Oftentimes, we feel discouraged and lacking in motivation when failure stares us in the face. Getting ourselves stuck in a fixed mindset prompts the feelings. Consequently, the fixed mindset keeps us in a place of lamenting and wasting of time. Now here comes the best part. The growth mindset stimulates us to pick ourselves up and apply our efforts at learning. Secret to reveal, this mindset is a key contributory factor to success and creative achievement. For our motivation, here are what I discovered about the benefits of a growth mindset. Please read on.
You star as a person with a fixed mindset when you believe that your qualities, abilities, intelligence or talent are fixed quantities. Of a truth, this mindset often makes it difficult for people to move beyond setbacks. This is so since it promotes the notion that failure is a direct measure of competence and worth. It makes people intolerant of mistakes, criticisms, and setbacks. On the contrary, the growth mindset stands on the belief that your qualities or abilities can be cultivated and improved upon through purposeful effort. The benefits of a growth mindset form part of the ingredients for success. The growth mindset often reveals itself in people who get their thrill from engaging in challenging tasks. Conversely, the fixed mindset hallmarks people who get their thrill from what is easy, what they have mastered. Stay with me, it gets really interesting as we explore the benefits of a growth mindset.
1. Stimulates You To Conserve And Redirect Energy Constructively
The fixed mindset tolerates the notion of limitation that often breeds feelings of inadequacy. Thus, it often sets people to the all consuming goal of proving themselves at the least chance. This attitude prompts them to waste their time and energy proving over and over how great they are, instead of working to improve themselves. Conversely, people with the growth mindset are mostly motivated to focus their time and energy in learning rather than proving. They see failure as an opportunity to learn, not to prove themselves. Through purposeful engagement, they achieve optimal learning. I bet you would like to be enlisted among such people.
2. Heightens Your Passion For Learning
The passion for learning often springs up on the back of the belief that cherished qualities or abilities can be improved upon. Of a fact, the growth mindset galvanizes you to work on your deficiencies and better yourself. Therefore, the benefits of a growth mindset make a point for passion. I want you to set your doubts aside and follow me on this exciting journey.
3. Energises You To Persevere And Stretch
Cultivating a growth mindset helps you to persevere and stretch yourself even in the face of setbacks. The core belief that abilities can be improved upon, stands at the center of the growth mindset. This belief motivates you not to assign limits to your abilities. Rather, it inspires you to operate from resilience, regardless of the challenge. Thus, one of the striking benefits of a growth mindset is that it allows you to thrive during challenging times. The growth mindset nurtures the aptitude to take risks and confront challenges, even when you are distressed. Isn’t that motivating to know, especially if you are like me that runs away from risks sometimes.
4. Primes You to Identify Your Strengths And Weaknesses
The knack to distort outcomes in order to appear smart or look good stands as one of the attributes of people with a fixed mindset. This attitude makes it difficult for them to know themselves. Oppositely, people with the growth mindset are open to accurate information about their current abilities. This is true since they are oriented toward learning. They need to assess themselves correctly in order to engage in purposeful learning. It is thought that exceptional people cultivate a growth mindset that enables them to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Accordingly, the benefits of a growth mindset go all lengths to emphasise the importance of self-awareness. This really hits me. What about you? More are coming.
5. Removes The Cap On Your Potential
The growth mindset works from the idea that with years of passion, toil, and training, anyone can attain anything. It is on record that Darwin and Tolstoy started out as ordinary children. Potential, people’s capacity to develop their skills with effort, flowers with time. The belief that talent can be developed with effort enables you to fulfil your potential. I’m going to share more secrets with you.
6. Boosts Your Creativity
The perseverance and resilience facilitated by the growth mindset boosts creativity. People with this mindset manifest this creativity when they convert life’s setbacks into successes. Perseverance and resilience rank as the number one ingredient in creative achievement. Clearly, the benefits of a growth mindset nail the colours of creativity to the mind. This clue gets support.
7. Readies You To Take Advantage Of Learning Opportunities That Invite Success
People with the growth mindset believe that the likelihood of success increases through learning. Hence, they take advantage of every learning opportunity to better themselves. In truth, they do not hide their deficiencies by avoiding effort. Equating effort or failure with deficiency is an idea that they do not subscribe to. Continue with me as we explore great ideas worth considering.
8. Stimulates You to Confront Your Shortcomings On A Regular Basis
The growth mindset inculcates in people a taste for challenge. People with this mindset thrive by confronting challenges no matter how big they are. Doing that enables them to stretch and grow. Actor Christopher Reeve, paralysed below the neck in a horseback accident, was told by doctors to accept his fate. He rejected the advice and opted for a demanding exercise program. To the surprise of the doctors, he regained some movement in his hands, arms, legs, and torso, through the program. In plain words, he persevered and stretched his abilities. Fact to note, as you confront your obstacles and grow, you create an advantage that is part of the benefits of a growth mindset. This concept rides along with other great ones.
9. Amplifies Your Optimism
Upholders of the growth mindset demonstrate a high level of optimism and interest irrespective of the scale of the challenge. They do not expect ability to show up on its own. Rather, they believe that learning must take place first, before any ability can be developed or improved upon. This approach offers solutions like the ones following it.
10. Heals The Mind Of the Illusion Of Superiority
Proponents of the fixed mindset often experience illusory highs when they accomplish things they believe others cannot measure up to. Irrespective of the fact that they are not exposing themselves to new challenges and stretching themselves to grow, they still believe that they are special and superior. The feelings of superiority or specialness interferes with learning and building meaningful relationships. When cooperation with others is lacking, you cannot achieve much. Contrastingly, the growth mindset motivates its advocates to take to learning. This disposition aids them to banish hints of superiority from their minds. As they do that, they increase their chances of meeting with success. Upwards of good, the benefits of a growth mindset is reflected in a mind free of illusions. Keep a clear mind as we journey along and learn more.
11. Keeps You From Tying Your Self-worth To Your Successes Or Failures
The growth mindset sets you to your limitless potential. Moreover, it keeps alive in your mind the awareness that your abilities can always be improved with effort and purposeful engagement. Hence, your self-esteem is not bruised in the event of failure. Instead, you are motivated to take the constructive step of separating your identity from failure. In good earnest, you see failure as an opportunity to learn. Failure motivates you rather than demoralise. The growth mindset fits you to view your self-worth as an idea that cannot be sullied or validated by failure or success. Minnesota Vikings’ former defensive player, Jim Marshall, scored a touchdown for the wrong team, in a game against the San Francisco 49ers. Although the experience was devastating to him, he pulled himself together in the second half, and played an inspirational game. His contributions enabled his team to secure a victory. He did not allow his failure to define him. Instead, he allowed it to motivate him to become a better player. To certainty, he demonstrated that he is a true upholder of the growth mindset. Part of the benefits of a growth mindset is that it helps you to put failure in the right perspective. Putting things in the proper perspective gets better. You are about to discover that.
12. Helps You To Experience The Satisfaction Of Living Out Your Values
The growth mindset motivates its advocates to channel their passion into activities that matter to them, tasks that they love. These tasks reflect the essence of their true values, and make it possible for them to experience some measure of life satisfaction. What is more, their love for what they are doing enables them to persevere in the face of difficulties. For them, success is a by-product of the enthusiasm for what they do. In general, they focus more on the journey rather than the outcome. Dissimilarly, the fixed mindset people focus more on the outcome. This attitude often keeps success away from them. You have all it takes to become a true advocate of the growth mindset. There are more definitions of success.
13. Gives You Resilient Confidence
People cultivating the fixed mindset, often exhibit confidence that is fragile since it can be undermined by setbacks or even efforts. Alternatively, subscribers of the growth mindset demonstrate increased confidence despite mistakes. Their confidence continues to grow as they meet and master the challenges. Can you imagine other concepts of success?
The benefits of a growth mindset promote change by encouraging you to confront obstacles, learn, and grow. This attitude is crucial for experiencing success and genuine life satisfaction.
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Further Reading
Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. Mindset:The New Psychology Of Success (New York: Ballantine Books, 2006).
