Which Mindset Do You Choose?

A bit about me, I am starting my MBA in the fall. As a welcome to the program and a starting point to prep, I got a package from my school.

In the package, they sent a copy of the book Mindset by Dr. Carol Dweck for me to read.

This book, as I have been told, is a good indication that going back to school to get my master's will be difficult.

Dweck’s focus in this book is on how people with two different mindsets approach difficult things. The two mindsets she describes are the Fixed Mindset and the Growth Mindset.

The best way that I can concisely describe the difference between the two is the Fixed Mindset being output-focused while the Growth Mindset is input-focused.

When you are in the Fixed Mindset, you believe that the outcome of the test, the final score, or the rejection defines you. This is a limiting belief.

When you think this way, it assumes you either have a natural talent at whatever the difficult thing is or you don’t. Leaving no room for growth whether your starting point is good or bad.

The Growth Mindset on the other hand believes that you have the ability to improve on whatever the skill is. The outcome doesn’t define you, the work and improvement you’ve made is what defines you.

As Dweck points out, the Growth Mindset is much better at handling failure than the Fixed Mindset because your identity is within your locus of control.

You can see this in the NFL often.

You see first-round draft picks often burn out of the league quickly because they are faced with challenges that their talent can’t overcome and they become faced with failure. Often not handling well.

Then you have a player like Tom Brady. Drafted 199th, he had to put in a ton of work before having the opportunity to play. Since he had a Growth Mindset he was willing to put in that work and more importantly continue the work after he won the Super Bowl.

This reminds me of the quote:

Of course, these mindsets are not binary.

It is common to have a mix of these mindsets and lean towards one mindset for one thing and towards the other mindset for a different issue.

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