How do I get a growth mindset?
That's basically what we're looking at this week with two steps to getting a growth mindset in any given situation.
It's about escaping the culture of zero failure, daring to fail and taming our inner perfectionist.
Also read about good feedback here at Feedwork.
Video transcription:
So there was the flag. There were the balls, and the two-step strategy to get yourself or others from a fixed to a growth mindset.
Hi it's Danni here and welcome to Friday Feedback.
Last week we started with the theme of mindset, and we continue this week with two steps to move from fixed mindset to growth mindset. Either for yourself or for others. But first we'll pass by a little story that's related.
The video is a continuation of last week's intro to Mindset: Fixed and Growth Mindset.
A story about meditation vs. a growth mindset
When I first heard about meditation, of course I didn't know what it was, but even then I thought it was a bit silly. It was certainly not something I needed to learn.
I don't know if you recognize it, but I kind of had this "Hippie!" - thought. Prejudiced, I know, but that's how I thought about it.
Meditation - a possible path to a growth mindset
Years later, I helped start a meditation group at my former job. After a fairly short period of regular meditation, I actually started to feel an effect.
I started to be able to catch my own skips. As if I could see myself a little from above. I could observe my thoughts a little more. I could stay focused for longer periods at a time and I had significantly more exuberance in traffic.
It sounds a bit silly, but that's where I felt the biggest change. It was like if someone pulled in front of me, "hmm" (I shrugged). Then I could just go on with my day from there. It didn't affect me.
I tell this story because one of the strategies I use, and which Carol Dweck actually recommends, is to get into a growth mindset.
It's that when I find I'm in a fixed mindset, I remind myself of a development or something I've learned in the past by making an effort, to kind of prove to myself that I can learn something new by making an effort.
It sounds completely stupid when I say it that way.
Because, of course, you can learn something new by making an effort. Can't you?
The challenge of a fixed mindset in terms of. a growth mindset
Yes, but that's the whole problem with the 'fixed mindset'. It's that in that situation we don't actually believe that we can learn that thing.
I still have a pretty fixed mindset, and if I try something new that I'm not good at from the start, I lose motivation pretty quickly and find something else that I'm good at doing.
And it is in such situations that I use the two steps.
How to move from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset:
- Notice when you're in a fixed mindset
That's partly why I used the story about meditation, because meditation helped me catch these situations. - Remember a "learning story"
Focus on a past experience where you learned something new or developed by making an effort - by fighting for it.
Again, with the meditation I didn't believe that the effort would actually make a difference, which is a sign of a fixed mindset, but after some time I actually experienced a change in my everyday life.
I use the story of meditation once in a while.
If it's not you, but other people you want to help, you can do it with simple sentences like:
"Do you remember how bad we really were at this when we started?"
or:
"Think of how much we've already learned..."
Or through questions, for example by saying:
"What's something else you started out thinking was really hard, but later learned?"
You may have wondered about these (read: the juggling balls).
Another story I use is the one about juggling, because I haven't always been able to do this (juggling). In fact, it took a lot of practice for me - at one point; and it's a good story for me to remind myself that back then I actually practiced quite a lot, but now I can do that (juggle...) and I could almost do a little trick.
Celebration
You might also be wondering about the flag? That's actually because exactly one year ago I did the first episode of Friday Feedback.
So it's kind of a birthday for us.
So there was the flag. There were the balls and the strategy with the two steps to get yourself or others from a fixed to a growth mindset.
What stories do you have that can help you get into a growth mindset?
I would love if you wrote a comment with them on LinkedIn, so we can inspire each other with where these stories can actually be found.
Because they can be silly little things.
Thanks for watching and see you again!
#Fridayfeedback are short videos with tips for better performance and well-being through feedback.
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