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Why having a Growth Mindset will set you up for success


Little plant growing in a hand

How do you react to life events? Do you see a setback as a confirmation of your inability and ineptitude?

Probably your mindset is responsible for that.


With the word "Mindset", we refer to a set of beliefs regarding the way we think of ourselves and the world around us. According to the Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, all our experiences and the messages we received in our childhood have shaped our mindset, therefore determining how we make sense of the world and make sense of ourselves.


She describes two kinds of mindset: Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset.

People with a Fixed Mindset believe that intelligence, talents and abilities stay the same throughout our life; we cannot improve our capabilities and qualities, and talent alone creates positive results. Therefore, only those who are born with exceptional qualities can achieve success.

On the other side, people who show a Growth Mindset believe that they can cultivate their abilities with effort and dedication. They see mistakes and failure as feedback and an opportunity to do better next time.


In a nutshell, the way we react to events and how we use our experiences are determined by our mindset, which will drive us to live either a life of mediocrity or achievements.


Let's take the case of two people who, having applied for a job position, see their application rejected.

The one with Fixed Mindset will see this event as a confirmation of their incapacity to nail a job interview, will think he was not the right person for that job or will blame his bad luck.

The one with a Growth Mindset will consider carefully every aspect of his interview, using it as feedback for the skills and competence that he has to improve to become an ideal candidate for the next job application.

In this case, a Growth Mindset will facilitate resilience after failure or rejection.


If you look at yourself, do you see someone with a Fixed or Growth Mindset?


If the answer is Fixed, the good news is that you can still take some steps to change it towards Growth.

In fact, we can literally train our mind, as it was a muscle, to change how it interprets the connections between experiences and beliefs. Even if our deeply ingrained traits will stay the same, acquiring new tools to interpret reality can help us gain a more positive approach and develop further knowledge and new skills. This process will facilitate achieving future success, therefore triggering a virtuous circle towards a more fulfilling life.

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