I have heard a lot of debating on this question. Fixed mindset or growth mindset? What are those? Which should we adopt? Honestly, I think most people are not sure what they want, or if they do, they don’t know how to achieve it.
This is the reason they stay where they are most of their lives. When it comes to mindset, someone else chooses their kind of mindset. The way they were raised and educated dictates how they think. So they are living under someone else’s choices. The purpose of this article is to open the eyes of the readers and help them choose the mindset they need and deserve, as well as a plan to achieve whatever they want in life.
What is a Fixed Mindset?
People who believe that their intelligence and strengths are fixed cannot be improved. These people think they were born the way they were, for good or bad. So they don’t do anything to continue growing and improving.
This kind of person is afraid of change and failure. They are scared of the unknown. The unknown is terrifying because we don’t know if it’ll hurt or what it will hold for us, so it’s better to stick to the know. This is the reason why they will never change. Because they will forever stay in the know, they know what medicines to take and how it hurts, and they have adapted themselves to live under those circumstances.
What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset views intelligence and talent as qualities that can be developed over time. Usually, you adopt this mindset because you were raised thinking that anything could be possible and that if you work hard for your dreams, they can be achieved.
It is crucial here to see failure as an opportunity to change and grow, not as a way of holding back. You cannot have growth without failure. These two come in a package. The same that you cannot have daylight without darkness.
A growth mindset compliment praises effort rather than natural skill.
Commonalities of Growth-Minded Individuals:
- Do something to grow every day
- Know that reading is their superpower
- Embrace change
- Learn from mistakes and errors
- Hang out with like mind people
- Take care of their minds and bodies
- know that they can achieve anything they want
A Common example
I am Latin, and I have come to a conclusion of a fixed mindset since I was very young. In my culture, people are born with a fixed mindset. I concluded that this is why Mexico is a 3 world country. When we are raised, they raise us under religion, traditions, and standard practices. We are taught that money is evil, that we should thank the little goods we have, that life is not fair, and that things are the way they are, period. I saw how my relatives struggled but believed things could not be changed. That’s the perfect example of a fixed mindset.
Now let’s take a look at the people who live in the US. The US has most of its immigrants come from Mexico. If you live in Mexico, you know at least one person who went to live in the US to find a better life and make more money. These people went there with a fixed mindset, but circumstances and the significant need to survive changed them. Those events changed their perspective to a growth mindset.
They had to learn a new language and adapt to survive. They had to obey new laws and rules and see the world with fresh eyes. The people who were struggling in Mexico changed their lives because they grew. But they didn’t do it by choice. They did it by need.
So we can conclude from this example that people change, but most do because change is their only choice.
How to know if you have a fixed or growth mindset:
- Read the following sentences, and write down whether you agree or disagree with each of them:
- You are a certain kind of person, and there is not much that can be done to really change that.
- No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially.
- You can do things differently, but the crucial parts of your identity can’t be changed.
- You can always change basic things about the kind of person you are.
If you agree with items 1 and 3, you have a fixed mindset.
If you agree with items 2 and 4, you have a growth mindset.
Comments about the results:
With a fixed mindset, you believe that their abilities are static. With a fixed mindset, you think your abilities reflect how you’re wired. Your behavior is a good representation of your natural ability. With a fixed mindset, you tend to avoid challenges because if you fail, you fear that others will see your failure as an indication of your ability and see you as a loser.
Make change your only choice.
Studies have shown that people only change when change is their only option. So we can say that most people have a fixed mindset because that is their comfort zone. If they open up for more, they will struggle and suffer and don’t want to. So this is a mediocre way of living, yet 90% of people live that way.
Now you can make a choice your only choice by forcing yourself to see things from a new perspective. To realize that if you don’t adopt a growth mindset and pursue an ultimate life, you will die. You will struggle, and you will get bored.
What’s the logic behind living a life you don’t like, barely making money, and struggling to survive?
Steps to follow:
- Know that you must change
The first step is to realize that we must change, that things are incorrect, and that our mindset is not ideal. Most people never change because they don’t believe they need to. If you start to see outside your life and what else the world holds for you, you will realize you are missing many things.
2. create a plan to remove the fixed mindset
Create a plan to follow. The best way to know where we are going is to set a destination and create a plan to get there. Otherwise, you are just driving a car with no route.
3. Learn to deserve rewards
Most people never reward themselves because they believe they don’t deserve it. Most people have what life gives them because that’s the only thing they think they deserve. Learn to earn more. Learn to ask, and you shall receive.
4.- Get Feedback
Read biographies, see the life of successful people ask for guidance and advice. Most of the time, we get used to seeing the same thing every day. If you leave a bag on the floor of your house, you will normally see it until a stranger comes in and tell you what the bag doing there. Ask for the advice of someone with a fresh perspective and who is already where you want to be.
5.- Fail and improve
You will fail. Get ready for it, and you will cry, and maybe you wish you hadn’t done any of this. Typically, we’ve all been there. It’s frustrating at times, and it hurts. But the only way to change is to break. What’s the process for anything? Let’s say cooking… you have to crack, cut, peel, and transform food into a new form. Embrace it, and learn from it.
Conclusion
Don’t judge yourself or compare yourself to others. I genuinely believe you are where you are meant to be; everyone is living their own process. But keep in mind that there is always room for improvement and growth. Don’t die young by staying still. Become the navigator of your own ship. Never forget to ride with someone else, don’t go on this journey alone.
