I sometimes feel that I will never become a good cook, or that I was simply not born to be bilingual. Sometimes I catch my daughter saying that I cannot do it. And I hear people say things like “I’m not good at math” or “I’m not cut out for business.” All of these examples are fixed mindset, and we are all guilty of it from time to time. Fortunately, a fixed mindset does not have to be permanent.
What Is a Fixed Mindset?
Psychologist Carol Dweck is one of the leading experts on mindset and the author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Early in her career, she pointed to two mindsets: growth and fixed. These two mindsets explain why some people face challenges head-on while others shy away from them. People with a fixed mindset believe their skills or abilities are set in stone and determined at birth. If you believe you are bad at math, not very good at sports, or a natural-born musician, you are demonstrating a fixed mindset. People with a growth mindset believe their skills and abilities can be improved and refined through effort and perseverance. When you take steps to improve yourself and stick with them, you are demonstrating a growth mindset.
The False Growth Mindset
Dweck clarifies her work by explaining that everyone has a fixed mindset at one time or another, about one thing or another.((The Atlantic: how praise became a consolation prize)) People do not always have either a fixed or a growth mindset. I could work out at the gym to become stronger and more flexible while quitting piano lessons because I think I am not a musical person. This example shows that I have a growth mindset about my fitness, but a fixed mindset about playing the piano. It would also be an oversimplification to say that a growth mindset is just about effort. Dweck explains that effort and strategies are necessary for a true growth mindset. It is not enough for me to just hang on and not try. A true growth mindset involves effort, reflection, reassessment, and then more effort. Self-awareness is one of the most important components of a growth mindset, because you must accurately assess your current progress in order to make the right changes toward reaching your goals. It just isn’t going to be cut short.
What Triggers a Fixed Mindset
A fixed-mindset trigger is what shifts your thinking from “abilities can be improved” to believing that they are fixed or predetermined. Think about what might make you throw up your hands in defeat and say that you are not good at something and never will be. The most obvious fixed-mindset trigger is when someone tells you that you are not very good at something. It can make it seem as though your ability is set in stone. Imagine you are trying your hardest in a Spanish class, and your teacher casually says, “It’s good that you’re good at math.” That comment can make it seem like you have always been bad at Spanish and always will be, no matter how much effort and determination you bring to the table. Another fixed-mindset trigger is when people overreact to failure. When people make a big deal out of your mistakes, it may seem as though you were never meant to succeed at what you failed at. Let’s use our Spanish example. Suppose you are working on your Spanish project, a film. You show it to a friend, who starts laughing and keeps pointing out how you said the word “bota” instead of “barco” while the film focuses on a boat. Instead of thinking about all the Spanish words you got right, your mind may fixate on that one glaring mistake and pull you into a fixed mindset about your Spanish ability. Finally, people rescuing you from failure can trigger a fixed mindset. Continuing with our Spanish example, if your mom stops making you do your Spanish homework and starts doing it herself to keep you from falling behind, you may start to think that you are not very good at Spanish and never were and never will be.
How Can You Change a Fixed Mindset?
Dweck talks about praising the process as the antidote to a fixed mindset. Praise the process: when you praise and encourage someone to apply effort and strategies and to use the right resources to learn and improve. Often praising someone’s abilities leads to a fixed mindset, while praising effort promotes a growth mindset. So if I want to help someone shift from a specific fixed mindset to a growth mindset, I should say something like, “You worked so hard on this,” or “What could you try to do better next time?” rather than “You’re so good at this” or “That’s so unfair. Your opponent must have been cheating.” You can try praising yourself, too. If you catch yourself making excuses, blaming someone or something else for your failures, or assuming your abilities are fixed, try praising yourself instead. Focus on the effort you put in and the strategies and resources you used to improve. Dweck recommends being accurate and being neither too harsh nor too passive with your praise. Be direct without being harsh or too agreeable. Here are 8 more ways to move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset:
1. Don’t Blame
If you catch yourself blaming someone or something else for your failures, stop and refocus on your role in your success or failure.
2. Self-Awareness as a Goal
Self-awareness is the key to a growth mindset. If you do not spend much time thinking about your role in your success or failure, it will be hard for you to develop a strategy and improve. So ask yourself questions about your effort, strategy, and resources. Could I have practiced harder? Am I using the best schedule for my rehearsals? Is there a better way for me to study before the next test?
3. Avoid Negative, Fixed-Mindset Self-Talk
Try to catch yourself when you are thinking in fixed-mindset terms. Stop saying that you were not made for this or were not born to become that. Instead, focus on the strategies and effort you put in.
4. Ask for Feedback (and Listen to It)
Feedback goes in one ear and out the other when we have a fixed mindset. When people believe their abilities are set, they tend to make excuses, bristle, and blame others when they receive feedback. Break this vicious cycle and actively seek feedback. Do not get defensive or make excuses; listen carefully to feedback, no matter how harsh it is. Use the feedback to develop a better plan for improving your abilities.
5. Don’t Overreact to Failure (Keep It in Perspective)
Failure is a natural part of learning and improving, so do not overreact when it happens to you.((Playing Your Way to Sanity: 4 Games to Help You Get Better at Embracing Mistakes)) Try to keep failure in perspective so that you do not fall into a fixed mindset.
6. Reflect and Revise
Set aside time to think over your progress and plan how to improve. Remember that effort is only part of a true growth mindset. You must also improve your strategy.
7. Don’t Compare
When you compare yourself to others, it is easy to fall into a fixed mindset. We usually do not see other people’s effort and persistence, which is why this can lead to a fixed mindset. If someone seems naturally smart, you do not really know how much effort they put into learning. That is why comparing yourself with others is a fixed-mindset trap.
8. Celebrate Effort (Process, Not Product)
Finally, celebrate your effort and persistence. Give yourself credit for how many piano classes you took or how you did not give up when math got tough. If you get stuck on how good or bad you are, you may find yourself slipping back into this constant fixed mindset.
Final Thoughts on Changing a Fixed Mindset
It is somewhat reassuring to realize that everyone experiences a fixed mindset from time to time. Still, we should not oversimplify the shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. It takes more than an emphasis on effort. Make an effort to notice when you start comparing yourself to others, making excuses, blaming others for your mistakes, or focusing on your shortcomings. All of these are fixed-mindset traps. Instead, practice focusing on your effort and strategies. How hard did you work? And is it time to change your game plan for learning and improving? A fixed mindset can be changed as long as we are open and honest about what needs to be done and what needs to change in ourselves.
Additional Tips to Improve Your Thinking
- 7 Traits of a Highly Productive Mindset
- 8 Mindset Books That Will Lead You to Success
- 10 Organized People Whose Mindset Makes Them Successful
- 7 Practical Ways to Change Your Mind and Change Your Life
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