Mindset How Your Perceptions Shape You Do You

Mindset How Your Perceptions Shape You

Do You Believe That the intelligence you were born with is unchangeable? n despite anything you do, you really can’t get smarter? n you’re just naturally shy and that’s the way you are? n

Or…Do You Think Your intelligence can increase with learning. n Your brain can ‘grow’ and you can be smarter. n Your personality is flexible. n

Depending upon the area People fall into two mindsets: n Fixed n Growth The fixed mindset sees limitations on intelligence, personality, opportunities, etc. The growth mindset views challenges as opportunities for improvement.

Your lifetime interactions Have formed (or reformed) your mindset. Parents, relatives, teachers and other significant individuals impact our mindset. Let’s examine how…

The Fixed Mindset Chooses safety over challenge. n Success at lower level skill is preferable to failure at a higher level skill n Praised for their intelligence or ability, so the message sent is that whatever you’ve got is inherent and can’t be improved upon. If that’s the case, then don’t try something new because you might not succeed. n

Praise that promotes a fixed mindset Wow, you’re really smart. n See how Sue my 1 year old can count to 10 already. She’s so smart. n You’re a natural. n Boy, math is easy for you. n

The message is Your accomplishments are the result of factors born into you and not the result of effort. You can’t actually get better, so don’t try to stretch yourself…you’ll probably reach the limit of your abilities and everyone will know that you’re not really that good. n Fear Failure n

The Growth Mindset Proper praise and understanding will teach kids/people that its not what you are born with or where you are born that matters, its what you do with it through effort n Your brain can grow. Who you are isn’t fixed in stone. n

Praise Always Reinforces Effort and Supports Growth. Praise should relate to Effort. n Praise should validate the Effort and draw connections between the Effort and the Reward. n Challenges are opportunities to grow. n

Negative Sides of a Fixed Mindset. Your success means someone has to fail. n You can look better by making others look worse. n Your failures are not your fault. n If you don’t try you won’t fail. n

Positive Aspects of a Growth Mindset Challenges are opportunities to grow. n Failure is a temporary condition resulting from insufficient preparation. n You can change any aspect of yourself that you want to change. n Your success does not depend on or is not validated by anyone else’s opinion or failings. n

Conclusion You can get better because your brain can grow. n Take a risk to be better. n Don’t limit yourself. Don’t let others limit you. n Stretch yourself. n Read Mindset: The Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.