Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset
Twelve ways to tell fixed thinking from growth thinking, and to choose the second.
Your abilities are not set in stone. The way you think about them changes what you can do.
35 tips that really help
These ideas come from The Confidence Code (Katty Kay and Claire Shipman), The Gifts of Imperfection (Brené Brown), Mindset (Carol Dweck), and everyday practice. Pick one tip and try it today.
Two ways of thinking
A fixed mindset says you either have talent or you do not. A growth mindset says talent can be trained. Psychologist Carol Dweck made these ideas well known.
Write which mindset you use most.
Spot the fixed voice
It says things like I am not a maths person. These words close the door before you try.
Write three fixed thoughts you have noticed.
Swap the sentence
I cannot do this becomes I cannot do this yet. One small word changes the whole message.
Say the swapped sentence out loud.
Love a challenge
Fixed thinking avoids hard tasks to look smart. Growth thinking enjoys them because they stretch you.
Choose one challenge this week instead of an easy task.
Value effort
Effort is what moves you from beginner to skilled. It is not a sign of weakness.
Praise your own effort at the end of the day.
Use setbacks as information
A poor result tells you what to practise next. It is not a verdict on you.
After a setback, ask what it taught you.
Learn from others’ success
Instead of feeling threatened, ask how they did it. Success leaves clues.
Ask someone you admire how they got good.
Notice mixed mindsets
You may have growth thinking at work and fixed thinking in sport. Spot where the fixed voice lives.
Mark the area where you feel most stuck.
Change the praise you give
Telling a child you are so smart can backfire. Praising effort and strategy builds persistence.
Praise someone’s effort instead of talent today.
Get feedback gladly
People with a growth mindset ask for feedback because they want to improve.
Ask for one piece of feedback this week.
Read about the brain
Learning that the brain changes with practice makes growth feel possible.
Read a short article on neuroplasticity.
Make it a daily check
Each evening ask: where did I grow today? It trains your attention.
Write one growth moment before bed.
Notice fixed-mindset triggers
Hard tasks, criticism and watching others succeed often switch on the fixed voice. Knowing your triggers lets you answer it.
List three situations that trigger your fixed voice.
Name your fixed persona
Give the fixed voice a name, such as Mr Stuck. Naming it makes it easier to argue with.
Choose a name and say hello to it.
Reply to the fixed voice kindly
When it says you cannot, reply you are right that I cannot yet. Kindness works better than fighting.
Write one reply to your fixed voice.
Learn what the brain does when you struggle
Struggling is when new connections form. Hard feels hard because you are growing.
Say my brain is building something new.
Praise strategies, not talent
Say I like how you tried a new method instead of you are so clever. Strategy praise builds persistence.
Praise one strategy today.
Choose a stretch goal
Pick something just beyond your current ability and see it as a training goal. Stretch teaches.
Write one stretch goal.
Seek feedback early
Fixed thinking avoids feedback, growth thinking asks for it. Try it before you feel ready.
Ask for feedback on a draft.
Treat comparison as data
When someone does better, ask what they do differently. It is information, not a verdict.
Ask one admired person for their method.
Read about neuroplasticity
Learning how the brain changes with practice makes growth feel real. A short article is enough.
Read one article this week.
Rewrite your self-description
Change I am bad with money to I am learning to manage money. The wording shapes your actions.
Rewrite one description.
Keep a growth journal
Write one thing you learned each day. After a month you will see a growth pattern.
Start tonight.
Choose growth-minded friends
People who say you can learn it make learning feel normal. Spend time with them.
Message one growth-minded friend.
Reframe failure as feedback
A failed attempt gives you data on what to change. Ask what it taught.
Write one lesson from a failure.
Value process over outcome
Enjoy the practice, not just the prize. Process joy keeps you going.
Name one thing you enjoy in the process.
Use the power of not yet in your plans
Write a plan that says I will be able to do this by March. Time makes the goal fair.
Write a not-yet plan.
Notice effort in others
Compliment others for practice and persistence. It trains your own eye.
Praise someone’s effort.
Face a small challenge each week
Choose one task that feels hard and do it. Challenge builds mindset.
Pick this week’s challenge.
Set learning goals, not performance goals
Aim to learn five new phrases, not to sound perfect. Learning goals reduce fear.
Write a learning goal.
Listen for fixed language in others
Hearing it in others helps you notice it in yourself. Be gentle.
Spot one example today.
Celebrate struggle
Say well done for sticking with something hard. It builds resilience.
Reward yourself for effort.
Use stories of growth
Read about people who improved through practice. Stories inspire.
Find one story of someone who got better.
Teach the idea to a child
Children thrive on the word yet. Share it and remember it too.
Teach a child the word yet.
Review monthly
At month end write where your mindset grew. Awareness fuels change.
Add a monthly review.
Easy things to say
When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many everyday situations.
“I can learn this with practice.”
“I notice I am thinking I am just not good at this.”
“I am not good at this yet.”
“What strategy could I try next?”
“I like how hard you worked.”
“Let me have another go.”
Your first week
One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.
Write a fixed thought you often have
Rewrite it as a growth thought
Try something you are bad at for ten minutes
Praise effort in someone else
Ask for feedback on one task
Read about a person who improved a lot
Review your week for growth moments
Further reading
- The Confidence Code (Katty Kay and Claire Shipman)
- The Gifts of Imperfection (Brené Brown)
- Mindset (Carol Dweck)
The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.
