I recently wrote a blog post based on Carol Dweck's research on mindset, and how we tend to fall into two camps: those with a fixed mindset, and those with a growth mindset. Learning to develop a growth mindset can help catapult our successes and achieve our goals and manifestations much more quickly.
To find out your general mindset, grab a pen and paper (or the Notes app on your phone), and write down a Yes or No answer to the following questions:
Do you believe that your talents and abilities are set in stone?
Do you avoid challenges because you are afraid of failure?
Do you tend to give up easily when faced with setbacks or obstacles?
Do you view the success of others as a threat to your own success?
Do you believe that you can develop new skills and abilities through hard work and practice?
Do you actively seek out new challenges and opportunities for growth?
Do you persist in the face of setbacks and view them as opportunities to learn?
Do you celebrate the success of others and use it as motivation to improve yourself?
Do you believe that your intelligence and abilities can be improved through learning and effort?
Do you enjoy the process of learning and growing, even if it involves making mistakes along the way?
Scoring system:
For questions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, give yourself 1 point for answering "yes" and 0 points for answering "no."
For questions 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, give yourself 0 points for answering "yes" and 1 point for answering "no."
Possible outcomes:
If you scored between 0 and 4, you likely have a growth mindset. This means you're more likely to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and be inspired by other people's successes. You're also likely to believe that your abilities can be developed through hard work and learning, and you enjoy the process of growth and development.
If you scored between 5 and 10, you might have more of a fixed mindset. This means you're likely to see your abilities as fixed. As a result, you might avoid challenges or give up easily when you hit a roadblock, get criticized, or face any other type of setback. You may also feel jealous of other people's successes.
Fortunately, mindset is not fixed and can be changed through intentional effort and practice. Regardless of how you scored, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Carol Dweck's book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. I found it really empowering, as it helped me realize how much more capable I am of greatness when I simply shift my mindset and embrace challenges rather than try to avoid them.