Her work on Mindsets is directly related to the beliefs we have about our most basic qualities.
She asks us to consider if our intelligence, our talents, our personality are fixed traits, carved in stone and that’s that? Or are they things we can cultivate throughout your life?
She has determined there are two sorts of people:
Fixed Mindset:
People with a fixed mindset believe that their traits are just givens. They have a certain amount of brains and talent and nothing can change that. If they have a lot, they’re all set, but if they don’t ... So people in this mindset worry about their traits and how adequate they are. They have something to prove to themselves and others. They spend their time documenting their intelligence or talent instead of developing them. They also believe that talent alone creates success—without effort.
Growth Mindset:
People with a growth mindset, on the other hand, see their qualities as things that can be developed through their dedication and effort. Sure they’re happy if they’re brainy or talented, but that’s just the starting point. They understand that no one has ever accomplished great things—not Mozart, Darwin, or Michael Jordan—without years of passionate practice and learning. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all great people have had these qualities.
Why this is important in redesigning your career is that mindsets can control the tape that’s going on inside your head when it comes to changing your career. That internal dialogue that buys into the myths, gives into the fears and judges why you can’t take that next step.
You can change from a fixed to a growth mindset by
- learning to listen to your fixed mindset voice
- recognising you have a choice when you face challenges
- practicing the growth mindset approach and taking on the challenges, learning from your setbacks and asking, ‘what can I do to improve on this?’
To undertake a Mindset test go to:
http://mindsetonline.com/testyourmindset/step1.php
Or listen to a 4 min video explanation at
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Dr+Carol+Dweck
Reference
Carol Dweck, How Mindset Affects Success, mindsetonline.com