Turns out, brain matter isn’t fixed. You actually can “teach old dogs new tricks” thanks to neuro plasticity, which is our brain’s ability to expand, learn, and forge new habits and thoughts.
The brain is more malleable when we’re younger because it’s still being formed. The brain is not fully “cooked” until age 25, which explains some of the choices young people make. Fortunately, the brain will continue expanding well into our 90s—if we exercise it.
Researchers have discovered that our mindset (how we interpret the world and events) isn’t fixed. How we “feed” our minds plays a key role in whether we are prone to a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Carol Dweck, author of Mindset, coined the terms “fixed mindset” and “growth mindset, ”and they have been thoroughly validated by respected researchers. For an engaging and easy-to-undertand overview, consider listening to Huberman Lab’s free podcast, How to Enhance Performance & Learning by Applying a Growth Mindset.
Let’s begin with a definition of mindset: “A mental frame or lens that selectively organizes and encodes information” (as defined Dr. Alia Crum). Here’s a deeper dive on neurobiology and mindset research and application. How the brain organizes and encodes information depends greatly on our inner narratives and how we see ourselves (identity).
In short, people with a fixed mindset believe there are limitations to their skills, talents, and abilities. They interpret these limitations as inherent aspects of their being, and they don’t believe they can change–no matter how much effort they put in. People with a fixed mindset tend to give up when faced with obstacles. They may assume they aren’t equipped to handle them. Or they may prefer to stay in their comfort zones, where they have developed competency or mastery.
At one time, it was commonly believed that intelligence quotient (IQ) was fixed, which is why we used to rely on IQ tests to determine one’s abilities. This has since been proven wildly inaccurate, as IQ measures only one aspect of intelligence.
People with a growth mindset believe that—while they may not be able to do, accomplish, or attain certain skills, talents, or abilities at this moment–they eventually could do so if they tried. They tend to think “not yet” as opposed to “not going to happen.” They often don’t recognize or view obstacles the way people with a fixed mindset do. Instead of letting challenges stop them from getting where they want to go, they find solutions to get around them. They tend to be relentlessly focused on goals. They have developed the behaviors, attitudes, and skills—courage, reframing, patience, persistence, mental toughness, reflection—necessary to expanding their thoughts and emotions.
People with a growth mindset often score high in emotional intelligence (EQ) tests, which measure how we apply, control, and manage emotions in relation to others. We now know that high EQ is a more accurate predictive indicator of workplace success than high IQ.
While it may be tempting to look at yourself and say, “I’m a growth-mindset person,” I challenge you to consider scenarios in which you might fall into a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset need not be permanent. By adjusting our thoughts, we can and shift to a growth mindset.
I learned this the hard way as a competitive athlete. A world-renowned coach once asked me why I didn’t execute a complex foot maneuver correctly. I responded, “It’s because I’ve had foot surgery and have a wire and screw in my toe creating limited range of motion.” His response: “I’m not interested in why you can’t move it. Show me how you’ll work around it.”
That thought had never occurred to me. I had a fixed mindset about the lack of flexibility in my toe. I had accepted it as something I couldn’t change. I suspect you have similar situations as well. Maybe you’re “not great at math,” or “not a people person.” While that may be true, you CAN change how you look at these challenges, change your identity, and choose growth-mindset behaviors to get more out of life.
Switching to a growth mindset is a choice. Some may be born with it, but for others it’s a bigger flex. The good news is that all you need is the willingness, commitment, and desire to switch. The key is practice.
Let’s look at how we can foster a growth mindset for ourselves and others.
- Give Yourself and Others Effort vs. Intelligence Feedback: Studies about mindset show that feedback referencing inherent talents and smarts, such as “You’re so talented” or “You’re a winner,” actually have a negative effect on performance and confidence. It feeds a fixed mindset. When studying children who were given this type of feedback, researchers noticed a clear decline in performance. When feedback centers around “born-with” traits, people stop trying to improve, thinking there’s no point in doing so. Consequently, when they don’t “win” or aren’t the best, they blame themselves, falling into victim or excuse-making mode.On the other hand, when children are given “effort-based” feedback (“You persevered; great job” or “Your hard work is paying off. I’m glad you never gave up”), performance increases dramatically. It makes sense. If a goal can be accomplished through effort, and we focus on praising that effort, the person is more likely to keep trying. These are the traits of someone with a growth-mindset.
- Manage Your Inner Roommate: This concept comes from one of my favorite books, The Untethered Soul. The author explores a concept called the “inner roommate.” It’s that voice or narrative inside your head offering unsolicited critical feedback or insight (rarely accurate or helpful). It’s like a person living rent-free in your head (because they can’t get a job or function in the outside world). A client was asked to present at a major international conference of industry leaders. While she had spoken on stage before, this was a different game. If she failed, she could kiss her career goodbye (at least that was her fear). Because she was representing her company, she was terrified she would make the organization look bad if she weren’t successful. She was stuck in a fixed mindset, with her inner roommate offering the following counterproductive dialogue. “Who do you think you are, presenting to industry leaders at this conference? You’re not even an expert! They’re so much smarter than you. You’ll look stupid. What if you make the company look bad? Maybe you should just cancel. ”To get her out of this fear-based fixed mindset, we created these growth-mindset counterstatements:
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- Fixed Mindset: Who do you think you are? Growth Mindset: I’m someone with a different perspective who is willing to put myself in this uncomfortable situation. If my presentation challenges these industry leaders to think differently, I’ve succeeded. If I’m not able to accomplish this goal, I’ll walk away having learned profound lessons, and I will do things differently next time.
- Fixed Mindset: You’re not qualified. Growth Mindset: I’ve been asked to present because I have something unique to share. I choose to trust that this is enough.
- Fixed Mindset: You’re not as smart as they are. Growth Mindset: I don’t have the same industry experience as they do. Instead, I bring a valuable combination of experience and street smarts that is unique to my field.
- Fixed Mindset: What if you make the company look bad? Growth Mindset: If I show up prepared and rehearsed, I know I will be true to our brand. The worst that can happen: The audience doesn’t like what I share or finds it boring.
- Fixed Mindset: Can you cancel? Growth Mindset: I always have the option of cancelling. I’m committed to seeing this through no matter how uncomfortable it makes me. I’m willing to put myself out there.
Most of us recognize statements like these. When I work with competitive athletes on their mental games, the first thing we do is get their inner roommates under control by reframing. Some of my clients are young (10-15 years old), and they always say their goal is to win. So, the first thing we do is remove winning from the equation. They have no control over winning. They only have control over how well they manage their mental game and how much disciplined practice they are willing to put in.
Maintaining a growth mindset requires disciplined practice. For deep-rooted insecurity issues, we may need to reframe for years. That’s okay. We’re just not there “yet.”
- Acknowledge, Accept, and Move On (AAM): Another tool I use with professional athletes, AAM translates perfectly to our business growth-mindset work. The faster we acknowledge that something happened, the quicker we’re able to accept and move on. That, however, is easier said than done if we have a fixed mindset. Research shows that people with a fixed mindset tend to have a stronger emotional response to not succeeding. Difficulty accepting their mistakes prevents them from moving on. People with a growth mindset, however, tend to quickly acknowledge and accept. Rather than ruminating on the feelings and emotions of not succeeding, they focus on what they learned from the experience, so they will be better next time.The good news is that you can switch from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset by using the AAM approach to change the narrative. Here’s an example: “I am not great with numbers (acknowledge), and I struggle with basic calculations (accept). To become better, I will _______ (insert action). Or the opposite: “While I know it would be helpful if I were better with numbers, I’m not willing to put in the effort to improve.” Moving on means either taking action to change or making the decision not to act. Both involve moving on from where you currently are. Avoid the temptation to get stuck in a loop and beat yourself up. Ruminating is wasted energy and time.
- Success or Learning? There’s No Failure: Applying a growth mindset means we move away from focusing on what didn’t happen or how we failed. Instead, we focus on what we learned. The only failure is not applying what you learned from the experience in order to succeed in the future. Give yourself a moment to be upset, hurt, or disappointed. Then apply “AAM” and record it. Take the lessons from the experience to create the future you desire.
