Fixed vs Growth Mindset and How to Develop a Growth Mindset

Has anyone ever told you that you have a fixed mindset? Or that you can’t be successful until you build a growth mindset?

No? Then let me be the first.

You need to develop a growth mindset if you want to succeed.

If you have no idea what that means, don’t worry. In this article, we’re going cover:

• the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset
• how to create a new mindset
• why you need to take responsibility for your actions

The last one might seem unrelated, but it’s arguably the most important. It might offend some of you and if so, you need to work harder on your growth mindset.

Let’s get started.

 

 

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

 

Aside from stating the obvious that with the one you grow and the other you stay fixed…

 

A fixed mindset tells you that where you are is where you are, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

A growth mindset says that you can change, learn, adapt, and ultimately grow through your actions alone.

 

If you aren’t feeling happy, you can research how to be happier. If you don’t have a lot of energy, you can learn how to have more energy.

It’s really that simple.

Someone in a fixed mindset who finds themselves not knowing how to make friends might blame it on their personality or introversion.

In reality, these problems can be solved by a few lifestyle changes. A growth mindset will tell you that you becoming sociable is a skill that you can practice. You make friends by getting out of your comfort zone and actively trying to make friends.

It’s about shifting your focus away from accepting you’re a victim of your circumstances, to taking responsibility for getting yourself into these circumstances and finding ways to escape.

A fixed mindset has become so common, that you probably don’t even notice it.

The path that a lot of people follow, myself included, tends to go something like this:

• work hard to get good grades
• get into a great college
• graduate with a good degree
• get a high paying job and start a family
• retire

While this isn’t necessarily a bad idea, you shouldn’t take it too literally.

What I mean is people who don’t hit these particular milestones automatically think that’s just how it’s supposed to be.

“Oh, I wasn’t smart enough to get a degree” or “I’m not meant to be successful”.

They might think the only way for them to improve is to work harder, or to get another job or to go back to college. Instead of fixing the underlying problems and shifting their mindset, they’re trying to slot themselves back into the system hoping they’ll fit.

So, how do you make the change from one to the other? Let’s find out.

 

How to Develop a Growth Mindset

 

Unfortunately, you can’t just flick a switch and instantly have a growth mindset.

You can definitely have ‘aha!’ moment where certain things become clearer. But, to develop a powerful mindset takes time, and more importantly, experience.

It’s one thing knowing the fundamentals, it’s another putting them into practice.

For me, the journey started back in 2014 when I came across a YouTube advert from Tai Lopez. It was my first-ever glimpse into the entrepreneurship lifestyle and I’ve never been the same since.

That was my eureka moment, but it has taken countless failures and I’ve had to overcome so many different struggles I’ve lost count.

That’s part of having a growth mindset, though. Knowing that no matter what happens there’s always a way out of your situation.

There’s always an opportunity to grow from every failed opportunity.

The day that you fail is the day that you stop trying to succeed.

What does that eureka moment look like for you? It’s impossible to tell.

It could be a certain book, course, or a video that you happen to see online. Heck, it could even be this article!

Whatever it is, the important thing is to act at that moment. Use it to spur yourself into action and make yourself aware that this an opportunity for growth.

Once you become aware you can start investing in yourself and creating real change.

However, it’s not as simple as just buying a few books and you’re done.

The mastery over your mindset comes once you make that switch from being comfortable with your situation to wanting to become more.

You have to want for a better life. You need to have a purpose to improve and take action to take you to that place. This is how you open yourself up to new opportunities and ways of thinking.

 

You need to go from problem-focused to solution-focused.

If you’re a skinny guy, sure you could blame it on your genetics or a fast metabolism. Or, you can use this as a chance to learn.

You’re not the only skinny dude in history. Other people have made the transformation, so what did they do differently? Once you start researching other people you might come across the idea of macronutrients and calorie-counting. Again, this opens up even more pathways for you to explore like protein intake, strength training programs for skinny guys and so on.

There’s always more to learn, and there’s always room to grow. But you’re the only one who can make that switch.

That’s when you really start to develop a growth mindset, and it all starts with you taking responsibility.

 

 

Your Life is Your Fault – It’s Time to Take Responsibility

 

Take a few moments to reflect on the following sentence:

Where you are in your life is a direct result of every choice you’ve made up until this point.

Your first reaction might be to lash out and say I have no idea what your life is like. No, you’re right. But, no matter what happens to you, you always have a choice.

Every day you make dozens of choices that, over time, have put you in the exact spot you’re in right now.

Whether or not you agree with that statement, it’s the truth. How you’ve reacted to every problem, every difficulty, it all adds up.

These decisions compound over time. So, the negative choices will keep building up and building up and eventually reaching a point where you can’t see any way out.

It’s not all doom and gloom.

Positive choices, as well as negative ones, also compound. The sooner you shift your mindset and start being proactive as opposed to reactive, the sooner you can counter all of the choices you’ve made and start changing your life for the better.

Try to imagine what your life will look like in five or ten years if you continue doing what you’re doing now.

You wake up and do the same thing every morning. You go to the same job and talk to the same people. Then you go home and do the same things and play the same video games.

Realistically, how will your life change in five years? You might get a promotion, you might make more friends or visit a few more places, but will you ultimately be happy with where you are?

If so, great! More power to you.

But if you look to the future and are seeking more fulfilment, richer experiences and a deeper purpose… Then you might be disappointed.

Your actions got you to where you are now and it’s your actions that will get you to where you want to be.

But remember, without the right mindset you won’t be able to do any of that in the first place.

 

Thanks for reading.

 

Read next: How to Create a Morning Routine