Can your mindset actually make a difference in how you live your life?

Within my Learning & Development journey, I have recently concluded the first part of a very inspiring program to "Train Smarter", deep-diving on how neuroscience can help us not only design more effective training modules but also how to make the journey exhilarating for those in it.

As part of it, we had to "put on our hats" of instructional designers and create a training module to deliver to the rest of the participants. I thought it would make sense to select a topic that is directly related to what has been called “Future of Work”, since it's part of my job, as well as neuroscience itself.

As a prelude to why I chose this topic, I’d like to mention that, in fact, this is the second course that I take revolving around the brain. The first one was really a personal journey into understanding how we can use our brains to our advantage, and this one, seven years later, I am taking it with a professional development objective behind it. While doing a self-assessment of my interest in neuroscience, even though it is still quite a complex subject, I find myself much more comfortable having conversations about it nowadays. A topic that I once thought was kinda "off-limits" to the general public (including myself), just because of its perceived complexity, is now part of my day-by-day conversations. And it is only because I approached it with a growth mindset that I got to it!?

For those not familiar with the term "Growth Mindset" here is a little background:?

• First coined as a result of a study focused on children's education over 30 years ago by Dr. Carol Dweck (Ph.D. Professor in Stanford University) and her colleagues, later on, evolving to be used with all types of audiences.?
• It all started with an interest in students' attitudes about failure, noticing some rebounded while others seemed devastated by even the smallest setbacks. Thousands of children had their behaviors studied with that focus and the conclusion was that the type of mindset that one has determined their beliefs about learning and intelligence.
• The professor studies human motivation and “spends her days diving into why people succeed (or don’t) and what’s within our control to foster success”. Her theory of the two mindsets - Fixed and Growth Mindset- and the difference they make in outcomes is especially powerful in the learning environment.
• A simplistic summary of the study is that people with a fixed mindset have a harder time getting over failure/setbacks, a harder time becoming a better version of themselves because they believed that "they could only do as much as their intelligence permitted", whereas those with a growth mindset have an easier time getting over failure/setbacks because they believe that it was part of the process of becoming a better version of themselves and through hard work, dedication and focus "they could continue learning and improving" at every opportunity.
• You can read her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success or watch her TED TALK if you want to know more about it.?

Basically, "growth mindset describes people who believe that their success depends on time and effort" and that we can grow our brain's capacity to learn and to solve problems.

If you google the topic, you will find countless articles/quizzes/blogs on Growth Mindset, and 99% of them are based on her research, its fascinating to see all the ramifications this study came about. I believe it's valid to mention that the research findings are not implying that everyone is the same, nor that everyone has the same capabilities, NOR that anyone can be Einstein, but they do believe that everyone can get smarter/more intelligent if they work at it. And, honestly, so do I!

Even more so now, with the advances of science better understanding the brain and its neuroplasticity (quick video below explaining what it is), we can say as a fact that we have the capability and capacity to learn more, no matter what stage in life.

I even feel like I am proof of it, since after all the reading, studying, researching, and discussing the topic with peers, I now am more confident to talk about synapse, neuroplasticity, cortex, amygdala, and more! Had I stuck with a fixed mindset that "I already knew all I could at that time", I would have not invested and continued studying Neuroscience, for all the reasons aforementioned.

So, YES! Responding to the question in the title, your mindset does in fact make a difference in how you live your life, in how you approach challenges, setbacks and success. It is scientifically proven that it does! Fascinating stuff...

To explain it further, let's get back to the two mindsets presented at Dr. Dweck’s theory, the FIXED and the GROWTH mindset:

If you believe that your qualities are unchangeable (the fixed mindset), you will want to prove yourself correct over and over rather than learning from your mistakes. Or you will get discouraged and abandon your efforts at the first opportunity.

The growth mindset is changeable, you believe that intelligence can be developed and you will pursue it. If there is a setback, you'll see it as a natural process towards one’s goals and continue developing your skills to achieve it.

And to make it easier to grasp the difference in detail between the two mindsets, I created an infographic based on her work describing the tendency of each type of mindset in relation to some pillars:

Changing our beliefs can have a powerful positive impact!

Dr. Dweck’s work aims at showing that, whether conscious or subconscious, our beliefs strongly “affect what we want and whether we succeed in getting it.” - depending on the mindset we have, it can both propel us and prevent us from fulfilling our potential. So....

...why waste time proving time and again how great you are, when you could be investing your time in actually getting better?

Exactly! I also ask myself WHY? Because, even though it's all amazing and exciting that we can continue learning forever, that our brain is malleable and will mold however we stimulate it, well, as we have seen it, it's not easy!

One of the requirements of having a Growth Mindset is making an effort towards your goals. It requires dedication, perseverance, and willpower to do so! It is changing how you approach failure. Consequently, it is also a test to our confidence: we must be ready to be vulnerable to navigate the learning curve between "learning from scratch" to "mastery" and the risks and setbacks that come with it.

As if all that was not enough, to have a full-on Growth Mindset requires breaking habits! And that alone is very hard...

Reverting to my own experience and what I said at the beginning of the text about my pre-conception that "neuroscience was an off-limits topic because it was just too hard!", had I not look at it with a growth mindset, I would have not even started studying it.

Funny enough, currently, even though I have plenty of consciousness AND knowledge about the brain, about mindset and the positive power of a growth mindset, about the differences between Fixed vs Growth mindset etc etc... I can tell you that sometimes catch myself with "fixed mindset" thoughts!

Indeed it is not easy, but it is definitely a journey I invite you all to embark on!

Coming to think of it, actually, you already started the journey just by reading this blog and becoming aware of the two mindsets!

Let's just continue navigating it together: for my next blog, I'll write an article on techniques/practices that you can adopt to develop a growth mindset on your day-by-day and get better prepared for the changes the "Future of Work" is bringing!

Meanwhile, if you are curious about what is your current mindset, TAKE THIS FREE TEST by IDRLabs based on her work and, if you want it, share your results in the comments here! I am curious as well!

#TheConstantLearner #Neuroscience #FutureOfWork #GrowthMindset