Tim Kinane

Today I read a summary of the book Mindset by Author Carol Dweck.

Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset and professor of psychology at Stanford University would tell us, the mindset you take on will have an enormous impact on the trajectory of your life. When you have  a “growth mindset”, you believe that your abilities can be developed through learning and hard work.

There are many ways to divide the world. Benjamin Barber – an eminent sociologist – would tell you that one way is to divide it by learners and non-learners. And this is at the heart of Dweck’s argument. The learners believe that they have the ability to change, and set about learning what they need to do in order to make the change a reality. The non-learners, on the other hand, are quite clear about the fact that “things are the way they are” and that there’s no sense in trying to change them.

Here’s a quiz from the summary:

Do you agree or disagree with the following statements…

1. You are a certain kind of person, and there’s not too much you can do to change that.

2. No matter what kind of person you are, you can always change substantially.

3. You can do things differently, but the important parts of who you are can’t really be changed.

4. You can always change basic things about the kind of person you are.
Did you find yourself agreeing with #1 and #3? Or more with #2 and #4? If you connected more with #1 and #3, you have a fixed mindset when it comes to your personality traits.

There are other ways you can have a fixed mindset, though. You might think that your intelligence is fixed, or that your athletic ability is fixed, or even your relationships skills are what they will be for the rest of your life.

Here’s an example from the summary:
 

Michael Jordan took a while to become Michael Jordan, as well. He was famously cut from his high school basketball team, and for many high school basketball players around the world, this would have signalled the end of their basketball careers. After all, if you can’t make your high school team, how are you ever going to make the NBA? However, Jordan took this as a sign that he just needed to work harder than anybody else in the world. So that’s what he did.

Over the span of 6 short years, he went from not making his high school team to gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated with the caption “A Star is Born”. He went on to become the best basketball player the world has ever seen.

This wasn’t by accident. Jordan had a growth mindset and believed that through hard work and dedication that he could improve enough to get to the NBA. One of the other findings from Dweck’s work is that people with a growth mindset find success in trying their best, and in learning and improving. In successful people around the world, you’ll find this same trait.

 
You can see a TED Talk clip of Carol Dweck : The Power of Believing You Can Improve

There are two mindsets you can have in this world, and the one you choose will make all the difference. As you go off into your day now, ask yourself the question – which one do I choose?

Tim Kinane

Call 772-210-4499  or email to set up a time to talk about tools and strategies to lead to better results.

 
Readitfor.me- is a convenient resource I have taken advantage of for a number of years to stay current with the best business and personal development books.  It helps me to find new ideas and to develop my business and coaching skills.  I hope this summary will help you as well.

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TAGS: mindset, success

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