A fixed mindset will guarantee that you never achieve excellence with anything. It will eliminate any desire for you to attempt a worthy goal.
What is a fixed mindset?
People with a fixed mindset think that qualities like being smart, creative or talented are set in stone and you either have them or you don’t.
So, you remain in your comfort zone and never do anything you wanted with your life. This detrimental mindset can be the reason you quit trying.
What’s worse is they don’t think there’s anything they can do to improve themselves and this wrecks their self-esteem.
This is a flawed and demotivating way to think.
As a result, they remain fixed in place never moving forward in life.
The growth mindset
Those with a growth-oriented mindset believe that with deliberate practice they can achieve anything. These people have a passion for learning because they know they’ll reap the rewards for it.
Those with a growth mindset will inhale books and practice every day. They’ll attack problems and defeat them. Thus, skyrocketing their confidence to tackle more challenges.
Can people transform a fixed mindset into a growth mindset?
Anyone can have a growth mindset if they believe it’s possible and they put in the effort. The brain is built to rewire itself with every thought and action you do.
You can’t change your system of beliefs overnight but you can over time.
Practice the following tips to break free from a fixed mindset:
1. Change your opinion of hard work
Putting in effort is admirable. Working hard is what it’s about, not being the best at everything. People who strive to improve their abilities are an inspiration to the world. No one wakes up with exceptional abilities. Your role models worked endlessly to be where they are. Don’t believe they were born doing what they do.
2. Stop repeating fixed mindset statements
If you believe that all people with special abilities were born with them, then you won’t try to create them. Why would you try to do something impossible?
First, you’ve got to stop saying the beliefs that keep you stuck in place.
For example:
- I’m not smart enough to do that.
- I never had many talents.
- I can’t succeed.
- I’m too lazy.
Start telling yourself that you can do this because you can.
3. Start viewing failure as an opportunity to grow
A fixed mindset makes failing feel like a catastrophe so you’ll run from any chance of failure.
Failure has such a negative reputation when it’s actually necessary to achieve incredible things. Read any successful person’s biography and you’ll see they failed their way to success.
4. Value improving and growing more than achievements
If you only value achievements, then how will you persist through your journey of improvement to the finish line? It’s the process of reaching accomplishments that shape you into a new person. Value the process above everything.
5. Fall in love with learning
No matter what age you are, you can continue to learn new skills. The more information you absorb about your industry, the more you can use it to succeed.
You can become highly knowledgeable in any field and all it takes is a little effort, ideally every day. If it interests you then it won’t feel like a chore, you’ll enjoy learning about it.
6. Accept that you aren’t perfect
Some people with a fixed mindset try to fool themselves and others into thinking they don’t have flaws. That way they don’t need to work on anything. Even though, no one is fooled by this. It’s better to be strong enough to realize you have things to work on and then do it.
7. Leave the fixed mindset out of your relationships
A fixed mindset is one of the worst things to bring into a relationship. It makes people think that their ideal partner should almost worship them and think everything they do is great.
Whereas those with a growth mindset would rather be with someone who’ll give them constructive feedback so they can improve.
The fixed mindset person believes in fairy tale romances. They also tend to blame their partner and think they should be able to read their mind.
Worst of all, they think a relationship should be effortless like skipping through fields of flowers. Then, if they have to put in any effort, they think something is permanently wrong and break up.
In reality, all relationships take work no matter what.
8. Practice accepting feedback or criticism
When those with a fixed mindset get constructive criticism they take it as a personal attack. Thus, dodging another path to bettering themselves. They think that’s the way they are and that’s how they’ll always be.
Criticism can be a gift that shows you something you could fix and instantly advance your abilities. If you have a pity party every time someone points out something you could work on, then you’ll remain where you’re at. So, listen to feedback and use it to your advantage.
9. Do one small action to prove your fixed mindset is wrong
Every day do one task that goes against what your old beliefs told you. So, if you tell yourself that you aren’t intelligent, read a few pages from a book about something interesting. If you do that first thing every morning, you’ll finish the book and gain a ton of knowledge. Then choose another book and so on.
Over time, you’ll change your perspective of yourself and alter the course of your life.
In short, you can conquer a fixed mindset. All it takes is some effort and the belief that you can improve your abilities. You aren’t trapped and unable to move. Everything can change for the better. It doesn’t matter what obstacles you think are in your way, you can get to the other side of a fixed mindset.
