How SET is your mind?

Understanding your mindset in different situations, and how simple it is to change it!

A lot has been written on the importance of mindset - and there is plenty of research showing that the way we think impacts our emotions, behaviour and ultimately our wellbeing and performance.

So, what exactly is mindset, and how can we "improve" ours? In this article, I'll give a brief overview of the theory, how mindset manifests, some practical examples to understand where your mindset is, and if you want to, how you can change it.

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The Theory

In her groundbreaking book "Mindset: the New Psychology of Success" Carol Dweck (2006) talks about two different beliefs or mindsets that people have about their abilities and attributes.

Dweck has gone on to do some pretty amazing research with various collaborators that has shown that when people are in a growth mindset, they take on a more challenges, are more resilient in the face of adversity, are able to adapt to change and learn from mistakes.

So your mindset is important and influences all areas of your life, including education, business, sciences, sports and personal relationships. Whilst there is variability across people - in that some people have more of a growth mindset than others - mindset itself is not fixed. The good news is, you can change it, and by doing so, cause shifts in how you think, feel and act.

Let's look into it below…

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Understanding your mindset tendency

Think about one domain in your life. Work, social, health, leisure… pick one. Now read the following and think about how you think (or your mindset tendency) in that area:

With a fixed mindset you:

• Avoid challenges, choose "safe" task

• Run from setbacks

• Worry about or ignore mistakes

• Don’t ask for help for fear of coming across as deficient

• If others succeed you feel bad about yourself / if others fail you feel good about yourself

 With a growth mindset you:

• Take on more challenges

• Become more resilient in the face of difficulty

• Adapt and learn from mistakes

• Use other people as mentors or resources

• If others succeed, you think about how you can learn from them.

Which of these statements resonate with you? What about other areas of your life - are they different? Remember it's totally normal to experience a fixed mindset, indeed most people do. But there is a cost if you stay in fixed mindset too long. And even if you look successful on the outside, a fixed mindset can stop you from pursuing what is important to you, or what will make you grow or feel fulfilled.

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Real world situation: how do you deal with adversity?

Imagine: you've set a goal that you want to progress your career, and that you want to be promoted in the next 12 months.

You get your six-monthly performance review from your manager and it's below average.

What is the feeling of getting this news? Put colour to the situation - what does your boss's face look like, what do their words sound like?

Feel your reaction - how does your body feel? What words are going through your head? You were really wanting to progress to the next role in your career - what now?

Pick one response that characterises you —>

Did you feel fixed mindset (1,2) upfront - maybe you moved into growth mindset over time (3)? There's no right or wrong answer, and it's totally normal to experience a fixed mindset. The opportunity lies in the ability to recognise when you're stuck in a fixed mindset (I've failed… etc) - and then be able to consciously pivot to a growth mindset (What can I learn here? … etc).

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Awareness is the first step

So, you could say:

"Yes - this is bad news. It's not what I planned. Everyone deals with setbacks. But this thing is important to me - so where can I find the opportunity here?"

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The antidote to fixed mindset thoughts

Inspired by “The Growth Mindset Workbook” by Elaine Elliott-Moskwa, the below table provides more information on the six types of fixed mindset thought patterns. The middle column presents a proposed “antidote” to the thought pattern, and the right hand column suggests a question you may as yourself when you catch yourself in a fixed mindset.

So why not give it a go? Keep a diary and watch how your mind responds to a challenging situation. Write it down (objectively) and then a little later, try and ask a different question to transition to a growth mindset. With time, the growth mindset pathway will become more dominant - more of a habit - and you will start to notice an improvement in your thinking, your emotions and your actions.

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