A psychologist explains the most important mindset to hack your life, find focus, and get more done

What’s the secret to improving your life?
Some people say it’s determination. Others say it’s developing a practical plan.
But Standford psychologist Carol Dweck says it’s none of these things.

In the brilliant TED talk below, she says it all comes down to something called the “growth mindset”.
‘What is the growth mindset?’ I hear you ask. Check out the riveting talk below to find out.
For those of you who can’t watch the TED talk, here it is in text:

Have you ever wondered why some people approach life head on while others are convinced that you can only succeed by sticking to what you are good at? This contrast in mindset was studied extensively by Carol Dweck, a Stanford University psychologist who wrote the influential book Mindset.

According to Dweck, there are two basic types of people in this world, those with a fixed mindset and those with a growth mindset. The category that you fall into can have drastic effects on the course of success you will experience in your life.

So, which mindset best describes your perspective on life? Here we explore the defining traits of a fixed vs growth mindset.

Fixed Mindset: A Predetermined Approach to Life

People with a fixed mindset approach the world with a belief that our intelligence and abilities are predetermined from birth. They go through life believing that their innate skills, talents, and mental capacity are static and cannot be changed or expanded upon.

Due to this belief, those with a fixed mindset have several defining characteristics, including:
– Inability to hear negative feedback or criticism
– Strong drive to prove their intelligence by avoiding failure
– Tendency to avoid challenges and tasks that require extra effort
– Easily gives up when things do not go as planned
– Feels threatened by other’s success

These characteristics ultimately lead to the person being held back from reaching their full potential. By avoiding experiences that will allow them to grow as a person, they often “peak” early in life. An inability to accept failure will prevent those with a fixed mindset from pursuing information or tasks that do not come naturally to them.
In essence, those with a fixed mindset find it impossible to approach the world with a sense of possibility as they cannot see the value in open-minded growth.

Growth Mindset: A Dynamic Approach to Life

In stark contrast to those who see life as static and predetermined, those with a growth mindset are open to experiencing the constant evolution of life. These people believe that intelligence and innate ability is something that is in a state of constant development and growth. They tend to seek out opportunity instead of running from it in an effort to improve and evolve their life.

Those with a growth mindset often exhibit traits such as:
– The ability to see failure as an opportunity to learn
– Perseverance and determination to overcome setbacks
– The desire to seek out challenge in order to grow
– Open-minded approach to negative feedback and criticism
– Finding inspiration in others achievements
When changes in life are experienced by those with a growth mindset, they have an innate ability to see opportunity in the face of hardships. Those with this mindset tend to reach higher levels of success than those with a fixed mindset, simply because they have the desire to learn and put in the extra effort required.

Those with a growth mindset refuse to accept that intelligence is a static trait. Their core belief is based upon the idea that everyone has the ability to constantly learn and develop high-level skills.
There are times where everyone finds themselves trapped in a fixed mindset approach to life.

However, it is important to understand that a static view of the world only hinders you from achieving your full potential. When we look at the world with an open mind, the sky is the limit for reaching the highest level of success.