Growth Mindset

Everything seems to be growing at this time of year. Whether it is the blossom on the trees, new shoots peeping through damp soil or the impatient squawking of baby birds waiting to be fed, Spring is synonymous with growth. Children seem to take growth in their stride, changing so quickly from the helplessness of a newborn they learn quickly about the world around them. Infants are innately curious, soaking up their experiences like a sponge. In fact I can't think of any other time in life when we grow and develop so rapidly. What an amazing time of excitement and wonder! When brought up in a loving environment, children are not afraid to take first steps or to ask for their needs to be met instead change and transformation occur naturally. Yet as we get older, transformation gets more difficult. Our fears whisper to us that change is scary and that failure is all we can expect. For some people this stops growth. They may believe that they have learned everything they can and that further learning is impossible, setting life in stone.

Carol Dweck, an American psychologist tells us that when is comes to growth the way we think about ourselves is everything. If we have a fixed mindset we see ourselves as having limited talents that cannot be developed further, making mistakes is unacceptable and therefore creates feelings of shame that can prevent us taking risks; if failure is possible I would rather protect myself and not learn. In growth mindset we believe our innate abilities are a starting point from which to learn and transform ourselves.  We are accepting of our strengths and weaknesses seeing them as an opportunity to develop and grow rather than something to be hidden. A fixed mindset sees criticism as judgement whereas growth mindset sees criticism as encouragement.

Growth mindset is important in challenging our inner most beliefs about what is possible in our lives. So how can we shift into a growth mindset and move away from a fixed mindset?

Here are a few ideas:

• Stop living your life someone else dictates - YOU are your own guide and YOU know yourself the best. Never doubt your dreams! 
• Notice and accept your imperfections - we are ALL imperfect. NOBODY finds everything easy or gets everything right all of the time, it's just not possible. We ALL make mistakes but it's when we learn from our mistakes that transformation can occur. 
• Replace I can't  with  I can't YET! Adding this one word can change something that is fixed into something that has potential to evolve.

So how can you begin to grow your life? What in your life is ready to evolve?

If you are interested in reading more about Growth Mindset, Carol Dweck's ideas can be explored in more depth at www.mindsetworks.com.