Don't Have Your Mind Set in Stone!

Every person has the option of how they wish to lead their life. Some live to be their own worst enemy, while others constantly work to make themselves a better person. In Carol Dweck’s Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, she focuses on the notion of their being two different mindsets in the world: a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. This is the main idea of this book so far.

The fixed mindset is based on the idea that a person’s qualities are one, unchangeable way. A person who has this mindset is constantly trying to prove themselves and wondering if they are good enough. This is a very pessimistic way to live. A person needs to know that there is always room for improvement. A fixed mindset surrounds a person with feelings of hopelessness and despair over the smallest misfortunes. Often I find myself struggling with this mindset. I want to achieve perfection in my own life even though I know this is ultimately unattainable so I constantly beat myself up about things I consider to be failures. This idea of a fixed mindset corresponds with some of the material we covered in class, particularly the idea of extrinsic motivation. A person who is extrinsically motivated simply worries about the finish product and other people’s expectations. If you have a fixed mindset, you are consumed with trying to impress everyone around you or to get the best grade. These rewards are very concrete with no real depth behind them.

The other mindset is known as the growth mindset. It focuses on the idea that no matter where I am in life, I can always be more. This mindset is based on positivity and hope. If a person has a growth mindset they are optimistic and always know that things can and WILL get better. These individuals confront their challenges instead of moping about them. A growth mindset all depends on a person’s attitude and effort towards their cultivation of qualities. This mindset corresponds with the topic of intrinsic motivation. People who are intrinsically motivated see that they have potential and they can exceed the ordinary. This means that who they are is totally dependent on them and they need to want to be different in order to change. This way of living truly makes people have a passion to motivate themselves.

No matter where you are now in life, it is important to understand that you can change your destiny if you truly believe you can. It may sound cliché but it is honestly true. Attitude is everything!