Inspiration Wednesday: Fostering Grit Through a Growth Mindset
“A Growth Mindset” by Sarah Va Xiong
I’ve been thinking a lot about resiliency and how some people seem to be able to overcome the challenges they face more easily than others. Why is it that challenges can foster grit in some, and deter others?
Research Behind Overcoming Challenges
Standford psychologist, Carol Dweck, attributes these different reactions to challenges to two different mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. These mindsets are a reflection of how we view ourselves and our abilities. Those with a fixed mindset generally believe that their abilities and intelligence are fixed from birth and cannot change. Those with a growth mindset believe that intelligence and abilities can be worked on and be improved overtime. Those with a growth mindset tend to also be able to better overcome the obstacles they face and are able to adopt a more positive outlook on life.
How we view our experiences and how we view ourselves can shape our behaviors, reactions, and the way we lead our lives. Dweck’s research should remind us that, if we’re feeling stuck, there is a way out, and it has to do with our own perspective.
Points to Take Away
We are not a fixed set of skills or dictated by a fixed set of behaviors or traits. We can flex and grow. We can continue becoming, evolving, and expanding. Think back to who you were ten years ago, five years ago, or even last year. There is proof that we are fluid and always changing. How we view ourselves can either limit the amount of growth we experience, or allow us to flourish. Change is possible if we have the right mindset.
So the next time you’re feeling stuck, it may be helpful to reflect on how you are viewing yourself and your abilities to overcome the challenges you face. You can be so much more than the self-imposed boxes that you put yourself in. Turn that box into a garden. Nurture it. Let yourself grow.
* This is part of my “Inspiration Wednesday” series, where I will post shoter tidbits about topics to inspire the mind and encourage the spirit. Got a topic you want me to discuss in my “Inspiration Wednesday” series? Send me a message via the contact form or my email!
