Growth Mindset

My thoughts on the Growth Mindset

Carol S. Dweck, Host of the Growth Mindset Ted Talk.
Source: Wikipedia Commons

I have personally not heard of Carol S. Dweck or the Growth Mindset before taking part in this exercise. However I have watched quite a few Ted/TedX talks on various different topics as they related to modules in year 1 of CDM or during my time in secondary school Religion class. I have always found them to be insightful, interesting, and sometimes comedic depending on either the subject matter or the presenter themselves bringing humour into their Ted Talk. How I came to learn about the Growth Mindset was due to the supplied videos for this exercise combined with some independent research of my own.

I believe strongly in the concept behind the Growth Mindset as I found that in almost all areas of learning doing is the best way to improve or develop your skills. For instance an artist doesn't start off being naturally fantastic they must develop their skills through repetition and dedication. The basis of the Growth Mindset. The closest i've come to hearing about the Growth Mindset was through a former teacher of mine in Secondary School who informed us of the idea that it takes a combined 10,000 hours of work to become a master that no one is naturally gifted with the ability to pick up the skills instantly everyone must work to improve.

As for where I fit on the growth Mindset spectrum I believe that I fit somewhere in between the fixed and growth mindset. I feel that personal self doubt can often be responsible for individuals including myself leaning on more of the Fixed Mindset instead of the much more optimistic, productive Growth Mindset. I feel I should aspire to adapt the Growth Mindset in all aspects of my life as I feel I would greatly improve as an individual.

I would really enjoy learning more about the Growth Mindset over the year(s). I feel that it is important for students such as myself to be exposed to this as I feel there are a lot of students who are stuck within the Fixed Mindset without understanding the negative consequences this can have on their own happiness and their productivity in College, Work or School.

The biggest challenges I face when tackling new things I find that if I am unfamiliar with the process or the subject matter I tend to experience a lot of self doubt/apprehension before even getting stuck in. However on the positive side these worries tend to disappear once I get going and realise that often times, things can be easier to accomplish than they appear. Despite this the self doubt never really seems to stop appearing which is something I know and hope that I can work on over the time I spend in this course/my own personal life.

Comparison of the Growth Vs. Fixed Mindset
Source: Medium.com