So there's this American psychologist, Carol Dweck. Smart lady. She's spent decades researching why some people wilt at the first sign of failure while others seem to bounce back stronger. In her book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" (see, I'm referencing self-help books as requested!), she introduces these two ways of thinking: fixed mindset and growth mindset.
Fixed mindset, in a nutshell, is believing your abilities are set in stone. "I'm not a maths person." "I've never been creative." "I can't learn new languages." "I'm not a business person." Sound familiar? It's like deciding your abilities were handed out at birth like some cosmic raffle, and whatever ticket you got, well, that's your lot in life. It's fixed, you can't change it!
Growth mindset, on the other hand, is believing that your abilities can develop through dedication and hard work. Bit like those before and after photos at the gym, except it's your brain getting the workout, innit?
I had this mate back in high school, let's call him Tsepang (because that was his name). Tsepang was convinced he was "not a maths person." Watching him try to solve a maths problem was like watching someone try to perform open-heart surgery with a spoon. Painful for everyone involved.
Fast forward four years, and our O' Level Maths results came out. Tsepang had a distinction in Mathematics, one of the few guys, including myself if course. What happened? His mindset changed. He convinced himself that perhaps somehow, he dad the ability to be good. He told himself that he is a "Maths person".
The Science Bit (Because We Need to Sound Clever Sometimes)
Alright, let's get a bit scientific. Studies show that our brains are far more malleable than we once thought. Neuroplasticity, they call it. Fancy word for "your brain can change." When you learn something new, your neurons form new connections. The more you practice, the stronger these connections become.
A study published in the journal "Nature" showed that London taxi drivers' hippocampi (the part of the brain involved in spatial navigation) were significantly larger than average. Why? Because they'd spent years memorizing the labyrinth of London streets. Their brains literally grew to accommodate their learning. Mad, isn't it?
Imagine if those cabbies had just said, "Nah, I've got a rubbish sense of direction, me. Couldn't possibly learn all them streets." Half of London would still be wandering around Piccadilly Circus looking confused. More than usual, I mean.
Growth Mindset: The Practical Bits
So, how do we actually apply this growth mindset malarkey in real life? Glad you asked. I've been testing these out myself, with varying degrees of success (my attempt at learning to juggle still frequently ends with apples rolling under the sofa).
1. Mind Your Language
No, I don't mean stop swearing (though my mum would appreciate that). I mean pay attention to how you talk to yourself and others. Adding one little word can make all the difference:
Fixed: "I'm not good at this." Growth: "I'm not good at this YET."
Try it. Seriously. It feels a bit naff at first, like you're doing an impression of a cheesy American self-help guru, but it works. That little "yet" opens a door to possibility that was firmly shut before.
2. Embrace the Power of "Rubbish First Attempts"
Dr. Atul Gawande, in his book "Better," talks about the concept of necessary failure. The best surgeons aren't those who've never made mistakes, but those who've learned the most from them. And so surgeons together with everyone else in medicine are called practitioners. It essentially means "a person who practices a profession or art," with the "practitioner" form derived from the older word "practician" which itself originates from the French verb "pratiquer" meaning "to practice.". They are constantly practicing, meaning they are getting better and better, and that is the growth mindset!
"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial." — James 1:12
James wasn't just talking about spiritual trials but the principle of perseverance in all areas of life. Growth comes through persistence, not instant perfection.
3. Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results
We're obsessed with results, aren't we? How many likes, how many sales, how many kilos lost. But in a growth mindset, the effort is where the magic happens.
My primary school teacher God bless his soul. Instead of saying "well done, you're so clever" whenever we would get something right, he says "well done, you worked really hard on that." The focus shifts from an innate, fixed quality ("cleverness") to something within their control (effort).
Smart gent, that. Wish I'd had teachers like him even in high school instead of Mr. Can't name him now who told me my handwriting looked like "a spider had fallen in an inkwell and then had a seizure." (I think I rephrased it a bit too much there). Not exactly nurturing the growth mindset, was he?
The Workplace Revolution
Imagine if our workplaces actually encouraged a growth mindset. Instead of annual reviews that feel like judgement day, we'd have regular conversations about learning and development. Instead of hiding mistakes, we'd analyse them openly to see what we could learn.
Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, transformed the company's culture by shifting from a "know-it-all" to a "learn-it-all" mindset. Since then, Microsoft's stock price has tripled. Coincidence? I think not.
The Final Thought (Because We Need a Proper Ending, Don't We?)
"Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?" — Isaiah 43:19
God's all about new beginnings, fresh starts, and transformation. Not exactly compatible with a fixed mindset, is it?
So next time you catch yourself saying "I can't," add that magical "yet." Next time your kid/friend/partner/random person on the bus says they're "not good at" something, gently challenge that thinking.
Because here's the thing: we're all works in progress. None of us popped out of the womb knowing how to read, write, or make a decent cup of tea. We learned. We grew. We improved through practice and persistence.
The fixed versus growth mindset isn't just some psychological theory or corporate buzzword. It's a daily choice about how we view ourselves and others. It's choosing possibility over limitation. It's choosing faith over fear.
And that choice, my friends, can change everything.
Make the right choice today, because This Is What We Do Now!!!
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