Growth Mindsets:Your Key To Success

Michael Jordan is probably one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Even after being retired for 20 years, he still holds the all-time scoring average per game. However, did you know the great Michael Jordan was dropped from his Varsity basketball team? It’s true! And the day it happened, he was so crushed that he ran home crying to his Mom. Thankfully, for the world of basketball, Mike’s mother had some wise words to share.

Holding her boy in her arms, she said, “Son, do you want this?” Shaking his head through tears, Michael replied, “Yes, Mom, I want it.”

Then, with determination, his Mom said, “Well then, you will have to work harder than anyone you know so you can get it.”

Young MJ nodded his head, and with that, he worked, and practiced, and practiced and practice so much that on reflection, his mother couldn’t remember a time he wasn’t holding a basketball that summer. While many fear failure, It was that failure that became the catalyst for MJ’s growth and the very mentality he used to become one of the greatest players the world has known. The game changer? His mindset.

Growth vs Fixed Mindsets

You’ve no doubt heard the term a lot recently. But what exactly is mindset? Well, according to research, mindset may be the greatest predictor of success on the planet and even more important than IQ and grit. Carol Dweck, the pioneer of mindset research, has categorized types of mindsets into two camps: fixed vs growth.

As its name suggests, a fixed mindset believes that our abilities are fixed and cannot be changed. This includes things like intelligence, attitudes, and any skill. On the other hand, a growth mindset sees abilities as malleable and able to change through practice and deliberate effort.

This belief about abilities being fixed or malleable creates a world of differences in motivation. The mindsets you have now have already created a host of positive or negative long-term outcomes. Think about that for a moment.

For example, Dweck’s research found that performance decreased over time for students with fixed mindsets about their intelligence. On the other hand, students who believed their intelligence could improve (growth mindset-oriented students) showed performance increases over time.

This makes perfect sense. Because if you believe that intelligence is fixed, you are less likely to shine in the face of challenges. “It’s just the way I am” becomes the mantra of the fixed-minded individual, so why bother trying…

However, if you see your abilities as malleable, like Michael Jordan did, the ball is literally in “your” court, and if you put in the right level of effort, you can change your circumstances. Yes, you can.

If you still need clarification as to whether you can change, dig a little deeper. Loads of research in neuroscience support these ideas and show that we are biologically oriented toward a growth mindset. Yup. We can change!

The Problem with the Fixed Mindset

My nephew used to have a fixed mindset. I remember the first time I saw it. From a mountain town in Canada, he went to the ski hill at around eight years old. His older brother was more natural on skis and, thus, learned quickly and was off darting back and forth on the white hill in no time. However, my younger nephew did not have such a natural knack for it, and on his first day of skiing, he was met with a whole lot of falling and failing. Thinking that his abilities were fixed, he withdrew from the sport altogether.

It still breaks my heart to think about it, but that’s the nature of a fixed mindset. When we look at abilities as fixed, if we cannot do something well instantly, we attribute that to us being bad, as opposed to simply our performance on one particular day, which can be changed and improved with effort and a belief in the possibility. But, in order to cope with failure, the nature of the fixed mindset is to withdraw altogether.

Dweck found similar results in much of her research. In one study, she had students work through a set of puzzles. When given the choice, the students with the fixed mindset often chose easier puzzles rather than challenging ones. This orientation has significant long-term consequences. Think about it: If you are constantly taking easier classes and avoiding challenging subjects or goals, how will you reach your full potential if you don’t put yourself up against challenges?

Mindsets Can Change

I wasn't always a “nerd,” as my wife likes to tease me jokingly. Believe it or not, I was kicked out of school in 9th grade because I barely attended class. The cause? A fixed mindset. I went to most of the classes I was good at but never really made the effort to pursue the classes I did not have a natural knack for.

This pervasive attitude followed me to my early 20s. But when I read Carol Dweck’s work on mindset, that changed everything. No longer seeing my abilities as fixed, I realized that with deliberate practice, I could change. The results were finishing my highschool, enrolling into college, and then going to university and completing with an A average. Note that I didn't get those grades because I was naturally gifted but simply because I changed my mindset and put in massive effort.

I share this little reflection as a testament that, just like our abilities, our mindsets can also change. And when they do for the better, they can lead us to beautiful places.

So the next time you see yourself or the young people in your life stuck on the idea of “I can’t do it,” remind them (or yourself!) that you can’t do it “yet,” because just like MJ, you can throw a game-winning three-pointer from the end court on the buzzer if you work hard and change your mindset.

With love,
Adam