How To Develop A Growth Mindset: 7 Easy Steps

A growth mindset is a belief that your personal qualities can be improved through dedication and hard work — rather than believing that you are either born with these qualities or not.

When people have a growth mindset, they view challenges as opportunities to improve themselves. They take on more complex tasks because they know that their abilities can grow with persistent effort. They are also less likely to give up when something becomes too difficult because their view of themselves and what they're capable of changes the moment things get tough.

Every day we interact with people in our lives who have a fixed mindset about themselves. That is, they feel that their abilities are static and not able to be changed. Even worse, if you believe that you are not capable enough, then you most likely will not strive for success or accomplish your goals.

On the other hand, people with a growth mindset believe that they can work hard to do anything they set their minds to. In the book "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success," psychologist and Stanford professor Carol Dweck talk about two very different ways of thinking about yourself and your abilities. People with a fixed mindset believe that their character, intelligence, and creative ability are basically fixed traits. If you have a math genius, you’ll do well in math no matter what. But if you’re not so great at math, you’re not going to excel at it no matter how hard you try.

This article aims to give you some step-by-step resources, methods, techniques, and strategies to build a growth mindset so that when adversity strikes or setbacks occur, it doesn’t overwhelm you.

1. Embrace Your Imperfections

Many of us are perfectionists, and our natural reaction is to wish our imperfections away. However, in this digital age, we can’t escape seeing the flawless images of both friends and strangers present to the world.

Some say that we should try and look as good as possible because that’s what gets us validation; others argue that these unrealistic ideals lead to a never-ending cycle of shame.

Embracing your imperfections is the first step towards trying to develop. If we’re honest with ourselves, we can honestly know our strengths and weaknesses and focus on the parts of our abilities where the most work has to be done. Only then can we experience genuine growth

2. Face Your Challenges Bravely

Stop and reframe the situation in your mind if you find yourself terrified in the face of a significant challenge. Consider your challenge as an "opportunity," shifting your perspective slightly to make it easier for you to engage. Each challenge or opportunity invites us into a new adventure-like experience.

Don't be afraid of the challenges you face; face them with courage, and change your perspective to help you cope with them. Be courageous. Be fearless. Be brave.

3. Be Authentic

Being completely real is a long and arduous journey that needs a lot of inner labor. Pretending to be someone you aren't is a disrespect to who you are. It takes away from what you have to give.

You'll be more motivated to pursue your simple goals once you've embraced who you are, putting you in a growth mindset. Being completely real and more focused on your goals than pretending to be something you're not really is what you need to do to succeed.

4. Cultivate A Sense Of Purpose

Do you have a sense of purpose in your life? If you answered yes, think about what that goal entails for you. If you’re at a loss for words, ask for clarity about your life’s purpose. You may spend some time here to really discover what you may want to build around.

Try meditating or contemplating on the word “purpose” until you feel like you know the essence of your purpose, or at least a portion of it. Then go after it, that’ll help you develop a growth mentality, which keeps you focused on your goals.

5. Redefine Your Reaction To Criticism

The goal of criticism is to improve things. Someone else may be able to observe what you’re doing from a somewhat different perspective than you, and they may be able to offer you some helpful advice. Sometimes we make decisions that may appear right from our perspective, but in the true sense of things, maybe wrong.

You can more readily establish your growth attitude if you are open to receiving recommendations. If you react negatively to constructive criticism, then the chances are that you would fail to see many areas where you would have experienced growth.

6. Learn From Others' Mistakes

You may be able to make fewer mistakes if you can learn from the mistakes of others. This can help alleviate the fear of trying new things, which is essential for developing a growth mindset.

When you consider other people’s mistakes, you’re guiding your actions, however, do not be reluctant to try out something entirely new. You may be the one people want to learn from tomorrow.

7. Don’t Rush The Process

The end results are less important when you have a growth attitude. Instead, you commit to the process and attempt to complete it, no matter how long it takes. In addition, focusing on the process frequently improves results because you put in much effort along the road.

So don’t put too much pressure on yourself or feel like there is an hour clock tied to your neck and that once it runs out, you’ll be in trouble.

Conclusion

In summary, a growth mindset is an approach to learning that believes that abilities are not fixed but can be developed through dedication, hard work, and training.

The way you think about yourself, your abilities, and your potential to take on new challenges significantly impact how you handle the tasks at hand. However, it's equally important to consider how you frame the obstacles blocking your path. Developing a growth mindset isn't about punishing yourself for past failures; instead, it's about making a conscious effort to learn whatever it is you're trying to accomplish.

Having a growth mindset means that you welcome difficulties, persevere in the face of setbacks, accept responsibility for your words and actions, and recognize that work is the only way to mastery.