A Growth Mindset: How To Take Charge Of Your Academic Destiny

Josie McGuire

A growth mindset can make all the difference between gaining a happy, fulfilling life and walking a much more difficult path. This transformative mindset fosters self-esteem, creativity, and a sense of hope for the future – empowering you to take actionable steps toward your goals.

“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a frequently quoted maxim. However, have you ever asked whether or not the same is true concerning human potential? Is it possible to become more capable of growth simply because you believe it is so? Leading motivation psychologist Carol Dweck says that yes, it is completely possible! It’s a truth that many have heard of, but few employ it to its fullest extent: developing a growth mindset can overhaul the trajectory of your entire life.

What Is A Growth Mindset?

Harvard Business School says that “Someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort. . . someone with a fixed mindset views those same traits as inherently stable and unchangeable over time.” Individuals who have a fixed mindset struggle to handle challenges that inevitably arise. They often find that they perform less effectively in crises because they do not already have what they need in terms of knowledge or skill, and they cannot, therefore, adapt and handle the urgent situation. People with a growth mindset, on the other hand, believe that they can grow, adapt, and ultimately succeed in their efforts. This perspective creates a reframing effect, where failure becomes a learning opportunity.

Example of a Fixed Mindset:

You find yourself repeating bad study habits such as cramming for tests, inadequately reviewing materials, and persistently procrastinating. This results in poor scores and grades. The embarrassment from your academic performance convinces you that you are simply “lazy” and “not as smart” as your peers at school. Because you believe that your substandard performance is connected to an inherent trait in your personality, you do not make the effort to improve.

Example of a Growth Mindset:

You get a lower grade than you would have preferred in a subject you tend to struggle with. Instead of believing that you are naturally unable to comprehend the concepts, you choose to tell yourself that you haven’t understood the topic . . . yet. You also self-reflect to identify and address some difficulties in your life so that you can begin to access needed resources, better manage your time, and study more effectively. These changes allow you to gain mastery of the subject over time. Your newfound skill encourages you to learn other topics you did not believe you could grasp.

What Can A Growth Mindset Do For You?

Sometimes it can be hard to have a growth mindset when faced with difficulties in life. However, studies show that people who demonstrate a growth mindset are much more likely to be resilient in the face of hardship. A growth mindset gives you tools to emotionally cope, improves your life skills, and empowers you to be an active agent of change in your life and the lives of others around you.

In addition, a growth mindset can help you:

Step out of your personal comfort zone.
- If you believe that you are capable of handling challenges, you will be more willing to step outside of your comfort zone. The knowledge you gain will build on itself, accumulating over time into expertise you could have never gained otherwise. For the confident learner, challenges are reframed as opportunities rather than hardships.

Cultivate resilience.
- There are many benefits to being comfortable with failure. The ability to recover from setbacks and mistakes without falsely believing they are an indicator of your self-worth improves your confidence and independence. This, in turn, increases your motivation and engagement, leading to greater educational and professional success.

Foster creativity.
- Confidence in your ability to grow creates comfort with creative experimentation. Creativity flourishes in a climate of radical self-acceptance that at once lives without self-judgment and strives to improve. Ultimately, being able to try new approaches without shame or fear makes creative problem-solving easier.

Increases well-being.
- People with a growth mindset are more satisfied and fulfilled. They can take on difficulties with confidence in their success. They are empowered to learn and help others. They have more positive feelings about life overall, boosting their mental and physical well-being.

Next time you are faced with a challenge, consider taking a moment to acknowledge the negative feelings that may come up, such as fear, embarrassment, shame, or defensiveness.

Accept your emotions before reminding yourself that feelings are not necessarily the same as fact. Remind yourself that you have previously recovered from setbacks, grown, and succeeded. No success or failure is meaningless if you choose to use it to your advantage.

Developing A Growth Mindset

All of us are a mixture of fixed and growth mindsets. As Harvard Business Review points out, “We all have our own fixed-mindset triggers. When we face challenges, receive criticism, or fare poorly compared with others, we can become insecure or defensive, which inhibits growth.” This means that a vital aspect of developing a growth mindset is preparing for when the “rubber hits the road.” Developing a plan of perseverance guards against future potential temptations to give up.

It is easy to believe that you have the potential for growth when it comes to an activity that you love, such as writing stories, playing video games, or designing fashionable outfits. However, even personal passions can be challenging and present opportunities for growth. For example, you might find that you are having a difficult time deciding what ought to happen next in your story. One way of avoiding a fixed mindset reaction such as “I’m not a good writer” or “I’m not creative enough” is to prepare for these difficult scenarios ahead of time. If you expect to face a challenge, you can prepare by, for instance, reading novelists that you admire for their plot structure or by joining a writing club for support. A mindset of expecting and preparing for potential obstacles can help overcome reactive feelings of helplessness or discomfort.

Start by establishing some essential habits in order to prepare for situations that might come your way. Here are some practical suggestions for increasing your confidence in your ability to adapt and grow.

Focus on your goals.
- What do you ultimately want? Perhaps you are wishing to accomplish a life goal in your academics, profession, or personal life. Or maybe you’re only concerned with achieving a particular outcome for an assessment, skill, or relationship. Regardless, keeping the end goal in mind will make it easier to learn from and push past the challenges you’ll inevitably face along the way.

Think in terms of possibilities.
- “Yet” is a great word to employ when learning. It highlights the human capacity for growth we all share. Saying, “I can’t do that… yet” shows that you understand the reality of the situation and that you are still able to take charge and adapt.

Be open to constructive feedback.
- A growth mindset includes the realization that your self-worth is not contingent on your performance. Being open to feedback from others demonstrates true confidence in yourself and your abilities. Listening to feedback also means that you are able to take advantage of the wisdom, experience, and fresh perspectives of those around you.

Reflect on your successes and failures.
- Self-reflect on your victories and mistakes. Why did your situation play out the way it did? What could you have done better? What steps can you take to continue with what is working well and improve what needs improvement? Making time to carefully consider what decisions and actions lead to success is the pathway to further growth.

Have a positive attitude.
- Unfortunately, life can give us genuine struggles that are unfair, overwhelming, and harmful. It is important to remember that healthy positivity is not about dismissing or ignoring problems. Instead, it is about taking responsibility for what you are able to control and remaining grateful for the positives in the situation.

“Smell the roses.”
- Everyone knows that results are important. However, many people do not know that the process is just as important. Make sure you keep in mind the what, why, and how of whatever you are working on. As a perk, taking time to enjoy the process of learning means that, well, you will like learning more. If love to learn, you will be even more motivated to do so.

For more resources on how to develop and improve your mindset, there are many options, including these books:

Conclusion

What do successful scientists, entrepreneurs, musicians, and public servants all have in common? They possess a powerful secret weapon: a growth mindset. Having a growth mindset unlocks resilience, making you less likely to give up when faced with difficulty. You will embrace challenges as exciting opportunities for growth, believing that anything is possible. With a growth mindset, the sky’s the limit!

At Educate. Radiate. Elevate., we believe in empowering students to take charge of their own destiny. That’s why our unique tutoring program goes beyond just academics. We equip students with essential soft skills, like a growth mindset, time management, and active listening, alongside hard skills in subjects like Math and English. Our comprehensive approach ensures that students not only excel academically but also develop the tools to navigate life successfully. Best of all, our program is completely free for underserved children who are eager to learn and grow. If you know a student who is ready to unlock their full potential, seize this opportunity and nominate them for our educational program today!

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