For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt of yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. – That is the central message in Carol Dweck’s book,. Dweck and her colleagues’ research has found a very simple belief about ourselves that guides and permeates nearly every part of our lives. This belief limits our potential or enables our success. It often marks the difference between excellence and mediocrity.

It influences our self-awareness, our self-esteem, our creativity, our ability to face challenges, our resilience to setbacks, our levels of depression, and our tendency to stereotype, among other things. What is this powerful, yet simple belief? The Fixed and Growth Mindsets Much of who you are on a day-to-day basis comes from your mindset. Your mindset is the view you have of your qualities and characteristics – where they come from and whether they can change. These following two mindsets represent the extreme ends on either side of a spectrum. A fixed mindset comes from the belief that your qualities are carved in stone – who you are is who you are, period. Characteristics such as intelligence, personality, and creativity are fixed traits, rather than something that can be developed.

Mindset by Carol Dweck is a psychological examination of different mindsets; the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. Read and download the summary here.

A growth mindset comes from the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through effort. Yes, people differ greatly – in aptitude, talents, interests, or temperaments – but everyone can change and grow through application and experience. It’s very possible to be somewhere in the middle, and to lean a certain way in one area of life, and a different way in other areas.

Dweck writes about them as a simple either-or throughout the book for the sake of simplicity. Your mindset likely varies from area to area. Your views may be different for artistic talent, intelligence, personality, or creativity. Whatever mindset you have in a particular area will guide you in that area.

How does this simple mindset change your behavior? Having a fixed mindset creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over – criticism is seen as an attack on your character, and to be avoided. Having a growth mindset encourages learning and effort. If you truly believe you can improve at something, you will be much more driven to learn and practice. Criticism is seen as valuable feedback and openly embraced.

The hallmark of the growth mindset is the passion for sticking with it, especially when things are not going well. The following example helps illustrate the two mindsets. After you read this short vignette of an imaginary situation, ask yourself how you would respond to this situation. One day, you go to a class that is really important to you and that you like a lot. The professor returns the midterm papers to the class. You got a C+.

You’ve very disappointed. That evening on the way back to your home, you find that you’ve gotten a parking ticket. Being really frustrated, you call your best friend to share your experience but are sort of brushed off. How would you respond? What would you think?

If you thought, “What a crummy day. I would feel like a failure.

I would be frustrated. I wouldn’t feel motivated to study for the final exam. Maybe I’m just bad at that class.” then you may tend towards the fixed mindset. If you thought, “Well, I probably shouldn’t have parked there. And maybe my friend had a bad day?

I’ll have to study harder for the final.” then you may tend towards the growth mindset. You don’t have to be of one mindset or the other to get upset. But those with the growth mindset don’t label themselves and throw up their hands in defeat.

They confront challenges and keep working. The growth mindset enables the converting of life’s setbacks into future successes. The fixed mindset, however, often results in little or no effort; Dweck mentions the many times she is outright startled by how much the people with a fixed mindset do not believe in effort. You may be thinking this whole idea of a mindset seems a little simplistic. Surely we’re more complicated than that? Surely such a simple belief can’t have that much impact on our lives? Small Belief, Big Influence How can one belief lead to all this – the love of challenge, belief in effort, resilience in the face of setbacks, and greater (more creative!) success?

“Smart people succeed,” says the fixed mindset. Therefore, if you succeed, you’re a smart person. Therefore, pick the easier problem so success is more likely, and you validate your smartness. Pick a hard problem and you may fail, revealing your stupidity. “People can get smarter,” says the growth mindset, “ and do so by stretching themselves and taking on challenges.” Therefore, pick the hard problem – who cares if you fail!

Your mindset is the view you adopt of yourself. These mentalities can be seen as early as four years old. In one of Dweck’s studies: We offered four-year-olds a choice: They could redo an easy jigsaw puzzle or they could try a harder one. Even at this tender age, children with the fixed mindset – the ones who believed in fixed traits – stuck with the safe one. Kids who are born smart “don’t make mistakes,” they told us. The growth-oriented kids welcomed the harder puzzle, finding a safer puzzle to be boring. But those are just kids and toys.

Does your mindset have any influence on more important life decisions? It turns out they do. One of the many examples given by Dweck deals with university students making decisions that will influence the rest of their lives. Who would pass up a free opportunity to improve their life success?

At the University of Hong Kong, everything is in english. Some students are more fluent than others, and this can have a big impact on their success. As students arrived to register for their freshman year, they were asked if they would take a free course to improve their English skills if the university provided one. It turned out that those with a fixed mindset were not very interested, and those with a growth mindset were absolutely interested. This is a perfect example of how the fixed mindset turns people into non-learners.

As Dweck says: The fixed mindset stands in the way of development and change. The growth mindset is a starting point for change, but people need to decide for themselves where their efforts toward change would be most valuable. People with the fixed mindset are not simply lacking in confidence, though their confidence may be more fragile and more easily undermined by setbacks and effort.

Also, having a growth mindset doesn’t mean you have to be working hard all the time. It just means you can develop whatever skills you want to put the time and effort into.

The following image, created by Nigel Holmes, and found near the end of the book, is a great summary of the key ideas in Mindset, and how it affects your life. (My one nitpick is the use of “deterministic” in the final fixed-mindset sentence, which I’d say is incorrect; replace it with “unchangeable” and I’d be happy.) It shows the difference between the two mindsets, and why the growth mindset is better. Remember that all of these behaviors stem from the very simple beliefs you have about your own abilities to change and improve. Being aware of your own mindset will be key to changing it, as we’ll see in a future post. For now, think about which side of this image better represents your beliefs about intelligence, and your resulting behavior. How about for creativity, or technical skills, or speaking abilities, or school skills, or social skills, or any other life skill and ability?

What’s coming up next: • • • How to change our mindset. (Edit: I doubt I’ll get around to writing this any time soon, so.) • /// Header image from. This post is released under. • Dweck (2006).. Ballantine Books. [] • Dweck (2006), p. [] • Dweck (2006), p.

[] • Dweck (2006), p. [] • The test subjects were giving a questionnaire including questions like “Is a person’s intelligence fixed and unchangeable?” This enabled researchers to determine their mindset.

Now updated with new research — the book that has changed millions of lives. After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S.

Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramat Now updated with new research — the book that has changed millions of lives. After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset — those who believe that abilities are fixed — are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset — those who believe that abilities can be developed.

Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment. In this edition, Dweck offers new insights into her now famous and broadly embraced concept. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. She also expands the mindset concept beyond the individual, applying it to the cultures of groups and organizations. With the right mindset, you can motivate those you lead, teach, and love — to transform their lives and your own.

As an adult, I would help young children understand the lessons of this book through a class/workshop of sorts; however, beyond the age of Absolutely. As an adult, I would help young children understand the lessons of this book through a class/workshop of sorts; however, beyond the age of 12~15, teenagers are totally able to understand the book by themselves. I actually think it's incredibly important that we transmit this idea of 'fixed' versus 'growth' mindset to entire generations to come; hoping they, in turn, pass it on to the next. ________ Note: of course it should be read by most adults as well; but until we reach that point (perhaps, 25 years from now when the children aforementioned have become adults.), I think it's important to give children (and teenagers) themselves the means to properly interpret how others (parents, teachers and peers) judge their work and results, and how they approach life and learning within, for themselves. Okay, so the idea is fine, and usable, and easy to explain to others, and pretty simple. I was about to give this book a one-star rating because I was so irritated with Dr. Dweck trying to shoehorn her idea into every single success story in the history of humanity and basically saying that her theory was the best explanation of that success.

Conversely, every failure could have been averted but for a change in mindset. It was the Fixed mindset that caused the Chicago Cubs to never win a World S Okay, so the idea is fine, and usable, and easy to explain to others, and pretty simple. I was about to give this book a one-star rating because I was so irritated with Dr. Dweck trying to shoehorn her idea into every single success story in the history of humanity and basically saying that her theory was the best explanation of that success. Conversely, every failure could have been averted but for a change in mindset. It was the Fixed mindset that caused the Chicago Cubs to never win a World Series.

If only they had the Growth mindset, like the Yankees, they would win more World Series. Dweck may be too in love with her own ideas to realize that she oversells the usefulness of her theory to the extent that the portion that is actually workable seems underwhelming after cutting away from her salesman-like puffery.

However, Mindset still serves as a useful supplement to a change manager's library. Its principles are serviceable to the manager, the parent, the spouse, the student, and the teacher. Just don't mistake it for a panacea. Here is a message to anyone close to me who may over hear me saying, 'I must read that popular psychology book.' , at some point in the future. Don't let me forget how vapid and uninspiring this book was.

Please remark: 'don't forget about Mindset Mark!' Let me try and save you some time by summarising (not sure if this qualifies as a spoiler, I guess not): it is bad to think your skills and knowledge are limited. This represents the fixed mindset. Rather, it is good to think to yourself: if I Here is a message to anyone close to me who may over hear me saying, 'I must read that popular psychology book.' , at some point in the future. Don't let me forget how vapid and uninspiring this book was. Please remark: 'don't forget about Mindset Mark!'

Let me try and save you some time by summarising (not sure if this qualifies as a spoiler, I guess not): it is bad to think your skills and knowledge are limited. This represents the fixed mindset.

Rather, it is good to think to yourself: if I work hard at things, I will be amazed by what I could achieve. This accords with the growth mindset. Actually, that is a little unfair, there is one more point worth mentioning. If you have children, as I do, then: try to avoid rewarding achievement more than effort. Because rewarding effort encourages development of the growth mindset.

How is it that these simple nuggets of truth can be passed on in the space of a goodreads review, whereas Ms. Dweck requires an entire book?

I keep hearing educators praising this author and, specifically, this book. Maybe she's better in person. I found this book trite. It was very repetitive and full of cherry picked stories pulled out just to prove her obvious conclusion. Are there really people who think that if you go into something with a negative attitude it won't affect the outcome? She goes to the extreme with the positive attitude stuff, though.

I just don't buy that anyone can do anything if they just try hard enough. Not I keep hearing educators praising this author and, specifically, this book. Maybe she's better in person. I found this book trite. It was very repetitive and full of cherry picked stories pulled out just to prove her obvious conclusion.

Are there really people who think that if you go into something with a negative attitude it won't affect the outcome? She goes to the extreme with the positive attitude stuff, though. I just don't buy that anyone can do anything if they just try hard enough. Not trying guarantees you won't do it, but trying really hard doesn't mean you will. Lots of people try hard for years to get into the Olympics and they don't. It doesn't mean that they didn't work as hard as someone who did. The author also inserted herself pretty aggressively into this book.

Her story about tears streaming down her face at the wonderfulness of Italians was too much. This book is dated enough that her stories of the greatness of Tiger Woods is pretty funny. I found Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers to be a much better book about a similar topic.

Excellent book. This one sounds like a typical self-help book, but it's a real find. The author is a pyschology researcher at Columbia, and her book is filled with insights and illustrations regarding the differences that a fixed mindset vs.

A growth mindset can have when applied to business, parenting, school, and relationships. Her research has been highlighted in many venues, including an excellent book on parenting titled Nurture Shock. I give it 5 stars because I can see so much of myself i Excellent book. This one sounds like a typical self-help book, but it's a real find. The author is a pyschology researcher at Columbia, and her book is filled with insights and illustrations regarding the differences that a fixed mindset vs. A growth mindset can have when applied to business, parenting, school, and relationships.

Her research has been highlighted in many venues, including an excellent book on parenting titled Nurture Shock. I give it 5 stars because I can see so much of myself in the book's description of the fixed mindset.

The book's message spoke to me and the mindset I've adopted in some areas of my life. I'm particularly prone to the 'Effort Gone Awry' scenario where I would work hard, but not with a growth mindset (i.e., one associated with the love of learning). Rather, I'd be working hard to prove myself to others. I worked hard to have achievements that would validate my self worth and adopted identity.

The downside is that you end up being unwilling to take risks or face tough challenges (if you fail, your self worth goes down). Also, you end up running yourself ragged and being stressed out because you're afraid of losing the approval of others if you don't succeed. I find the growth mindset fits very well within a Christian perspective as our life in God needs to be always one of continual growth -- 'higher up and deeper in' as C.S. Lewis would say. The fixed vs.

Growth mindset isn't the whole story, but it's an important part of the puzzle in helping us better understand how our minds work. I like the diagram on p.245 that I believe sums up the message of the book. Fixed Mindset: -E.g., Intelligence is static Leads to a desire to look smart and therefore a tendency to. Challenges: avoid challenges Obstacles: get defensive or give up easily Effort: see effort as fruitless or worse Criticism: ignore useful negative feedback Success of others: feel threatened by the success of others =>As a result, they may plateau early and achieve less than their full potential Growth Mindset: -E.g., Intelligence can be developed Leads to a desire to learn and therefore a tendency to.

Challenges: embrace challenges Obstacles: persist in the face of setbacks Effort: see effort as the path to mastery Criticism: learn from criticism Success of others: find lessons and inspiration in the success of others =>As a result, they reach ever-higher levels of achievement These basic questions are also helpful in developing a growth mindset. I need to continually ask myself: -What are the opportunities for learning and growth today? For the people around me? As I think of opportunities and form a plan, I need to ask: When, where, and how will I embark on my plan? As I encounter difficulties, I need to ask: When, where, and how will I act on my new plan? And when you succeed, ask yourself: What do I have to do to maintain and continue the growth? This is probably all i really need to hear out of this book, but i will read the whole thing anyway.

There are two mindsets. Fixed and growth. Believing that your qualities are carved in stone -- the fixed mindset -- creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character -- well, then you'd better prove you have a healthy dose of them.

It simply wouldn't do to look or feel deficient in these most This is probably all i really need to hear out of this book, but i will read the whole thing anyway. There are two mindsets. Fixed and growth. Believing that your qualities are carved in stone -- the fixed mindset -- creates an urgency to prove yourself over and over.

If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character -- well, then you'd better prove you have a healthy dose of them. It simply wouldn't do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characteristics.

I've seen so many people with this one consuming goal of proving themselves -- in the classroom, in their careers, and in their relationships. Every situation calls for a confirmation of their intelligence, personality, or character. Every situation is evaluated: Will I succeed or fail? Will I look smart or dumb? Will I be accepted or rejected?

Will I feel like a winner or a loser? There's another mindset in which these traits are not simply a hand you're dealt and have to live with, always trying to convince yourself and others that you have a royal flush when you are secretly worried it's a pair of tens. In this mindset, the hand you're dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Do people with this mindset believe that anyone can be anything, that anyone with proper motivation or education can become Einstein or Beethoven? No, but they believe that a person's true potential is unknown (and unknowable); that's its impossible to forsee what can be accomplished with years of passion, toil, and training.

'a person's true potential is unknown (and unknowable)' i feel like those words contain so much freedom for both those who have been made crazy by high expectations in their upbringing, and put down with low ones. It is not a knowable thing, what your potential is, anyone who told you they knew, it was a lie, and you have nothing to prove and nothing to hide? What a fucking relief. I think a lot of people who rated this book highly must have had a 'fixed mindset'.

I think this book was a waste of money, personally. The tone of the book is very repetitive and annoying. Essentially people with a growth mindset are better than people without it in every possible way. If you have a fixed mindset you'll have lower grades in school, be unhappier, die earlier, be fatter, (be more likely to) never get married, make a bundle less money, you name it! It reads more like fear mongering I think a lot of people who rated this book highly must have had a 'fixed mindset'.

I think this book was a waste of money, personally. The tone of the book is very repetitive and annoying.

Essentially people with a growth mindset are better than people without it in every possible way. If you have a fixed mindset you'll have lower grades in school, be unhappier, die earlier, be fatter, (be more likely to) never get married, make a bundle less money, you name it!

It reads more like fear mongering than actual research, rattling off a list of everyone's most basic fears 'But if you listen to me, Carol Dweck, all of your dreams and more will come true!' I also don't recall Dweck listing many references to any of her research, you're just supposed to take her stories at face value 'Because I'm a researcher!' Mindset offers a lot of words with little substance. I will admit that I haven't finished the book, and I don't plan to. Dweck's tone really just grated on my nerves, and I don't feel I gained anything useful from reading what parts of the book I read. I can't imagine anything more useful coming to light at the end. Recommended in and.

A very useful book about the growth mindset. Essentially, the book makes a case that those people who look at everything they do in life as a learning opportunity are much more successful.

I think where this comes into play most often is when we face a setback, or a failure. Whether thats getting rejected from something (a job, a team, etc), messing up at work, having your boss yell at you, losing at something, getting laid off, making a bad b Recommended in and. A very useful book about the growth mindset. Essentially, the book makes a case that those people who look at everything they do in life as a learning opportunity are much more successful.

I think where this comes into play most often is when we face a setback, or a failure. Whether thats getting rejected from something (a job, a team, etc), messing up at work, having your boss yell at you, losing at something, getting laid off, making a bad bet, etc - most of us have many setbacks in our lives. How we deal with those is incredibly important. If we let the setback define us, we might think we aren't talented after all, and lose confidence.

If on the other hand, we look at it as something we can learn from, we improve as a person. I came at the book as it was recommended to me as being good for parents. My daughter is only 1.6 years, but already she is learning fast.

The book recommends praising our children's efforts, instead of their results. Telling them they are 'amazing', and 'smart' is so easy to do, but if you do that their whole lives they won't succeed when they get to the real world. What you want is to encourage a learning attitude. This quote sums it up: Looking at life as a constant challenge is fun. And you can't fail at a personal challenge!

Here is a great mental imagery technique the book mentioned when you are doing something you are bad at: Another interesting bit was how people at the top of their game can get caught up in a fixed mindset. You see this in sports all the team - the champion team from last year thinks they can cruise through this year, doesn't work hard, and suddenly they are losing a lot. It's so hard to maintain the edge. John Wooden puts it best. Watered down and scientifically not that accurate (grit is a part of conscientiousness - see studies below), welcome to education's favorite book!

Here is my two sentence summary of this book (best spoken in kindergartner teacher voice): There are two kinds of people in the world, people who believe things are fixed, others who believe they can change through hard work and effort, so believe in the ladder and success will open in front of you! Hooray you are a special snowflake that can grow! Heav Watered down and scientifically not that accurate (grit is a part of conscientiousness - see studies below), welcome to education's favorite book! Here is my two sentence summary of this book (best spoken in kindergartner teacher voice): There are two kinds of people in the world, people who believe things are fixed, others who believe they can change through hard work and effort, so believe in the ladder and success will open in front of you! Hooray you are a special snowflake that can grow! Heavy on the inspirational stories and antidotes, light on the data to support some of the arguments and essentially void of the how to.

I agree that the right attitude, one that embraces struggle and hard work in order to increase your talents (which are not fixed, but fluid), helps you succeed in life. But it's about putting ideas into action. This book offers very little practical advice or steps one can take in order to do so. I think most people, after reading this, get that warm fuzzy feeling that wow, this makes sense! But then that fades, and life resumes, and it's just a book on the shelf. Maybe even a companion book to put this idea into action to train the elephant in you (thanks Happiness Hypothesis).

Ultimately, success requires the right attitude but also the sweat to make it happen. And this doesn't really offer practical steps on how to make it happen. There ain't no short cut. Studies that debunk this book: (read the abstract page one). Let me preface this review by saying that my boss made me read this book, because, apparently, reading assignments are something that I should have as a 5th year PhD candidate. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure no one should require me to read a shitty waste-of time self help book. Let me save you the money and the aggrivation: The point of this book is (admittedly) not terrible, but it could be summed up real fast.

Here you go, you're welcome. Often, people see their abilities as 'fixed' and thi Let me preface this review by saying that my boss made me read this book, because, apparently, reading assignments are something that I should have as a 5th year PhD candidate. Not only that, but I'm pretty sure no one should require me to read a shitty waste-of time self help book.

Let me save you the money and the aggrivation: The point of this book is (admittedly) not terrible, but it could be summed up real fast. Here you go, you're welcome. Often, people see their abilities as 'fixed' and this attitude stops them from working to better themselves, turns out that if you work hard and keep the right can-do attitude, that you can accomplish more than if you think you're doomed to be a particular skill level forever. There are examples of this all around you.

What you get with this book is an endless diatribe. Hey, you remember that thing that happened in history? Where X person did Y thing that turned out to be good/bad? Well, if it was bad, it was TOTALLY because they had a fixed mindset. If it was good, it was 100% because of their growth mindset. This is true of literally any example in history ever no matter how poorly researched it might be.

Michael Jordan? That guy from that one business that went bad? WHAT A FIX MINDED DUMBASS. Seriously, I don't think I have ever read something so repetitive and belabored in my life. Sure, lady, you make a good point: People shouldn't limit themselves. Maybe give it a break after about 15 pages and I think it would probably be plenty.

Also, Bitch, if you tell me that I wouldn't be depressed if I just had a better attitude about it, I'm going to be upset and lose faith in your credibility. Seriously, kids, don't waste your time on this. And if your boss tells you to read it, don't bother, just read this helpful review again. Another book that attempts to build upon the research of Anders Ericsson. The way I read it, I would break the book into 3 parts: Part 1: How people fail because they don't have the right mindset Part 2: How people success because they have the right mindset Part 3: You could also call this part 2a - it basically deals with children and success in school, home, etc. The first part of the book was the worst. Its case after case of 'this person tried to succeed and failed because he didn't have the rig Another book that attempts to build upon the research of Anders Ericsson.

The way I read it, I would break the book into 3 parts: Part 1: How people fail because they don't have the right mindset Part 2: How people success because they have the right mindset Part 3: You could also call this part 2a - it basically deals with children and success in school, home, etc. The first part of the book was the worst. Its case after case of 'this person tried to succeed and failed because he didn't have the right mindset'. So what was the right mindset?

She doesn't tell you. How do you obtain it, or get into that mindset? She doesn't tell you. She tells you whats wrong without explaining WHY it is wrong, etc.

She sorta reserves that for the next part of the book. Also, there is no form. Its kind of a rambling, unorganized mess.

You read it and are wondering 'Ok, this person failed, that person failed. They didn't have the right mindset.

Do you mind explaining to me what the right mindset ACTUALLY IS? How a bout how do *I* get the right mindset so I can avoid all this?' Some of those questions never get answered. The second part of the book has all these success stories, and she tells you that they were successful because they had the right mindset.

She delves slightly into what the right mindset is, but there really aren't a new revelations here. And she never tells you how to get into that mindset. IOW, there is nothing in the book about motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic). There is nothing about background and upbringing or lessons learn earlier in life. There is no compare and contrast with the first part of the book to bring things into a proper context.

IOW, shes not teaching you about mindset, shes just telling you. Its like describing to someone how the piano is played vs actually giving someone lessons. If you are interested in this type of material, check out Geoffry Colvin's 'Talent Is Overrated' and Matthew Sayid's 'Bounce' - preferably in that order. Read it and you will see all that this book is missing. And though Colvin's book can get dry at time, it still has forward movement, and ideas build upon previous ones, and things are explained very well.

All things that this one is lacking. It's pretty bad when after 15 pages, I want to fling a book away in disgust. But I kept reading. (Okay, it turned into skimming pretty quickly). And it DIDN'T GET BETTER.

I've read several thoughtful and interesting pieces of journalism lately referencing the general thesis of this book that were really thought provoking. But the book itself is just empty tripe and cliches, without adding any content of interest to bolster the general idea that it's more important to foster a growth mindset over It's pretty bad when after 15 pages, I want to fling a book away in disgust.

But I kept reading. (Okay, it turned into skimming pretty quickly). And it DIDN'T GET BETTER.

I've read several thoughtful and interesting pieces of journalism lately referencing the general thesis of this book that were really thought provoking. But the book itself is just empty tripe and cliches, without adding any content of interest to bolster the general idea that it's more important to foster a growth mindset over a static mindset in people, so that they can better cope with and adapt to situations in which they are not just naturally talented. I'm actually very sympathetic to this general idea, but the book was just terribly written, and in fact made me wonder if I should rethink my agreement with her.

Here is just a small sampling of ridiculousness that is within the pages of this book: - A section is literally begun with the words 'Since the dawn of time.' Your average ninth grader should be aware that this is a terrible idea.

- An extensive summary of the movie 'Groundhog's Day' is given as support for a theory of psychology. - Half the book is filled with 'interesting trivia' that suggest that people who begin stupid can work hard and be AMAZING!!! For example, did you know people thought Einstein was slow as a child?! - Yes, everybody knows that piece of faux-trivia. And it's not even true - real evolutionary psychologists believe that Einstein's brain was larger than average in areas that encourage spatial reasoning and an intuitive grasp of numbers. (Steven Pinker told me that in _The Blank Slate_.

After about three pages of this book, it was not hard to decide which author I find more credible.) - So many ridiculous cliches (introduced as ARGUMENTS and EVIDENCE) that it would be impossible to catalogue them all. This book is practically an encyclopedia of phrases like 'nothing ventured, nothing gained!'

And 'if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.' - The explanations of the research projects that created these 'findings' make it obvious that you cannot trust these results. For instance, they presented kindergarteners with a test that they said was 'very important.'

Before administering the test, they asked followup questions of the five year olds: 'Do you think this test will measure how smart you are?' And 'Do you think this test will measure how smart you will be as a grown-up?' Almost all of them said yes, except for one five year old I am certain is fictional, who responded 'No way!

Ain't no test that can measure that!' If you ask a FIVE YEAR OLD an extremely leading question who has been given no information, you are almost guaranteed to get a shower of 'yes!' The fact that they didn't immediately display suspiciousness toward researchers and critically deconstruct their questions is evidence of nothing.

At best, it's evidence that children respond to leading questions and/or don't listen and think very deeply or carefully when asked leading questions. - There is one section that is full of reports about 'genius children' to suggest that some of them turned out well (the ones who still applied hard work) and some who didn't (because they just rested on their natural proclivities). All of these stories feel impossible to believe the way they are presented. Bios Toshiba Satellite L640 Weight Chart there. The author read a book once that told a story about a four month old baby who asked his parents 'Mom and Dad, what are we eating for dinner tonight?' This is third-hand, not cited, and completely un-credible. (Even if a baby was genius enough to speak in full sentences at four months old, he cannot eat solid food yet, so why on earth does he care what they are making for dinner?). In short, this might be the worst book I've ever read.

Before reading it, I was very persuaded by its premise. After reading it and discovering that at least this explanation of the thesis is the opposite of convincing, I will approach all writers who accept this theory with a huge degree of distrust and suspicion. Great overarching concept, lackluster execution. In Mindset, Professor of Psychology Carol S. Dweck discusses the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.

The fixed mindset focuses on immovable measures of achievement and ability, such as the idea that everyone is born with a certain amount of unchangeable intelligence. The growth mindset advocates that everyone can improve themselves in any area of life through hard work.

Dweck argues that we should adapt the growth mindset beca Great overarching concept, lackluster execution. In Mindset, Professor of Psychology Carol S. Dweck discusses the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. The fixed mindset focuses on immovable measures of achievement and ability, such as the idea that everyone is born with a certain amount of unchangeable intelligence. The growth mindset advocates that everyone can improve themselves in any area of life through hard work.

Dweck argues that we should adapt the growth mindset because it aids in parenting, academics, relationships, and more. As a Psychology major I learned about growth and fixed mindsets in my classes, and it was cool to see Dweck apply the concepts to several different areas, such as sports, marriage, and politics.

However, I wish she had done more with her main argument: instead of delving deeper into the psychology behind the mindsets, it felt like she stayed at the surface level of her ideas and applied them to a wide range of interesting yet repetitive anecdotes. She could have connected growth and fixed mindsets to mental health, stereotype threat, feminism, or an assortment of other topics that would have strengthened the thesis of her book. After 276 pages, I did not feel like I learned anything new. It's not like anything Dweck wrote was wrong or bad, but I could capture her main argument and share it with people just by having them read an article or two, as opposed to this entire book. Mindset is definitely a must-read book that has the capacity to have a profound impact your life as an individual, business leader, teacher or parent by opening your eyes to different mindsets one can have or induce to others specifically if you possess a fixed-mindset.

The downside of the book i would say the examples or sending the message sometimes gets too repetitive but not boring though. I highly recommend this book to every one whether you want to open your world to new possibilities and st Mindset is definitely a must-read book that has the capacity to have a profound impact your life as an individual, business leader, teacher or parent by opening your eyes to different mindsets one can have or induce to others specifically if you possess a fixed-mindset.

The downside of the book i would say the examples or sending the message sometimes gets too repetitive but not boring though. I highly recommend this book to every one whether you want to open your world to new possibilities and strength through having a growth-mindset or you want the same thing for your business, students or children. This is a book which the administrators in my organization are reading. I am reading it as well, though I'm not an administrator. I am only on page 43 but I already have dismissed the ideas and the author as superficial.

Written in a casual style (the author states in the introduction: 'A little note about grammar. I know it and I love it, but I haven't always followed it in this book.

I start sentences with ands and buts. I end sentences with prepositions. I use the plural they in contexts that This is a book which the administrators in my organization are reading. I am reading it as well, though I'm not an administrator.

I am only on page 43 but I already have dismissed the ideas and the author as superficial. Written in a casual style (the author states in the introduction: 'A little note about grammar. I know it and I love it, but I haven't always followed it in this book. I start sentences with ands and buts. I end sentences with prepositions. I use the plural they in contexts that require the singular he or she.

I've done this for imformality and immediacy, and I hope that the sticklers will forgive me.' Well, I have a hard time forgiving that when this had to pass through professional copy editors (it's published by Ballentine). But even worse is the informality of the anecdotes and conclusions. Her thesis is that there are two types of people in the world, those with a 'fixed mindset' and those with a 'growth mindset.' The former believe that their intelligence and ability are 'fixed' and there is no opportunity to become smarter or more able. Do what you are already good at and avoid situations where you might possibly fail or do worse than expected.

Growth-minded people believe that failure is an opportunity to grow. There's the book.

Fluffed up with superficial renderings of true life stories and supposed quotes from the author's research subjects. While the author has 239 footnotes at the back of the book, backing up her statements, her stories come off as simplistic to the extreme. The most disturbing example so far is that of the late chef, Bernard Loiseau. The author claims he committed suicide because he had a fixed mindset and could not accept that his restaurant lost a 'star' in the leading restaurant guide in Europe. '.the director of the GaultMillau (the restaurant guide) said it was unimaginable that their rating could have taken his life.

But in the fixed mindset, it is imaginable. The lower rating gave him a new definition of himself: Failure. 'It's striking what counts as failure in the fixed mindset. So, on a lighter note.' Here the author has taken a complex situation and reduced it to 'guy killed himself because he was one of my two types of people in the world.' And then blythely moves on to 'a lighter note.'

A quick look at Wikipedia shows that there was more to the story than that. There were known factors such as debt. And any thinking person would tell you there are other underlying factors that could have been involved such as clinical depression, bi-polar disorder, possibly drug or alcohol abuse, childhood abuse or neglect issues, the list goes on. The point is, the author chose to simplify in a way that simply makes her point. I'm still reading this book because it makes me actually angry and I feel I need to review it for my administrators to let them know my thoughts.

I bought this book last year, but didn't get around to it. While reading something else recently, it referred to this one and I decided to give it a go. The basic premise is that 'the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.'

'Believing that your qualities are carved in stone - the fixed mindset - creates and urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character - well, the I bought this book last year, but didn't get around to it. While reading something else recently, it referred to this one and I decided to give it a go.

The basic premise is that 'the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.' 'Believing that your qualities are carved in stone - the fixed mindset - creates and urgency to prove yourself over and over. If you have only a certain amount of intelligence, a certain personality, and a certain moral character - well, then you'd better prove that you have a healthy dose of them.

It simply wouldn't do to look or feel deficient in these most basic characterstics.' 'The growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.

Although many people may differ in every which way - in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests or temperaments - everyone can change and grow through application and experience.' I've done some soul searching on myself, because I can certainly be angst-ridden and defensive. However, no matter how terribly I've failed, I have always tried again. I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as talent, only practice. It wasn't just Malcolm Gladwell who convinced me of this.

I went to an elite highschool. We were all told we were smart, but that that would not put us through - only effort would. The growth mindset cultivated in my class led to many remarkable achievements. I had already cultivated good study habits, and these saw me through. I was more interested in learning than in being the best - the latter would have been futile in the group I was in anyway. The psychology classes of those highschool years taught me about IQ tests and the difficulty of measuring such a thing because of biases.

It also taught me that most of the things measured could be learned. The IQ tests I have taken prove as much. I excel at langauge, anagrams, visual patterns and numbers - these are things I have practiced. I suck at logic.

I never really attempted to learn it in the theory of knowledge classes either, but I could have and could still. When I was appointed my first management position, I read. When I got more responsibility and felt overwhelmed, I went back to part-time school and took a semester of work and organization psychology. This also involved some very specific things around Norwegian employment law, in addition to learning more about how people react to different situations.

These classes were incredibly helpful. If I had had a fixed mindset, I would probably not have put so much effort into learning how to be a better boss having believed my traits and talents fixed. But I'm not done, and I never will be - there are always more things to learn. Lately I've become better at recognizing destructive thought patterns and tweaking my reactions. This is cognitive psychology, something this author doesn't seem to hold high in regard.

However, the cognitive psychology I have been reading focuses much on behavior. If you want to live a more healthy lifestyle, start behaving like you are. Get your ass out of the sofa. And so forth.

I find that the cognitive approach and the growth mindset go hand in hand. When things go to hell, don't take it personally but do accept personal responsibility for it.

Learn what you can, move on and do better next time. Take it from me, the biggest screw up contain the biggest potential lessons. There is no talent. There is only effort and practice. I read the first few chapters but then ended up skimming the rest. I absolutely agree with the author that it's better to have a growth mindset than a fixed mindset. It just seemed like the author made the point and then kept repeating it over and over again.

I did think it was valuable to apply this principle to relationships (chapter 6); it's nice to have someone confirm that good relationships are a lot of hard work and that if a relationship requires a great deal effort that does not mean th I read the first few chapters but then ended up skimming the rest. I absolutely agree with the author that it's better to have a growth mindset than a fixed mindset. It just seemed like the author made the point and then kept repeating it over and over again. I did think it was valuable to apply this principle to relationships (chapter 6); it's nice to have someone confirm that good relationships are a lot of hard work and that if a relationship requires a great deal effort that does not mean that you failed to find your true love. While having a growth mindset is a prerequisite to success, I don't personally think changing your mindset is the greatest impediment to success.

I think a lot of people believe they could succeed, but they feel like they lack the motivation and energy to make the effort to do things that are really difficult. They feel like they should do things but then feel guilty about not doing them. By the way, I'd be interested to know how the author squares her theory with the section of the The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns that explains why you should stop “must”-erbating. It seems like a person who tried to take Dweck's advice to heart would spend a lot of time feeling like they 'should' be doing things to grow, and might also feel awful that they are not actually doing all of the things that they feel that they should be doing. Also, many, many people are constantly making a tremendous effort to grow but still feel as if they are failing. They are in fact expending effort ineffectively and are extremely frustrated. Is the problem for most people really that they do not have a growth mindset, or rather that they just can't figure out exactly what they need to do to grow?

Second reading: 25 February 2016 - 5 March 2016. Reread this wonderful gem, confirming the fact that this book really is a game changer. This rereading also confirmed that this is one of the books that will accompany my growth throughout different phases of my life. I believe it will accompany for the rest of my life, actually. It has pressed me to recognize the areas in which I had a fixed mindset and those in which I had a growth mindset and it has helped me change my view in the areas I had t Second reading: 25 February 2016 - 5 March 2016.

Reread this wonderful gem, confirming the fact that this book really is a game changer. This rereading also confirmed that this is one of the books that will accompany my growth throughout different phases of my life. I believe it will accompany for the rest of my life, actually. It has pressed me to recognize the areas in which I had a fixed mindset and those in which I had a growth mindset and it has helped me change my view in the areas I had that fixed mindset.

I was already able to see the difference in my behavior from the first reading to the second. In some instances (before that first reading) I reacted with a fixed mindset but now in my second reading I noted that in some of those instances I have already made some changes and I can manage to react with a growth mindset. This second reading was useful to see what has already changed in me, what still needs to be changed but most importantly, how to maintain those changes throughout my life. That's why I believe this book will be a life-long companion of mine, because it'll always help me with my personal development. I will definitely reread many more times.

An essential reading. First reading: 11 October 2015 - 26 October 2015 This book is a game changer, I loved everything about it. It is one of those books which I will have to revisit over and over again and still learn something with it. The flap copy on this book promised it would be 'a great book that will change your life.' That certainly raised my expectations, and I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. The premise of the book is the basis of cognitive psychology: what you believe affects your whole life, so if you can change your beliefs, ie, your mindset, you can change your life. This book characterizes two mindsets, the fixed and the growth-oriented.

The fixed is the more common one because that's what society te The flap copy on this book promised it would be 'a great book that will change your life.' That certainly raised my expectations, and I'm happy to report that I wasn't disappointed. The premise of the book is the basis of cognitive psychology: what you believe affects your whole life, so if you can change your beliefs, ie, your mindset, you can change your life. This book characterizes two mindsets, the fixed and the growth-oriented.

The fixed is the more common one because that's what society tends to drill into us. Natural talent necessarily brings success. If you're talented, you shouldn't have to work hard, and if you fail, then you just weren't as talented as you thought you were.

The growth mindset is the opposite. Hard work is more important to success than talent, and when you fail, you just have to plan a better strategy for success. The book goes on to show applications of both mindsets in sports, business, relationships, education, and parenting. And the stories cited paint human portraits. My favorites were the contrast between fixed mindset John McEnroe vs. Growth mindset Tiger Woods.

And I'm not even into sports! It didn't matter; the point is the psychology. The author acknowledges that it's not easy to rid yourself of the fixed mindset. But since reading this book, I'm vigilant on myself.

And most of all I try and remember its most important lesson: if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is based on a deceptively simple—yet powerful—premise. The central distinction she draws here is directly relevant to any of us interested in teaching leadership.

According to Dr. Dweck (a Stanford psychology professor), each of us adopts one of two mindsets about life: the fixed or growth mindset. People with fixed mindsets tend to see human potential as static and finite; people with growth mindsets see human potential as more dynamic and el Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success is based on a deceptively simple—yet powerful—premise. The central distinction she draws here is directly relevant to any of us interested in teaching leadership. According to Dr. Dweck (a Stanford psychology professor), each of us adopts one of two mindsets about life: the fixed or growth mindset. People with fixed mindsets tend to see human potential as static and finite; people with growth mindsets see human potential as more dynamic and elastic.

Obviously, those who believe that leaders are “born, not made” subscribe to the fixed mindset. Those of us sharing the gcLi’s core philosophy—i.e. That leadership can be taught—fall into the growth mindset camp.

Deak compares neurological pathways to rubber bands, she invokes the growth mindset. Similarly, when a leadership scholar like Professor Ron Heifetz of Harvard distinguishes adaptive from technical leadership, his distinction implicitly entails growth vs. Fixed mindsets too. Over the long haul, the more successful athletes, teachers, spouses, coaches, professionals and entrepreneurs naturally tend to manifest beliefs and behaviors characteristic of the growth mindset. Few of us are bound to enjoying playing or working for coaches or bosses with fixed mindsets.

Dweck’s book is full of cautionary examples of those sorts of leaders (from the likes of the Enron executives to coaches like the mercurial—perhaps infamous—Bobby Knight). These memorable, illustrative anecdotes are one of the signal strengths of Mindset. Many readers of this sort of literature are already well familiar with the process-oriented, growth-minded approaches of perennial champions like Michael Jordan or long-tenured UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.

Both these remarkable competitors managed to achieve outstanding success in the win-loss column over long careers. But both considered winning merely an inevitable byproduct of their zealous pursuit of athletic excellence and their willingness to outwork their opponents. Seeking constant growth and improvement in their own teams’ abilities were Wooden’s and Jordan’s primary focus.

By manifesting their growth mindsets this way, they were also able to accomplish unparalleled productivity and victorious results—but almost as an afterthought or matter of course. Dweck and other similarly minded leadership scholars believe that leaders emerge naturally in organizations that prize learning and manifest pervasive growth mindsets. Her dichotomy also recalls James MacGregor Burns’s seminal distinction between “transactional” and “transforming” leadership. Transactional leaders—according to Burns—simply “exchange valued things” with their followers. They have a sort of quid pro quo arrangement, in which everyone’s needs and wishes get served despite possibly finite resources. Operating out of a growth instead of fixed mindset, by contrast, transforming leaders seek to enlarge the size of the relevant pie.

Burns’s transforming leaders use mutual engagement between them and and their followers to enhance their collective potential, thus raising the possibilities for all. Dweck closes her analysis by pointing out that we each can choose which mindset we embody from moment to moment. Her final chapter, for instance, offers a sort of self-guided workshop or tutorial one might follow to work on changing one’s primary (default) mindset. By showing how many contexts in which mindsets profoundly affect one’s experiences, prospects for success, satisfaction in life, or the quality of one’s relationships, Dr. Dweck offers her readers a simple, broadly significant insight. Walt Disney once said the best way to get something done is to stop talking about it and do it. Such a simple sentiment ought to be a no-brainer; and yet, how often have we let opportunities slip through our grasp because of the way we think, what we believe, or what we uphold as valuable?

In MINDSET, Carol Dweck shares her research on that particular part of the brain and how it affects the way we live our lives and approach our goals. Using powerful examples, Dweck shows how too much praise of Walt Disney once said the best way to get something done is to stop talking about it and do it. Such a simple sentiment ought to be a no-brainer; and yet, how often have we let opportunities slip through our grasp because of the way we think, what we believe, or what we uphold as valuable? In MINDSET, Carol Dweck shares her research on that particular part of the brain and how it affects the way we live our lives and approach our goals. Using powerful examples, Dweck shows how too much praise of a child's intelligence or making too much of an employee's innovation can be just as bad as saying too little or nothing at all. She goes on to show how just a simple change in the way we think about the brain - in the way we THINK! - can make us lovers of learning and more resilient in the way we approach our lives, our work, our education - even our relationships!

I worked at GE during the Jack Welch years, so it's not at all surprising to see him extolled here as a mindset model. Welch was a tough boss, but he was always hardest on himself. He was a straight shooter who owned up to his mistakes, actively sought to improve the way he did his job, and always - perhaps because he had come up through the ranks himself - went back to the employees, whom he considered to be the experts, for input and advice on how to make the company a better place. MINDSET is nothing new to me. Dweck's down-to-earth presentation of it here, though, is a welcome refresher and an inspiring read.

Suffering from mindset? This book's for you! This is as simple as it is revolutionary. Should be required reading for parents and educators, but everyone can benefit--even if you aren't really on the prowl for 'success'. What I love most is that the concept will improve yourself, but even if you struggle to change your mindset from 'fixed' to 'growth' you can instill benefits on others by praising work rather than talent.

If you've ever praised someone for being 'smart' or destined to be the 'next Mozart' or a 'natural' you'll realize that This is as simple as it is revolutionary. Should be required reading for parents and educators, but everyone can benefit--even if you aren't really on the prowl for 'success'. What I love most is that the concept will improve yourself, but even if you struggle to change your mindset from 'fixed' to 'growth' you can instill benefits on others by praising work rather than talent. If you've ever praised someone for being 'smart' or destined to be the 'next Mozart' or a 'natural' you'll realize that you've inadvertently wrecked havoc on their psyche. As victims of this type of praise, you'll learn how to change your mindset after being damaged.

Of course the book is much more than that, but those segments were the most life-changing for me. The 'growth' and 'fixed' mindset concepts extend to every aspect of life and, unlike many self-help books, it's not necessarily something that's common sense. This IS revolutionary. Check it out!!!

My dad had been talking about this book, so when we went to visit him and I saw it on his desk I started reading it. It made sense right away and was easy to get into. Your mindset (either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset) determines how you relate to your abilities and experiences in school, business, relationships, and sports (those are the areas she covers). I could see myself in both of the mindsets she described, and I think they're a useful tool for making sense of places where I strugg My dad had been talking about this book, so when we went to visit him and I saw it on his desk I started reading it. It made sense right away and was easy to get into. Your mindset (either a growth mindset or a fixed mindset) determines how you relate to your abilities and experiences in school, business, relationships, and sports (those are the areas she covers). I could see myself in both of the mindsets she described, and I think they're a useful tool for making sense of places where I struggle.

They offer a way to organize a response. I have a sense of the freedom in the growth mindset: nothing sticks to you because you don't identify with the results; you're here to learn and grow, so fear and anger and results don't have such a grip on you.

I picture someone loose in a stream of events, like a slippery fish. But it's a learning stream. It's funny, though.

I feel like I need a break from these kinds of books: idea books to help you make something work, to get better at something. Maybe the Joker's monologues in The Dark Knight had an effect on me. (I saw it by myself late at night, which is the best time to come out of a movie.) I kind of liked them. I thought they were the best of their kind. Something like, 'They're all schemers...' And he wants to disrupt it, subvert it, hold it up for its ridiculousness.

This isn't exactly a schemer book, but it's definitely an aiming at success book ('success' is in the sub-title). Ways to succeed rely on a simplification of what's going on. It's the only way to create a model to use to work with life, but I get tired of it eventually.

I've read a lot of good ones this summer, though. I guess I'm ready to put my new tools to use.

I don't need anymore new tools right now, thank you. I feel like I'm ready for Handke again. And maybe Philip Dick. I want to read Ubik. Dweck, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of motivation and is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her research has focused on why people succeed and how to foster success.

She has held professorships at Columbia and Harvard Universities, has lectured all over the world, and has been elected to the American Academy of Art Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., is one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of motivation and is the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. Her research has focused on why people succeed and how to foster success. She has held professorships at Columbia and Harvard Universities, has lectured all over the world, and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her scholarly book Self-Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality, and Development was named Book of the Year by the World Education Federation. Her work has been featured in such publications as The New Yorker, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, and she has appeared on Today and 20/20.

In her 2007 Book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Stanford Researcher Carol Dweck shares the following research conclusions: 1) People have either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset: People with a fixed mindset believe intelligence, ability and personality are unchanging, deep-seated traits. Whereas people with a growth mindset believe these traits can be developed over time with effort. 2) The two mindsets are conditioned -- and self-fulfilling prophesies: It’s important to know that mindsets are conditioned. Up until you learn about these mindsets, you haven’t chosen one over the other -- it has been ingrained in you by the messages you receive from others.

In her TED Talk that “every word and action can send a message. It tells children — or students, or athletes — how to think about themselves.

It can be a fixed-mindset message that says: You have permanent traits and I’m judging them. Or it can be a growth-mindset message that says: You are a developing person and I am interested in your development.” Dweck also shows through her research on student learning that in effect, these mindsets become self-fulfilling prophesies.

In essence, people with the growth mindset really do grow. Whether observing pre-med college students or fifth graders, Dweck observed that students with the fixed mindset showed greatest concern over looking smart, and were more likely to seek out easier tasks that affirmed their smarts and give up when learning got hard -- hence preventing them from achieving at higher levels. In contrast, students who believed in their ability to get smarter with effort were more likely to take on, enjoy and master challenging tasks, even if they had experienced failure -- thereby enabling greater achievement.

3) The good news: it doesn’t matter which mindset you embody today, because you can grow into a growth mindset person: Dweck writes, “Just by knowing about the two mindsets, [people] can start thinking and reacting in new ways [Instead of] passing up a chance for learning, feeling labeled by a failure, or getting discouraged when something requires a lot of effort. They switch themselves into the growth mindset — making sure they take the challenge, learn from the failure, or continue their effort.“ For example, involved observing the math scores of a 7th grade class. Half of the students were taught about the growth mindset and the other half was taught about the states of memory. Remarkably, the control group’s grades decreased overall, whereas the growth-mindset group’s grades improved on the next test. The research shows that “with practice, neural networks grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and build insulation that speeds transmission of impulses.” In other words, every time you learn you also improve your ability to learn. How you can start acting on this knowledge today With the above in mind, there are a number of small but significant ways to act on this knowledge and improve opportunities to learn and grow for yourself, your employees, your kids, your spouse, and just about anyone else you share this earth with.

1) We can change the way we talk When we refer to someone as smart, gifted, bright or perfect, we reinforce fixed mindset and diminish potential. When we talk about others as stupid, incompetent, or not the brightest crayon in the box, we reinforce fixed mindset and diminish potential. When we praise others for their scores, outputs, intelligence or talent, we reinforce fixed mindset and diminish potential.

We have the ability to control our language, and to remember to focus on the growth-mindset message that says “You are a developing person and I am interested in your development.” We do this by simply shifting our conversations to focus on growth-oriented abilities like effort, strategy, focus, perseverance, and improvement. 2) We can observe and modify our response to learning, effort, and challenge Again, it’s within our control to shift from the fixed to growth mindset.

If you’ve found yourself shying away from challenges, getting defensive when you receive feedback, or resenting the success of others, that’s okay -- but it’s time to exercise your growth muscles and recognize you have the power to lean in and benefit from a change in response. 3) We can get specific about where we want to dedicate our learning energy Growth mindset isn’t about making you do everything. It’s about helping you see that you can become significantly better at just about anything you put your whole self into.

And you can’t put your whole self into everything, you don’t physically have time. Take a few moments to reflect on what your top priorities are today and what that you deeply care about it missing from that list.

Slash the non-importants. And then start leaning in. 4) We can espouse the most powerful examples that this. Dweck offers countless examples of the power and improved results of the growth mindset, from abilities like drawing and fitness to math, leadership and parenting.

Like Wilma Rudolph, an Olympic runner who won three gold medals in the 1960 Rome Olympics. When Wilma was four, she almost died of pneumonia, scarlet fever, and polio -- and survived with a mostly paralyzed left leg. Despite doctors’ assumptions that she would never walk again, Wilma dedicated herself to physical therapy, kicked using her leg brace when she was 12, started walking normally and then trained to become a professional runner. When others challenge the growth mindset or pull you down the rabbit hole of “I’ll never be Picasso,” help shift the conversation to the reality that there are tremendous examples of effort leading to significant improvement and sometimes mastery -- show people it’s more productive and empowering to focus on the inspiring stuff that gets us moving. 5) We can keep each other in check There’s much we can do on our own to change the way we lean into learning, challenges and development. But imagine the impact of this change taking place not just within us, but within those we work with, live with. Dweck’s research shows us that just knowing about the two mindsets initiates change from within.

Share it, discuss it, prove it in your own actions and support it in others’. I think no matter our mindset or response to Dweck’s research, we can all see the tremendous potential value.