Human beings are considered the most intelligent species on Earth because of our capacity to think. Today, whatever progress we see around us was thought of and planned by someone. The same applies to a plethora of inventions which we are so used to. Somebody somewhere came up with a particular idea and worked on it. Some failed, while others became stupendous successes.
Not every idea we think of takes shape. This may be due to lethargy, procrastination or the way we prioritise things. Many of us are also limited in our thinking. We either think small or kill ideas because we are sceptical about them translating to reality.
Closed approach
A fixed mindset is always limited by boundaries. For example, a person may think that it is difficult for him/her to be good in math or that he/she can never learn swimming. Such people are usually fearful, don’t want to try new things and prefer to follow a straight path.
There is nothing right or wrong about such a mindset. We all have the freedom to follow our thinking as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody or encroach on someone else’s territory. Having a fixed mindset need not be a cause of inferiority complex. In fact, such a person may be overconfident thinking that he/she already has all the talent needed to succeed and therefore doesn’t have to try hard.
There are various definitions of success and many of them say that success means realising one’s full potential. Each one of us is full of potential, but sometimes we fail to realise this because of our fixed mindset and limited thinking.
The opposite of a fixed mindset is a growth mindset, which enables limitless thinking. People with a growth mindset are ready to try out new things, explore possibilities, and create and make the most of opportunities. In today’s competitive world, creating opportunities is crucial as there are already many claimants for existing opportunities. Being a limited thinker curbs the ability to create opportunities.
Differentiating factor
For students, the mindset matters a lot as you are in your formative years. At your institute, you normally form a homogeneous group. All the students in a class get the same education, and their social and economic backgrounds may not differ too much from each other. So what can be the differentiating factor to help you do better and accomplish more? This is where a growth mindset comes in, enabling you to realise your full potential.
To develop a growth mindset, you need to be truthful to yourself. This means being sincere in whatever you do and keeping up promises you make to yourself. You have a growth mindset when you feel that challenges are learning opportunities. We grow when we face challenges. Being driven by self-motivation is another key quality. It is good to be inspired by others but not necessary to seek external approval and validation. The path you choose is your own, so validation and acceptance should come from within. Avoid fear of failure. Try to do your best. Failure is a part of life and it teaches us to do better.
Proponents of a growth mindset have proved in their research that characteristics such as persistent effort and a ‘can do’ attitude determine success, not fixed abilities. Start with a small goal; your growth mindset will encourage you to seek higher goals one after the other. As the saying goes, one success leads to another.
If you look around you, will find many people who are not necessarily highly talented but are well-placed in life with success, satisfaction and happiness. The credit should go to their growth mindset which they used to derive more from the world and life. Such a mindset will only do you good — enabling you to be better than what you are and do more than what you have been doing.
The writer is a human resource development professional.
