them effectively rather than seeing them as an obstacle and the end. 
• You persevere despite failure and don’t give up easily.
• You believe that you can increase your intelligence or skills with effort instead of cribbing for not having it as god’s gift and blaming luck all the time.
• You get inspired and motivated by the success of others instead of getting jealous and upset.
• You are always ready to learn and embrace criticism as positive feedback to work on.

Steps to develop a growth mindset

Here are eight steps you can take right now to develop a growth mindset:

Self-reflection

Self-reflection is a crucial step in understanding where you stand to begin with is the first phase. You can’t be sure of where to go if you don’t know where you are. 

Find your ‘why’

Why do you wish to have a growth mindset? What changes you are expecting from this in your life? Answering these questions will give you clarity of your purpose and also push you to be consistent during the hard times.

Perspective shift

Be prepared to change your perception towards so many things, be it challenges, failure criticism, or the idea of achieving success. Start seeing challenges as an opportunity to learn, failure as a second chance to restart, criticism as positive feedback for improving oneself, and success as the outcome of consistent efforts and hard work. 

Analyse your weaknesses and limitations

Knowing your weaknesses will allow you to work and improve those areas, whereas the knowledge of your limitations helps you recognise that some things will be beyond what you can achieve, this allows you to set realistic goals. 

Mind your words

Words are a reflection of your thoughts, so be very careful with what you utter. Adding the word “yet” to your vocabulary can be transformative. When faced with a challenge or setback, refrain from saying, “I can’t do this” and instead say, “I can’t do this yet.” The simple addition of “yet” implies a belief in the potential for growth and improvement over time. 

Learn about brain plasticity

If you are the kind of person who believes in the scientific explanation of a subject for better understanding then learning about brain plasticity can be beneficial for you. It will give you a neat physiological perspective on how the growth mindset works.

Cultivate curiosity and a love for learning

Curiosity and a genuine interest in learning are the core of a growth mindset. Taking up new challenges, exploring different subjects, and engaging in fun and interactive activities that expand your knowledge and skills will help you develop curiosity. 

Surround yourself with a growth-minded community

The company you keep can significantly influence your mindset. Surround yourself with individuals who share a growth mindset, as their positive attitudes and approaches to challenges can inspire and reinforce your development. 

Conclusion

To conclude, adopting a growth mindset can help you realise your dream and unlock your full potential. Moreover, embracing challenges, valuing effort over instant success, incorporating the power of “yet,” and learning from feedback will propel you toward continuous improvement and success, and help you grow as a person in your personal as well as professional life.

However, remember that the journey towards a growth mindset is a long one and requires patience with each step taking you closer to the best version of yourself.