Significance of a Healthy Mindset

An individual’s mindset is capable of influencing their understanding about self and the world, as well as create self-imposed limitations within the belief system. The significant element influencing an individual’s accomplishments – whether professional or personal – is their frame of mind. A mindset is a set of conventions, notions or beliefs that define an individual’s philosophy of life – it is a cognitive process that is activated in response to a given task and orients one’s actions or tendencies.

How Does a Mindset Form?

A prominent expert in personality and motivation psychology, Carol Dweck discovered that mindset is not an insignificant personality fluke, rather, it crafts the entire mental realm, explaining one’s attitude towards life, shaping one’s goals, as well as predicting whether or not will one reach and fulfil their potential. According to Dweck, there exist two kinds of mindsets- fixed and growth, and every human being is dominant in either of the two. The formation of a particular type of mindset begins early in life, often through the manner in which one is raised or due to the experiences in school. ​ Fixed Mindset Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence, fundamental abilities, talents and other qualities are a predetermined and inflexible trait of their personality, and hence, cannot be altered. Onset of such a mindset can be traced to the early years, for instance, when children are taught the importance of getting good marks and seeming smart rather than enjoying learning concepts. An example of a fixed mindset can be found in statements such as “I am not good at Math” or “I am not creative” – where such beliefs act as a pretext to avoid thriving. Growth Mindset Individuals with a growth mindset believe that their capacities, abilities, learnings, intelligence, talents and other qualities can improve and enhance through effort, guidance, and perseverance over time. Such confidence allows people to realize their potential and the fact that success is dependent upon the dedicated amount of effort. Onset of such a mindset can be traced to the early years, for instance, when children are allowed to uncover and embrace novel experiences, as well as appreciate challenges rather than viewing errors and failures as setbacks.

“In a Growth Mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I'm going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here's a chance to grow.”

~ Carol S. Dweck