In my brief experience as an entrepreneur, I have come to notice a stark contrast between those who succeed and those who don't. I wanted to learn more about these differences, and define them, so I could figure out how to make better hiring decisions. On my last business trip, I hit the jackpot and read a book that captured exactly what I had been observing over the years. 

Then I Read the Right Book!

In her insightful book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Carol Dweck, a world-renowned Stanford University psychologist, explores and explains the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. 

Let’s start with the Fixed Mindset.

The Fixed Mindset

People who have a fixed mindset are those who believe that abilities, talent, and intelligence are fixed. Know anyone in your life that sounds like this?

A person with a fixed mindset:

• Views feedback as a personal attack and avoids constructive criticism. 

• Sees other people's success as a threat.

• Gives up easily and makes excuses as to why things can't happen.

• Believes that talent is innate so effort and practice aren't important. 

• Avoids big challenges because of the fear of failure. 

• Hides flaws and constantly needs to be put up on a pedestal by others to feel good about themselves. 

The Growth Mindset

On the flip-side, those with a growth mindset are those who believe that abilities can be developed. See if this stands out to you and reminds you of anyone in your life.

A person with a growth mindset:

• Sees feedback as an opportunity to grow.

• See other people's success as a source of inspiration.

• Sees failure as temporary and a necessary step toward success.

• Believes that effort and practice can lead to mastery. 

• Has a willingness to accept challenges and risks. 

• Sees intelligence as something you can develop over time. 

To summarize, these are the differences between growth and fixed mindsets:

• Developed IQ vs Innate IQ

• Motivation vs Resistance

• Effort vs Inertia 

• Acceptance vs Guilt

• Inspiration vs Comparison

• Feedback vs Criticism 

The Good News Is That It’s Possible to Change.

Although each of us have both a fixed and growth mindset ingrained in us, the great news is that becoming a growth minded champion is simple (not easy): become aware of which mindset you are operating from.

If you want to test your mindset, go ahead and take this assessment here:

Below is a graph showing the difference of what a growth mindset vs fixed mindset person may say:

What stands out to you?

I appreciate the 18 people who emailed me with their takeaways from my notes, and the many of you who started following me on social media. I do these newsletter posts to connect with other like-minded and growth oriented individuals, with now 16k+ readers each week.

If you’d like to connect more, give me a shout - jon@movewithmomentum.com.

Onward!

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Instagram: @iamjonbrooks