Common Growth Mindset Mistakes to Avoid

Last week, we learned about the Growth Mindset Flip!  I hope you've had a chance to practice. 

 This week we'll talk about two common mistakes to avoid when you're in Growth Mindset Mode.

Common Mistake #1: Confusing positive thinking with Growth Mindset Mode

Positive thinking focuses on your attitude.  The idea is that you need to think positively - to say to yourself that things will work out, that you'll reach that goal, that the end results will be as you wish them to be.  And most of the time, it stops there.

Do you need to be positive to be in Growth Mindset Mode?  Absolutely.  It's innately positive to believe that you can improve at something! But it doesn't stop there.  We've talked about this before, but it's very much worth repeating: Growth Mindset Mode demands A LOT out of you. 

Growth mindset is the belief that with training, time, and practice, you can improve at something.  Those three words are the key: training, time, and practice.

This means that you've got to have a plan - one that anticipates challenges and prepares for them.  It isn't enough to declare your good intentions.  You need to figure out how to get there - you need to do the work to ensure you have opportunities to improve and that you do what is within your power to make those opportunities happen. 

 And, most importantly, you need to flip yourself into growth mindset mode when the inevitable happens - you encounter a challenge or a set back on the path to growth.

 To clarify, positive thinking sounds something like this:

 I want to improve my public speaking skills.  I know that I can do this! 

 In contrast, Growth Mindset Mode sounds like this:

 I want to improve my public speaking skills.  I know that I can do this.  I believe that with training, time, and practice, my skills will improve.  I will create opportunities to practice by asking my lead to deliver our weekly results to our team for the next six months.  I'll tell my teammates my plan to improve.

 I'll  solicit their feedback on a regular basis by asking them to rate me on my poise, my clarity, and the effectiveness of my communication.  I'll use their feedback to learn and grow.

 When I find myself thinking that my level of improvement is slow or that I'm backsliding from one week to the next, I will take a moment to breathe, then I'll remind myself why this is important and flip myself back into growth mindset and keep going until I'm satisfied with the results.

Common Mistake #2: Allowing our "Genius" to stop Growth Mindset Mode

I call this the Genuis form of fixed mindset - and it's one of the sneakiest ways that fixed mindset occurs.

 This happens when we believe that whatever it is we're good at is due to our genius - to the fact that we belong to a special class of people who are talented and who do not need to work at their talent.

 It can sound something like this:

 I'm excited about my recent promotion!  I have to say, though, I'm not surprised.  Not to brag, but it's clear to my boss and my team that I'm head and shoulders above everyone else. 

 I am a natural at leading and I have creative ideas in my sleep.  It comes naturally to me - I don't have to do much to succeed.  I feel bad for all these poor people who have to work at their skills - glad I wasn't born that way.  I'm special and every success I have just proves that this is the case.

 We all know someone like this (or maybe that person is us!).  Why is this type of thinking a problem?  I mean, we're succeeding - we got the promotion and we have good ideas. 

 This is an example of fixed mindset because it stops growth and development.  When we're busy congratulating ourselves on our genius, we miss opportunities to grow and learn and to improve (which every single person, no matter how talented, is capable of doing). 

 Not only because we think we don't need to work to grow, but also because - and this is the most important part - we start to see failure as a reason NOT to do something. 

 When we're stuck in our sense of genius, we refuse to do things we don't think we'll naturally be good at.

Working hard - allowing ourselves to fail, which is a necessary component of improving at something - becomes something we avoid.  We start to believe that if something doesn't come naturally, it just wasn't meant to be.  And THAT is fixed mindset.

 Olympic athletes are constantly trying to hit new personal bests and the world's most talented CEOs continue to invest in their growth and development. 

Growth and development is a process that takes training, time, and practice.  Don't cut off your potential at the knees by falling prey to these common growth mindset mistakes!

Stay tuned for next week - our last segment in this series where we discuss the biggest growth mindset mistake of them all!