Growth vs. Fixed Mindset: Part 2
Anna Enright, DNP,PCNS-BC
Did you miss part 1? Read it here!
In part one we learned that our brain is constantly changing with experiences and cultivating a growth mindset allows us to learn and grow. As coaches or parents how do we promote a growth mindset in our athletes? Dweck recommends praising the process and not natural abilities or talent. By focusing our feedback on effort, strategies, resilience and persistence, we can encourage a shift from a fixed to a growth mindset. Making small tweaks to what we highlight is key. Here are some examples of how we can support the development of a growth mindset:
Ask questions like: What can we learn from this?
Reframe failure to a growth opportunity
FAIL = First Attempt in Learning
Highlight that learning takes time and we make mistakes along the way
Failing at something, does not mean you are a failure
What have you learned today? Encourage asking this question daily
Reward effort
Harness the power of the word “yet”: I don’t know how to do this yet
Frame taking calculated risks as an opportunity for growth
Everything is difficult before it’s easy.
Practice makes progress
Let’s make better mistakes tomorrow
Sometimes we win, sometimes we learn
(Adapted from PositivePsychology.com)
As we dig deeper into the growth-fixed mindset theory, we find that it is not so simple. We are not all one or the other. We can shift from fixed to growth and back depending on the situation at hand. The challenge is knowing where we tend to be fixed in our beliefs and work towards more growth mindset thoughts and actions. It’s especially important to watch for a fixed mindset reaction when under stress.
In conclusion, cultivating a growth mindset will allow us to get out of our comfort zone and take calculated risks. It propels us to be brave enough to choose to engage in that hard challenge and try new skills. And most importantly, a growth mindset helps us see our setbacks as opportunities and bounce back quickly from adversity, making us more resilient. Identifying and accepting our fixed mindset moments and moving toward being open to growth is the ongoing work. How will you practice growing your mindset today?
Dweck, C. (2008). Mindset: The Psychology of Success. Random House Digital, Inc.
Dweck, C. (2015). Carol Dweck revisits the growth mindset. Education Week, 35(5), 20-24.
https://positivepsychology.com
