What type of mindset do you have?

After studying the behaviour of thousands of children, Dr. Dweck Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, coined the terms fixed mindset and growth mindset to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence.

Mindset challenge:

When people believe they can get smarter, they understand that effort makes them stronger. Choose something you can’t do yet and work out a plan on how you can achieve it before the end of 2017.

What kind of person are you? Which traits do you have?

Fixed Mindset

  • See ability is a fixed thing i.e. avoids challenges and looks for short cuts
  • Give up easily i.e. tried once
  • Dislike the need for effort
  • Ignore useful feedback and criticism
  • Feel threatened by success of others

Example: Nick Kyrogos

Australian Tennis player who is the only tennis player in the top 100 players in the world not to have a tennis coach & constantly makes excuses for his poor behaviour.

“One of the most hated qualities of Kyrgios’ is that he doesn’t try. He doesn’t want to try. He doesn’t show remorse for not trying and he proudly rubs your face in the fact that he doesn’t care that he feels no remorse for not trying.”

Growth Mindset

  • Seek out and embrace challenges
  • Persist in the face of setbacks
  • Revel in the struggle
  • Learn from feedback and critique
  • Be inspired by the success of others and surround themselves by those who are successful.

Example: John Dawson

After building a successful engineering business, John suffered a heart attack at the age of 52, which started him running in an effort to recover. John has overcome a catalogue of health issues including losing one of his eyes to cancer.

Now 77 years of age, he has completed 403 Marathons including the Berlin Wall (156Kms) at the age of 73.

John changed his mindset for life.

The question I often get from clients, ‘What age is too late to change your mindset’?

The answer is it is never too late to change, but having a solid plan and support network helps.

Brain friendly tips:

  1. Be mindful of what you praise – your children, peers or those who work for you. Give specific feedback around their effort and the impact of the results.
  2. Don’t try to be an expert, instead be an example, share your stories of success and failure. How do you talk/act with regards to your success? How do you talk/act about your failures?