“If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.” -Zig Ziglar

Are you someone who would prefer to stick to your habits and well known routines? Or, do you have a passion for learning new things?

Are you someone who believes you were given certain traits and talents that are fundamentally unchangeable? That you have the skills you have, and can use them, but are not able to develop new ones? Or, do you believe you can grow, change, learn and develop?

That is the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. For us to succeed as we really want, it is important that we develop a growth mindset.

Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University did a groundbreaking study on different approaches to our life. She determined that there was a fundamental difference between how different students handled success and failure. She developed the term growth mindset to describe the individuals who were open to learning, growth, and change.

In this newsletter, I will describe what is a fixed mindset; what is a growth mindset; and 8 steps we can take to develop the growth mindset that we need to be as successful and fulfilled as we deserve.

What is a fixed mindset?

According to Dr. Dweck. “In a fixed mindset, people believe their basic qualities, like their intelligence or talent, or simply fixed traits. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success-without effort.” 

When we have a fixed mindset, we believe that our intelligence, talents and skills are fixed and innate. If we are not good at something, we believe we will never be good at it. We have set our minds on the fact there are certain things we just are not good at. They are not in our wheelhouse. In a fixed mindset, everything is about success or failure. We may give up because the outcome is not what we wanted.

What are some examples of a fixed mindset? You are operating from a fixed mindset if you believe or think thoughts such as these:

I am either good at something or I am not.

When associates give me constructive suggestions, I always feel like I’m being criticized.

Other people's successes sometimes make me feel bad about where I am.

I feel embarrassed when I make a mistake or fail.

If I fail, it is time to give up.

That is something I simply am not good at!

If I try something and do not improve, I feel; frustrated and start to criticize myself.

It is easy to see how thoughts such as those hinder our progress and success.

What is a growth mindset?

Dr. Dweck describes growth mindset this way: “in a growth mindset, people believe that the most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work-brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for a great accomplishment.”

If we have a growth mindset, we value what we are doing, regardless of the outcome. We handle new problems, develop our skills, learn new talents. Persons with a growth mindset thrive on the challenges we face. We don’t see failure as describing us as failures; rather those challenges are simply an opportunity for growth and for developing our abilities. Our skills and our talents all may be improved and developed.

These are examples of a growth mindset:

I can improve my skills with effort and practice.

I welcome constructive suggestions. They help me to learn and grow.

Art/math/science are challenging for me, but I know I can learn and improve.

There is always room for growth

We can all improve over time if we are persistent and are open to learning.

The success of other people inspire me.They show me what is possible and how to do it.

Failure is simply part of our success. Most successful people have failed many times, but they ultimately succeeded because they refused to quit.

I love to try new and different things, even if I fail at first. That is the only way to grow.

I have not been successful at that yet. But I’m going to persist, try new strategies, and ask for help or support until I am successful.

Which of those best describes you?

Character Traits of a professional with a growth mindset. 

What are some characteristics of a lawyer or other professional with a growth mindset? They are persistent, always open to learning and to growth. We accept new challenges. We are open-minded and appreciate the particular needs of our staff and our clients. We are comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty. We believe it is okay to be uncomfortable, and to take risks and challenges. We are clear on what our clients and our staff expect from us, and we work hard at being prepared for unexpected challenges and developments. If something does not work out right, we take ownership instead of blaming others. We realize we are not defined by our success and failures. Our life is a journey. It is about growing and developing and getting closer to our vision of success. We understand that we learn more from our failures than we do in our successes. We are persistent, resilient, and flexible.

Tools for developing a growth mindset.

We can all see the benefits of having a growth mindset. Obviously, such a mindset is critical to our growth and success. But how can we develop a growth mindset? Here are some helpful tools:

1. Be aware of your mindset voice. If you tell yourself that when you fail it is time to give up, you may be operating out of a fixed mindset. We need to develop an awareness of what our mindset voice is, so we may be able to change it and develop the mindset we want. 

2. Understand that you have a choice. Our fixed mindset tells us to quit or to not try so that we don’t fail. But we have a choice. We can choose what mindset we have. Understand that that voice we tell ourselves is something we have control over and it can change.

3. Choose a growth mindset. When those negative thoughts enter your head, instead of thinking, “if this does not work at first I will quit,” change your thought. Look at a setback as an opportunity to learn.

4. Do not seek approval from others. Our fixed mindset is so worried about what others think of us, whether they see us as failures if our opportunity does not work out how we want. Their thoughts do not matter. Instead, we should focus on ourselves, our goals, our visions and our growth.

5. Look at challenges as opportunities. Do not give into the fear of failure. Every new challenge is an opportunity to learn, grow our skill set, and analyze our mistakes. Every time we have an obstacle in our way, we are one step closer to achieving our success.

6. Substitute “learning” for “failing.” Too often when something does not work out, we can view ourselves as failures. Instead, look and see what we can learn from what happened. If we do not look at a setback as a failure, but rather an opportunity for growth. We will be much more successful. If we tell ourselves we have learned something new every time we did not succeed, and we will develop a much more positive picture of ourselves.

7. Develop a sense of purpose. Believe that there is something greater than yourself. Understand that you have a role to fulfill, a way to contribute to the community and to society. Believe that when you are taking on a challenge, there is an important reason.

8. Act on your growth mindset. Now that you have chosen to accept challenges, and understand that failures are simply an opportunity to learn, get into action. Follow through with those actions. As you take on new challenges, your growth mindset will grow. You will learn from your mistakes, you will accept them, you will become better, you will approach your vision of success.

Which of these tips is of greatest benefit to you?

I am working with attorneys and other professionals to help them be as successful and fulfilled in their profession as they want. I would love to learn more about you, your challenges and your goals. If you would like to chat, please set up a complementary discovery call with me here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call