Where is my mindset limiting my growth?

Sunday, December 31st, 2023

Happy New Year’s Eve!?

Our mindset can either fuel our pursuit of goals with unwavering determination or hinder our progress towards achieving our full potential. Two common attitudes that can slow our learning are: 1) the know-it-all approach, where expertise may lead to a belief that improvement is unnecessary, and 2) a limited belief in one's ability to learn, characterized by a fixed mindset.

The common misconception is that individuals are either know-it-alls or not, and they either have a fixed or growth mindset. In reality, we can hold all four attitudes simultaneously. For instance, we may adopt a know-it-all approach to tying our shoes while recognizing there's more to learn about different sneakers for enhanced comfort. Similarly, we may exhibit a growth mindset when learning about AI but have a fixed mindset when delving into blockchain.?

Below, I offer some recommended resources to assist us with the question of the week. I’ll post my reflection before the end of the week on YouTube .?

Resources to Complement Your Reflection

Students with growth mindsets are able to achieve results up to 3 times better than students with fixed mindsets. And that gap widens further over time.

Take the quiz to better understand your mindset and where your opportunities are.?

Read: Interactive Quiz: Fixed vs Growth Mindsets - 2 mins - London Academy of IT

From 25 to 65+ we actually have to do and expose ourselves to new things to keep our brain learning. Intentionally investing in learning in our late 30’s to early 40’s can reverse the decline in some of our cognitive functions that start after age 70.

Commit to learning one new thing or getting better at something you may have already studied next year (i.e. a foreign language, a new hobby, expanding your knowledge of history).?

Listen: How to Train Your Brain for Maximum Growth 19 mins. - Dr. Tara Swart, How To Be Awesome At Your Job

One of the biggest obstacles that prevents us from learning from failure is the “blame game,” which we’re conditioned to play from a young age. Most managers understand logically that it’s important to learn from failures that do occur. At the same time, they’re worried that if they are open and accepting of failures they’ll create an anything goes atmosphere with low standards and people performing at whatever level they want. This is a false dichotomy.

Is it ok to fail in your workplace? If not, what can you do to answer this question affirmatively 12 months from now? If you’re in a leadership position, embrace and celebrate the messengers who share the failures and setbacks.?

Watch: Learn From Failure - 12 mins - Amy Edmondson, Harvard Business School professor

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Last Week’s Reflection

What am I doing differently as a result of what I learned in the past year?

About The Learning Loop

The Learning Loop is a free weekly newsletter designed to help subscribers learn on purpose. Each week subscribers receive one thoughtfully curated, timely question with a brief explanation behind why it's important and a couple of relevant resources to help subscribers with their learning journey.

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