• From mindsetonline.com, please read the “How can you change from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset?” page, and then respond to the following questions:
  • As Carol Dweck notes, we all hold both fixed and growth mindsets. Identifying situations that trigger a fixed-mindset voice can be a beneficial first step. These are situations that make you feel defensive, anxious, or worried about your ability (e.g., getting performance-improvement suggestions, low grades, new projects, etc.) What are some fixed-mindset triggers you experience at work and at school? Explain how you these make you feel.
  • Choose one of your identified fixed-mindset triggers. How might you respond with a growth mindset voice instead?
  • Think of a recent setback and explain how you were able to overcome it or how you plan to respond to the challenge.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

Fixed-Mindset Triggers

Introduction

A fixed mindset is the opposite of a growth mindset, which encourages us to see our abilities as things that can be cultivated and developed. In a growth mindset, you believe in yourself and your potential, even when things aren’t going as well as they could be. A fixed mindset is based on low self-esteem and a belief that you’re unable to change until someone else gives you permission or helps you out.

I was just unlucky.

You may have heard the phrase “it’s all in your head.” This is false. Luck is a factor in success, but it’s not the only factor. In fact, if you think of luck as being unchangeable and eternal—as if there were no way to change your luck—then you’re doing yourself a disservice by thinking of it as something outside of your control.

Instead of thinking that something happened because of luck or bad timing or some other external force (like an asteroid), take responsibility for what has happened instead: maybe someone got sick on their birthday? Maybe traffic was bad? Maybe we didn’t win that game?

But even when things don’t go our way and we get unlucky, there are still ways we can work hard enough at our jobs so that when things do go our way again (and trust me they will), then those opportunities will come because we worked hard enough beforehand!

I don’t know how to do this.

Learning something new is hard. If you’re reading this, you know that firsthand. But a lot of people find it easier to learn when they have a good idea of what needs to be done and how it’s going to go down.

Here are some examples:

• How do I learn how to make my own pizza?

• What if I want someone else’s advice on how to get over my fear of public speaking?

If I work hard enough I will

If a person is fixed-minded, they will often see themselves as having only one option: to work hard enough. The problem with this mindset is that it can lead to burnout and frustration if you don’t know your limits.

If you feel like there are times when your efforts aren’t producing results, then ask yourself if maybe it’s time to take a break or rethink what you’re doing. It might also be helpful for you to seek help from a coach or mentor so that they can guide through challenges and help keep track of progress toward goals (or lack thereof).

This isn’t me, this is the situation.

Fixed-mindset triggers are common, and they’re easy to spot. They’re also easy to avoid: just keep saying “this isn’t me.”

But there’s a problem with this mindset: it doesn’t work well in the long run. If you’re constantly telling yourself that something isn’t your fault, then eventually you’ll start accepting responsibility for things that aren’t your fault—and if there’s one thing we know about our own minds (as well as those of others), it’s that we hate responsibility!

Instead of saying “this isn’t me,” try replacing it with something like: “This situation is happening because of the choices I made.” This way you take ownership over your own actions instead of blaming someone else or some external force for them.

This is my fault.

The next time you find yourself blaming yourself for something, try this exercise:

• Ask yourself what you can control. This might include the weather, but also your own actions and attitudes toward the situation at hand. If you’re feeling guilty about something that isn’t really within your power to change, then it makes sense to focus on what is within your control instead of dwelling on past mistakes or missed opportunities.

Takeaway:

There are two ways to look at this:

• You can think of it as a trigger, and it will lead to an increase in your mental health. Or, you can see it as something that has been holding you back from moving forward in your life and career.

Either way, the takeaway is that fixed mindset is not a good thing!

Conclusion

I’ve learned that fixed-mindset can be a powerful tool that helps us find solutions to our problems, but it’s not a panacea. If we want to overcome it and become more resilient in the face of adversity, we need to keep experimenting with new ways of approaching challenges.