Are you someone who gives up on things quickly and thinks change is too hard? Then you have a fixed mindset. But are you tired of this way of thinking and want to challenge yourself to learn new skills? You can! Because you can teach yourself a growth mindset. But what exactly is the difference between a fixed and growth mindset? And how do you go from a fixed to a growth mindset? Stuvia has listed the definitions for you and drawn up a step-by-step plan.

What is a growth mindset?

A growth mindset is a mindset you have by nature: in every situation, you see opportunities to develop yourself and you do not shy away from adventures. A growth mindset is people’s natural urge to grow. When you have a growth mindset, you do everything you can to achieve your goals, even if this means stepping out of your comfort zone by trying new things. For example, someone with a growth mindset who is learning a new language is motivated by the progress he or she is making. Their personal development makes them proud.

What is a fixed mindset?

A fixed mindset is the opposite of a growth mindset. People with a fixed mindset consider being good at something as ‘having a talent’ and avoid activities they feel they have no talent for. For example, people with a fixed mindset will not try to learn a language when they think they have no talent for it. Having a fixed mindset is often a result of negative experiences or criticism. Making mistakes and receiving negative feedback is also seen as a personal failure. Therefore, the motivation for learning new skills is often lacking.

From a fixed to a growth mindset in four easy steps

Now you know what a fixed mindset and a growth mindset are, it's time to discover how to go from a fixed to a growth mindset. Using our step-by-step plan below, you'll have a growth mindset in no time. What are you waiting for?

Step 1: Be mindful of your current mindset

First assess yourself carefully: Do I have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset? To help you figure this out, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• How do I handle a new challenge?
• What do I do if things don’t work out?
• How do I react if the challenge fails?

Do you prefer to avoid a new challenge? Do you get disappointed or frustrated? Or do you get angry at the person giving you feedback? If so, you have a fixed mindset.

Step 2: Make a different choice in mindset

You have a lot of influence over the way you think and react. Instead of shying away from a challenge, as you would with a fixed mindset, try to tackle the challenge with both hands. Remember those tricky maths tasks from high school? In the beginning, you also doubted that you would ever be able to complete them successfully. But regular practice helped you master them anyway. Messi did not suddenly become a professional football player and Ed Sheeran wasn’t the pop idol from the start either. Through their growth mindset, they achieved what they aspired to.

Step 3: Replace your fixed mindset thoughts with growth mindset thoughts

It's easy to push something aside because you think you can't do it. Yet you can easily turn this around:

❌ 'If I don't reach my goal, I have failed'

✅ 'If I don't reach my goal, I have tried and I know where my stumbling blocks are. This allows me to know how to handle it better next time'.

❌ 'I don’t have a talent for this'

✅ 'Nobody starts at the top. You need to work hard to have a chance to go to the top'.

❌ 'I'm not going to pass my exam because I'm not good at this subject'.

✅ 'I can develop my skills by practicing. I must persevere.

Step 4: Make a conscious effort to act from a growth mindset

By consciously transforming your fixed mindset thoughts into growth mindset thoughts, things will become easier and more automatic. This is because your brain can still develop and grow. This has many advantages, including:

• You are more open to learning new things;
• You set higher goals for yourself more easily;
• You become aware of what you can learn from the times you didn't succeed;
• You are aware of your competencies;
• You know that the process is more important than the result.
  

Are you a real go-getter with a growth mindset? And do you still have several study documents lying around that you are currently doing nothing with? No worries! At Stuvia you can easily sell your (old) study documents and earn some extra money.