No matter who you are or how you grew up, you can improve your life if you want to. Some may argue with how that’s not possible and all the reasons why. That’s due to what’s called a fixed mindset.
The key to improving your life is to have a growth mindset. It starts with a choice to grow and then finding the way. There are many benefits to having a growth mindset and I’ll show you what they are and how to develop this empowering way to think.
If you’ll adopt a growth mindset, you’ll have a successful life.
If you’ll adopt a growth mindset, you’ll have a successful life. Click To Tweet
WHAT A GROWTH MINDSET IS
The term growth mindset refers to the concept developed by psychologist Carol Dweck. She explains a mindset as a self-perception. In other words, how you see yourself.
Her work focuses on the distinction between fixed and growth mindsets.
Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, & input from others) have a growth mindset. – Carol Dweck
Someone with a growth mindset improves their life because they believe they can.
Someone with a growth mindset improves their life because they believe they can. Click To Tweet
HOW A GROWTH MINDSET IMPROVES YOUR LIFFE
Benefits your relationships
Someone with a fixed mindset has set expectations in relationships. When these aren’t met, they feel the relationship is doomed. There’s no room for change.
However, when you have a growth mindset you understand relationships take work because people aren’t perfect, and things don’t always go as planned. That doesn’t mean the relationship is wrong or must end. People are different. They think different, feel different, process information differently. Because of this, disagreements are bound to happen.
Healthy relationships require both parties to learn about each other and how to communicate effectively. A Growth mindset gives plenty of room for grace and forgiveness instead of judgment.
This builds strong relationships.
Increases your self-esteem
A fixed mindset is prone to depression and infamous for low self-esteem. This is due to the feeling of being stuck that breeds a lack of hope.
A growth mindset doesn’t expect perfection and therefore isn’t self-condemning. It not only understands mistakes and setbacks occur and answers with grace, but it also is lesson-minded. It looks for the opportunity to learn from the mistake or setback, and then grow.
The lack of self-condemnation as well lesson-mindedness reduces the inclination to depression.
Develops a positive outlook
Anywhere you find cynicism you’ll find a fixed mindset. A cynic expects the worst and lacks hope.
A growth mindset, on the other hand, will see what the cynic sees but respond differently. They’ll look beyond the issue for solutions and/or positive ways to deal with it.
This positive outlook creates positive change and fosters optimism, not only in themselves but those around them.
You enjoy life more
Because there’s no hope for change in a fixed mindset it creates an underlying feeling of misery. The position is of a powerless victim. Feeling trapped in your life, cynicism, and negative outlooks are not fun.
On the contrary, when a person with a growth mindset comes up against those same negative things, they have hope and expect change. This powerful attitude brings about change.
Hope feels good. Having a positive outlook and good relationships are things that add enjoyment to life.
Turns criticism into a powerful tool
Criticism, even well-meaning constructive criticism, is received as attacking by a fixed mindset. They feel the need to defend and argue.
A person with a growth mindset welcomes criticism as an opportunity to grow. They’re not threatened by their imperfection or other people’s meanness.
Their desire to learn and grow will find something useful even harsh criticism.
An overcoming attitude
Fixed mindsets give up quickly. They see difficulties as an impenetrable wall.
Those holding to a growth mindset believe the old proverb that where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Even when it looks impossible, they’ll grab ahold of hope and look for the way to put a door in that wall of impossibility, find a ladder to go over or find a shovel to dig underneath.
A growth mindset is powerful like a seed that can break through concrete as it grows.
A more powerful mind
When a person has a fixed mindset, they think that what they have and who they are is set in stone.
People with a growth mindset are continuous learners. This continuous learning exercises the mind and has multiple benefits.
Studies show that continuous learning increases memory and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s. This is because the memory is honed through continuous practice.
Increases your financial success
Financial success isn’t about where you were born or how smart you are. These concepts are part of a fixed mindset.
The continuous and increased learning found in the growth mindset fosters behavior that breeds financial success. Things like confidence, working well with others, ingenuity and solution mindedness.
One survey, for example, found that 65% of adults who pursued professional learning activities expanded their professional network. And 47% claimed it helped them advance in their current company. source.
A growth mindset produces qualities in a person that makes them a great asset to their company.
Accomplishes things
Because people who have a fixed mindset give up easily, they don’t accomplish things they are capable of. This feeds their fixed mindset.
The tenacity and resilience found in a growth mindset empower people to accomplish great things. They push through difficulties. They overcome obstacles. They tap into grit.
These qualities carry them over many finish lines of accomplishment.
Growing is a transformation process, not a performance. Click To Tweet
BUILDING A GROWTH MINDSET
Does the idea of building a growth mindset overwhelm you?
Let me encourage you. There may be people who naturally have such a mindset. I did not.
I built my growth mindset, so I know it’s possible to do.
The key is process. Learning is a process. Growth is a process. Changing how you think is a process. The Bible calls this kind of growth glory to glory.
It’s a graceful process like a flower bud slowly opening.
It will transform your life permanently just as a caterpillar turns into a butterfly, or a tadpole turns into a frog.
You’ll never regret building a growth mindset.
You’ll never regret building a growth mindset. Click To Tweet
TOOLS TO BUILD A GROWTH MINDSET
Settle it in your heart that growing this new mindset will take time.
- Feed your curiosity. Curiosity wants to learn, wants more, wants to go and see and do. Ask questions and feed your sense of wonder.
- Read inspiring stories. Transformation stories. Fiction is good but non-fiction can be even more powerful.
- Laugh at your mishaps, mistakes, and setbacks. Remind yourself no one is perfect. These things happen. Share an embarrassing story with someone and laugh together. This will remind you that you’re not alone, and also help them feel not alone too.
- Mindshift using words. For example, add the word yet to your vocabulary. When you fall short of accomplishing something tell yourself you didn’t fail, you haven’t accomplished it – yet.
Do just one thing instead of trying to do everything.
Growing is a transformation process, not a performance.
WHAT NOW
- How much of a growth mindset do you have?
- Take this free test (no email required) and find out. growth mindset quiz pdf
- Look at the list of benefits above and ways to build then find one thing you can do to build. Let me know in the comments so I can cheer you on.
- Get my book Emerging With Wings here and be inspired to grow.
- Subscribe to my email list and make your life what you want it to be.
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I felt like I’d get a really low score on that growth mindset quiz… But I got a 25! I think this means that I need to:
1) Believe in myself more
2) Accept the imperfections of where I’m at currently
I have a lot of automatic, negative thoughts. But that doesn’t mean I’m not on my way to becoming the light-hearted person I wanna be. Believing that I can get there even when it can *feel* lightyears away…that makes a big difference.
Congratulations on doing better than you expected on the quiz, Samantha!
You sound like you have a growth mindset to me. It’s not that we have it all together. Everyone has challenges. The growth mindset is how we respond to them. Your declaration of believing that you can get there in spite of how you feel is a definite mindset response! Give yourself a high five or pat on the back!
In the process of growing, I found giving myself grace to be life-changing. I wrote about it here if you’d like to read more.
Thanks for sharing!
Love this part. “The key is process. Learning is a process. Growth is a process. Changing how you think is a process. The Bible calls this kind of growth glory to glory.”
Thank you, Jan.
Thanks for sharing what you loved. I love that part too. 😉
There is such a flow to your writing. So refreshing everytime I read it. Thanks for sharing your gift with us.
Most of the article is highlightable and very succinct.
Yes, this bit jumped out to me and I like how you emphasise that it is a process. It is not a performance or struggle of self-effort
“Changing how you think is a process. The Bible calls this kind of growth glory to glory.
It’s a graceful process like a flower bud slowly opening.”
I checked out your Bible link and thought I would paste it here, as it is always liberating to be reminded of His grace and take thoughts captive to His obedience on the cross that has brought us God’s righteousness as a gift.
I read the verse before it and then another and another one and just simply good news which one can never grow weary of, constantly learning, changing, growing.
2 Corinthian 3
(17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.)
It reminds me that change of mind is what was translated as repentance from the Greek “metanoia”
2 Corinthian 3
The Glory of the New Covenant
(Exodus 34:29-35)
7Now if the ministry of death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at the face of Moses because of its fleeting glory, 8will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? 9For if the ministry of condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry of righteousness! 10Indeed, what was once glorious has no glory now in comparison to the glory that surpasses it. 11For if what was fading away came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which endures!
12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at the end of what was fading away.
14But their minds were closed. For to this day the same veil remains at the reading of the old covenant. It has not been lifted, because only in Christ can it be removed. 15And even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into His image with intensifying glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
Thank you, River.
I’m so blessed my words have touched your heart and you got caught up in the goodness of God.
Yes indeed, it is liberating to be reminded of His grace. I’m so thankful for His grace.
Thank you for sharing your heart.