If You Read One Life-Changing Book This Year, Read This One – Mindset: The New Psychology of Success – How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential
There are very few books I have read where I can honestly say they have had a significant influence on me. This book is one of the exceptions. The insights from Carol Dweck’s book have been a game-changer and continue to expand my personal growth and potential. If I list the top five books that have changed my life in a positive direction, this would be the number one book so far.
Carol Dweck writes of growth mindset. Your mindset guides a large part of your life. Fixed and growth are the two types of mindsets we all have. Mindsets are beliefs, and we have both within us. According to Dweck, the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life.
Dweck uses research to support her findings in the book. However, the read is not a total head trip. Her insights are understandable and practical in everyday aspects of living – work environment, relationships, parenting, school, leadership, and coaching.
Fixed
- Mindset is static
- Believe qualities are carved in stone
- Creates a sense of inner urgency to prove yourself over and over
- Fixed ability needs to be proven
- You have to be flawless right away
- Lose interest when things become challenging
- It’s about immediate perfection
- Everything is about the outcome
- Think of losing as forever
- See mistakes as failure
- View effort being for people with deficiencies
- Stands in the way of development and change
- Limits achievement
- Setbacks are considered a failure; setbacks label you
- Constricting mindset
- Constantly trying to prove you are better than others
- About self-importance
- Creates group think
- Environment that is restricting
- Judging, labeling, or vindictive in relationships
- Expects everything good to happen automatically
- Concerned about judgment
- Self-conscious and anxious
- Framework is to judge and be judged
Growth
- Mindset is developing
- Based on the belief that your basic qualities are things that you can cultivate through your efforts
- Believe that everyone can change and grow through their efforts
- Cultivates abilities
- Success is about stretching ourselves – doing your best, learning, and improving
- Thrive on challenge – the bigger the challenge the more one can stretch and grow
- Challenge and interest go hand-in-hand
- Always learning
- Learning is a priority
- It’s about making progress
- Setbacks are informative and motivating
- About becoming – becoming a better human being
- Recognize that it takes time for potential to develop
- Value what you are doing regardless of the outcome
- See mistakes as an opportunity for learning
- View effort as working hard for the things you love the most
- Starting point for change
- Expanding mindset
- Constantly trying to improve
- Deep concern for personal development
- Believe in human potential and development
- About an inclusive, learning environment
- Innovative and energizing
- Welcomes change and new ideas
- Leads to open discussion and decision-making
- Environment where people can thrive
- Understanding, forgiving, and moving on in relationships
- Good, lasting relationships come from effort and working through the differences
- Framework is to learn and help others learn
There is a great diagram by Nigel Holmes on fixed and growth mindset in Dweck’s book (p. 245). The visual clearly shows the expanding potential with a growth mindset.
Key message: you can change your mindset at any stage in your life. You have a choice.
I had the opportunity to hear Carol Dweck speak at my work, and her presentation was just as inspiring as her book. My work environment strongly encourages a growth mindset for everyone across the company. I continue to utilize the knowledge from this book, and find myself thriving in constructive ways.
Remember that we have both a fixed and growth mindset within us. In the past, the fixed mindset was a strong part of my being for much of my adult life. Reading this book has opened the flood gates toward the growth mindset and has affirmed the past work I have done on learning and moving toward a change in mindset. Yes, I sometimes experience fixed, mindset moments. However, I focus more on a growth mindset and opportunities to keep improving. I am mindful of how I can continue to improve both at work as well as in other aspects and relationships in my life.
Tony Posadas says
Thanks Denise! great summary and the book is now on my list! Peace and blessings on you, your loved ones, and your work!
Denise Pyles says
Thanks Tony. The book is a great read. Enjoy!