How to develop a Growth Mindset

A few months ago, I was having a conversation with a friend; she mentioned how a previous blog post I had written made her think about the importance of having a growth mindset. It reminded me of a class I had taken that introduced me to the concept of a growth mindset. Again, last week in a conversation at work, growth mindset was mentioned. All these conversations highlighted the need for this essential topic to be discussed and explored.

In this blog post, I will share some of the interesting resources I found during my research as well as five keys to developing your growth mindset. There are many great resources on this topic, some of which I have cited and included in the great resources section at the end of this post.

What does it mean to have a growth mindset?

• It is the belief that qualities can change and that we can develop our intelligence and abilities. (Source: Growth Mindset: Clearing up Some Common Confusions)
• Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. (Source: What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means)
• The belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts…everyone can change and grow through application and experience (Source: Do You Have a Growth Mindset?)
• With a growth mindset, you focus on learning and development rather than failure and actively pursue the types of challenges that will likely lead to both learning and failure (Source: Do You Have a Growth Mindset?)
• the view that interests can be developed and that, with commitment and investment, they can grow over time (Source: Having a Growth Mindset Makes It Easier to Develop New Interests)

What does it mean NOT to have a growth mindset?
The opposite of having a growth mindset is known as having a fixed mindset

• the belief that intelligence and abilities cannot be developed. (Source: Growth Mindset: Clearing up Some Common Confusions)
• In a fixed mindset, “your qualities are carved in stone.” Whatever skills, talents, and capabilities you have are predetermined and finite. Whatever you lack, you will continue to lack. (Source: Do You Have a Growth Mindset?)
• You avoid challenging situations that might lead to failure because success depends upon protecting and promoting your set of fixed qualities and concealing your deficiencies. If you do fail, you focus on rationalizing the failure rather than learning from it and developing your capabilities. (Source: Do You Have a Growth Mindset?)
• the view that interests are inherent in a person, simply waiting to be awakened or found (Source: Having a Growth Mindset Makes It Easier to Develop New Interests)

Why do you need to have a growth mindset?
When you have a growth mindset, you take on new opportunities, work harder and more effectively, persevere in the face of challenges and are a more successful learner.

5 keys to developing your growth mindset
Believe you can improve
Good news - you can always improve and grow no matter where you are in life. Knowing that you will never be at a stage where you know or do everything perfectly is crucial. This realization will help take some unnecessary pressure off you. Your mindset should be to continuously learn and develop in all aspects of your life - relationships, career, parenthood, finances and much more.
Questions to consider:

• What am I missing and how can I improve?
• What abilities do I want to improve?

Take action
To keep growing, you need not only to believe you can improve; you need to take concrete steps. Personally, I have a development plan that I update monthly. It helps me ensure that I prioritize my growth and not leave it to chance. Make time to develop your interests, skills, and abilities.
Questions to consider:

• What can I do to improve?
• How can I ensure I complete my growth tasks?

Keep learning something new
Qualities like intelligence and talent are a starting point. However, greater success comes from the invested effort, learning, and persistence. Develop strategies that help you prioritize continuous learning. Explore new interest areas and make new connections. Learning new skills will open the door to exciting opportunities and growth.
Questions to consider:

• What new skills can I learn?
• How can I keep my knowledge fresh and up to date?

Gather input from others
Other people see things that you don't and have a different perspective. There's immense value in gathering feedback from trusted people around you. Often, when you hear “receiving feedback,” you think of negative things. Requesting and getting feedback should not be scary - it helps you grow. See it this way; it provides you with data points that you otherwise would not have. Caution: be careful whom you ask for feedback and how you process it. The objective is for it to be applicable.
Questions to consider:

• What can I learn from the feedback people have given me?
• How can I gather more actionable feedback?

Surround yourself with learners
This point is a reoccurring theme for me. To be successful, you need to surround yourself with people who are interested in improving and growing. The interactions you have with fellow learners will inspire you and broaden your perspective. In my opinion, you can benefit from the knowledge and experiences of others around you.
Questions to consider:

• Who are the learners in my circles?
• How can I surround myself with more learners?

Final thoughts

• Having a growth mindset will open doors and opportunities you never imagined - don't limit yourself.
• In every setback there's always something you can learn for your future journey - don't be discouraged.
• How are you improving your skills and abilities?

Great Resources

• Having a Growth Mindset Makes It Easier to Develop New Interests
• What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means
• [TED Talk] The power of believing you can improve
• [TED Talk] How to get better at the things you care about
• Growth Mindset: Clearing up Some Common Confusions
• What Having a “Growth Mindset” Actually Means
• 5 Mistakes Companies Make About Growth Mindsets
• Do You Have a Growth Mindset?