I recently finished reading the book, Mindset, by Carol Dweck. The only books I read these days involve fitness, business, and personal development. I can’t get my hands on enough non-fiction books that I can apply to my every day work and/or personal life. I had a feeling going into this read that it would be a tough one for me personally because it was going to test me and my sometimes stubborn ways. It did not disappoint!

It is no secret and I say it all the time myself…I don’t like to do and try things I am not good at or experienced in. I do not like the feeling of being a beginner or inadequate. I guess growing up most activities I participated in I was fairly good at. Of course I was a hard worker, but I remained interested in the things that I felt more confident and comfortable in. As I have become an adult (even though I still don’t feel like one!), I have realized that I have carried this habit on and it can inhibit my experiences because I am afraid of not succeeding.

My entire family golfs, but I have yet to truly pursue it for fear of not being good. I never felt successful in art class, so I have avoided paint nights at all costs. I have never really tried boxing and although a lot of people rave about it I am hesitant to try, already telling myself it isn’t my thing.

This all stems from a fixed or growth mindset. The entire premise of the book focuses on making a shift from fixed to growth. It is important to remember that it isn’t all or nothing, we can have fixed and growth mindset experiences. I definitely know in some aspects of my life I am keen to learn and grow, while others I am more hesitant.

In a fixed mindset people believe their qualities to be fixed traits, something you either have or you don’t that can’t be changed.

In a growth mindset people believe that their qualities can be changed and improved through the effort and work they put into developing.

One of my favourite sayings is that your only limit is you. For me it is a matter of thinking I know my own limits and therefore I set myself up to succeed in some things but never progress in others. Upon reading Mindset I realized that it has been holding me back and I am really going to focus moving forward on practicing a more growth mindset in all aspects of my life.

How do I plan to do that?

make a list of things I have never tried before and experience them
allow myself a few weeks/months before actually making a judgement of my success in the identified activities
set an action plan after experiencing the activities for improving my skills
remember it is the process and not the outcome - I don’t have to be the best at everything! I can just do things for fun and focus on getting better!

Do you find yourself ever stuck in a fixed mindset mentality? Let me know what you do to overcome that and move towards a growth mindset.

Yours in self-discovery,

Rachel

Are you living in a growth or fixed mindset?

How do I plan to do that?