Psychologist Carol Dweck, in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, investigates the power of our beliefs, and how changing them can have a profound impact on our lives.
She writes, “The view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.”
Can’t do
She notes that there are two types of mindset. People with a fixed mindset believe that their qualities are carved in stone, and they have a need to prove themselves over and over.
“Every situation calls for a confirmation of their intelligence, personality or character. Every situation is evaluated: Will I succeed or fail?” Dweck explains.
Can do
People with a growth mindset, however, believe that their basic qualities can be cultivated through their efforts. “Although people may differ in every which way…everyone can change and grow through application and experience,” she writes.
It’s an approach that creates a passion for learning rather than a hunger for approval. And guess what? People with a growth mindset perform significantly better than others when tackling difficult and challenging tasks,
Confronting obstacles can make people believe they don’t know what they are doing, and they fall into a negative or fixed mindset, making it impossible to complete a task.
On the contrary, changing the way you think helps you to focus on learning and growing. It was an approach favoured by former Microsoft CFO, Frank Gaudette, who said, “I reserve the right to wake up smarter every day.”
