We hear a lot about mindset these days. Some of it is encouraging and some not so much. One idea that’s tossed around a lot is that of a fixed vs growth mindset. But what does that even mean? To many, their mindset is taken for granted and we just go with the flow of life. But if you really want to see changes in life you have to change the way you think.
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What is The Difference Between a Fixed vs Growth Mindset
The simple of it is that a fixed mindset allows for little change in the way you approach learning new things. Or even doing small changes in your life to make it better. A growth mindset allows you to challenge yourself and your limiting beliefs so that you can change different parts of your life.
Fixed Mindset
Having a fixed mindset basically means that when you get blindsided by something that you’ve never done or experienced. It becomes overwhelming and you feel like you can’t get past whatever the obstacle is. This is where our own limiting beliefs come into play.
Growth Mindset
A growth mindset means almost the exact opposite. When you develop a mindset that is geared toward constantly learning and growing. You open your mind and life to all the possibilities that are out there.
There are several different examples of the different mindsets that I can think of.
Fixed– I don’t know how to do this, I’ll never be able/good enough.
Growth– This is something I don’t know how to do, yet. But I’m willing to learn.
Fixed– so and so is much better at this than me. I’ll never be as good as them.
Growth– What does this person do that makes them seem better than me. And what can I do to improve?
The common thing here is that a fixed mindset focuses on what others can do that they can’t. Where a growth mindset focuses on finding a way to either solve the problem or get better at something.
You can see why trying to adopt a growth mindset is way better than focusing on what you can’t do right now.
What are Limiting Beliefs
This idea is something that gets tossed about a lot in personal development and self-improvement.
Basically limiting beliefs are learned as we grow or are imposed on us by our own insecurities.
They can be about more than just ourselves too. Which can make them hard to navigate.
Limiting beliefs can be about ourselves, money, or just about anything.
But they are things that make it hard to change the way we approach the world around us (your mindset).
Examples of Limiting Beliefs
- I’m not good enough
- I can’t do this because (insert reason here)
- I’m not sociable enough
- They said I’m not creative enough
Some of these are actually my own limiting beliefs around even writing this.
But I dig past all of the reasons not to do something and do it anyway.
What You Can do to Change Your Own Limiting Beliefs
The first thing you should do when trying to adopt a growth mindset is to identify your limiting beliefs. Tackle each one at a time and work past them. Once you’ve done that move to the next.
Your limiting beliefs are the main thing that can hold back your growth and keep you in the same spots you’ve been in all your life.
Once you identify and work on them, you’ll start to see the different ways your life can change.
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How Adopting a Growth vs Fixed Mindset Can Affect Your Life
Adopting a growth mindset takes more than just waking up one day and thinking you will change.
It takes discipline and effort to do the work and see the changes start to happen.
But once you start seeing the difference it makes in the way you approach things. You will be more than willing to put in the effort,
Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset
- Listen to your own self-talk
What does your internal dialogue say about certain things? How can you flip your thoughts from I can’t to what do I need to do?
- Be willing to learn
Learning is an essential part of any growth or change you want to make.
- Don’t take criticism to seriously
If someone says you’re doing a bad job or you can’t do something. Figure out why they think that and learn from it.
Shifting From a Fixed to Growth Mindset
Making the shift from a fixed to a growth mindset takes time and discipline. But it can be done.
The biggest thing you can do is to learn what areas you can improve on and then put in the work.
Just wanting to make the change isn’t good enough. You have to put in the work by journaling, digging deep into your beliefs, and getting real with yourself about your why for wanting to change.
Why Changing Your Mindset is Necessary?
Whether you know it or not your mindset is one of the biggest things that impact your life.
And it’s not just one part of your life that’s affected. Almost all parts have something to do with your mindset.
Impacts on Thoughts
One of the biggest impacts is on your thoughts. How you feel about yourself and the things around you.
Having a fixed mindset can keep you in the same place for a long time. If that is a good place, then great.
But often we are not where we would ultimately like to be. And having a fixed mindset can keep us from doing the things we need to do.
When you make the choice to adopt a growth mindset you will see all the possibilities that are in front of you.
Challenges or obstacles become something to overcome instead of a wall keeping you from growing.
You become more confident in your abilities and your attitude on life will change too.
Impacts on Life
Once you adopt a growth mindset you should start to see improvements on your life too.
You will gain the confidence to go after that dream job.
Or start a side job that fulfills you.
By making the switch you will realize that even if the life you have isn’t exactly what you thought you wanted. You can see where you can make improvements to gain the things you want in life.
Final Thoughts on Fixed vs Growth Mindset
So the short of it is that if you want to make serious changes in your life. You need to make changes to the way you approach new things.
If you constantly think nothing can change, it never will.
But, if you open your mind to the possibilities by adopting a growth mindset, then you open your life to new opportunities.
Nothing in life is completely fixed. There are tons of ways you can enact changes in yourself to help you move forward and become the best version of yourself you can be.
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