The Problem with a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset has been the first lesson I’ve learned since I started reading books on personal development in the late 90s. However, I began to question why many people don’t have this perspective.

I also wanted to know if someone with a fixed mindset can still be successful. I’ve discovered that you can still be successful regardless of your stand.

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

A growth mindset believes everything can be learned regardless of intelligence or abilities. Anyone can learn through effort and constant improvement.

A fixed mindset believes that only certain people are gifted and that not everyone can learn everything. They are either good at it, or they’re not.

Are you willing to fail consistently?

I know friends who play basketball that practice consistently and love it. They aren’t gifted athletes per se, but their love of the game and their passion for improving constantly made them great players.

But the one trait I noticed is this. Every time they practice, I always see them fail at certain things. But it didn’t stop them from playing and practising specific skills.

The thing is that not everybody loves the idea of failing consistently. Most people think that if they keep failing in one area, it’s best to stop banging their heads onto the brick wall. They want to review their tactics and see if they can change their approach or do something completely new.

There are things that I’m passionate about, like writing a blog. In my case, I do both. I love this activity so much that it doesn’t matter if I fail regularly. Even the slightest improvement is enough for me to keep going.

However, there are other things in my life where I have a fixed mindset. In my company, there are salespeople out there that love to meet new clients and build new relationships so they can bring new business. I, on the other hand, hate the idea of cold selling.

Although I could learn to be a pro salesperson like them, I’m not willing to go through the pain of training because I firmly believe that certain personalities play a part.

“It’s sometimes easier to know your strengths and focus on them instead”

Do you value constant learning?

I’ve seen successful entrepreneurs born with specific skills that made them wealthy. Once they hit a certain level of success, they then decide to stagnate their growth and learning.

Is that a bad thing? Not really.

Many of them got comfortable and wanted to take their foot off the pedal for a little bit to enjoy the fruits of their labour. For others, learning takes up a lot of time and energy.

Constant learning and growth is not for everyone despite what many self-help gurus say.

Just like introverts lose energy when socialising, many people out there also lose energy when they learn and grow. Once they reach a level of success, they become happy with their lives and would rather live a life of simplicity and enjoyment rather than growth and fulfilment.

As much as I love learning new things and seeing my growth, I understand that not everyone is like me. As long as I enjoy the process of learning, I keep going as long as I’m still alive.

Photo by iStockPhoto.com

A Fixed Mindset can become successful too!

People think that only people with a Growth Mindset can become successful. I’m afraid I have to disagree with this. You see, it all comes down to what each person’s definition of success is.

One of Australia’s top tennis players Nick Kyrios for example. He perfectly exemplifies a professional tennis player with a fixed mindset. He doesn’t have a coach because he believes no one can help him improve his tennis game.

Although he is only ranked 37 in the world, he has won 7 titles and has earned over 11 million dollars. In my eyes, that’s a successful career!

We are a mixture of both Growth and Fixed Mindset

Each of us carries a mix of growth and a fixed mindset. Think about it; there are skills we believe can be learned through proper training and other skills that only specific individuals can only accomplish.

I certainly don’t have the height and legs to jump high enough to dunk a basketball, but I think I can learn how to shoot a basketball well with enough time and training.

What we need to do as humans is to understand what are limitations are and see where we can improve and excel. We have two choices here. We can improve on our weaknesses (and become a generalist) or focus on our strengths (and become a specialist). We can become successful either way.

Final thoughts

Despite the success of Carol Dweck’s book, it’s important to note that achieving a growth mindset is not for everyone. Some people value learning and growth (like me), and others are happy to stay who they are, knowing their limitations and accepting them.

Forge your path!

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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