Hello everyone!
I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to talk a bit about my thoughts on the growth mindset. When I first read Mindset by Carol Dweck, I agreed with everything and concluded that I had a growth mindset. And so that was that.
But I was so wrong in assuming this. Because I truly don't know everything there is to know about it. Recently, I understood my error and the value of the growth mindset. I found that I was quick to dismiss it and didn't challenge myself enough to see if I could integrate different aspects of it.
I believe this led me to where I am today, where I've been expressing symptoms of a fixed mindset. It's difficult to pinpoint how or when, but I became weary of challenges, gave up easily, and accepted failures as defeat. For example, I didn't do as well as I had hoped on an exam and this brought me on a spiral of failure. My first thought was that this exam determined the outcome of the semester. It was a dogma of pass or fail. This was definitely affecting how I handle school, work, and stress.
Recently, I've picked up the Mindset book and it helped me reflect on my assumption and how easily one could slip into a fixed mindset. So far, it's helped me recognize what I can change and demonstrate ways to integrate a growth mindset. I look forward to working through it.
My takeaway from this experience is to not assume that I have all the answers and to keep an open mind. And also, to not be so harsh on myself and forgive, then move forward.
I'm sharing an image that helps me stay focused on what I want to work on. I wish you all the best in your endeavors! 😊
