The term “growth mindset” has become something of a buzzword in our life. You can find it everywhere you look-in the seminars of motivational speakers, in the education course descriptions, and in the mission statements of companies. 1[■]
One of the biggest misconceptions about growth mindset is that it is the same thing as being open-minded in your beliefs. This is untrue. Being open-minded in your beliefs is often the belief on what true growth mindset is, but this is actually called “false growth mindset” in the research community. 2[■] What this means is that they have a fixed belief on their intelligence level, which is exactly what a fixed mindset is. They believe that they are growing, when in reality they are not.
Being open-minded to other people’s beliefs and new things is great, but it does not mean that you are actually learning anything. Furthermore, there is no way to ever have a truly complete growth mindset. 3[■] It is important that you accept this and embrace it, while still desiring to experience growth anyway. This is the only way you can truly foster as m’ of a growth mindset as humanly possible.
4[■] Unproductive efforts that are merely done for the reward or outcome are not considered to be growth mindset. True growth mindset has nothing to do with reward or outcome. Rather, it is based entirely on the learning and growing process itself. When you are invested in a growth mindset, you are invested in the process regardless of the outcome.
5[■] You cannot simply “have” a growth mindset. You have to want one, and invest in having one. Understanding the truth about growth mindset will enable you to understand exactly how this trait can assist you in life.