When you picture a person who is successful, what immediately springs to mind? Do you think they were born lucky, naturally talented or do you recognise the hard work and effort that goes on behind the scenes?
People with a growth mindset believe talent and ability can be improved from daily practice and effort, whereas people with fixed mindsets believe skills and traits are innate and unchanging. The term growth mindset was first coined by Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. She recognised that breaking away from a fixed mindset mentality was critical to success.
Below are 5 steps to help you develop a growth mindset so you can stand out from the competition.
Check in with yourself
Do you see change as exciting or scary? How much time do you devote to developing new skills? Do you have any self-limiting beliefs that are holding you back from reaching your full potential? It’s only by taking the time to understand your current mindset, that you can take steps to change it.
Change your view of failure
Everyone makes mistakes. The secret to cultivating a growth mindset is to see failure as a learning opportunity. Adopt the principle of plan, do, review so you can take the learnings from the situation and move forward, better equipped to achieve your next goal.
Say ‘yes’ to new opportunities
Successful people constantly challenge themselves to raise their game, rather than resting on their laurels. View challenges as opportunities for growth rather than obstacles in your path. Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone into your stretch zone – your area of best performance.
Control the controllables
Focus your time and attention on things within your zone of control that you can do something about, rather than wasting your energy on matters in your zone of concern that you’re powerless to change. You can control how you think, what you say, the actions you take and the type of work you do.
See feedback as a gift
People with a growth mindset actively seek feedback to close down blindspots and help them improve their performance. The key to receiving feedback with a growth mindset is to be open-minded and actively listen to what the other person is saying rather than being defensive or taking it as criticism. Remember to thank them for their feedback before putting together an action plan to address any areas for improvement.
Finally, don’t be tempted to strive for perfection. Although a growth mindset is critical for success, your goal should be to become the best version of yourself, not an idealised version of someone else.
