Since Carol Dweck's book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, was published in 2007, "the growth mindset" has become a catchphrase. I've previously discussed its power. How it can lead to deeper learning and growth in many aspects of your life.
And there have been several research that have continued to investigate the development mentality. But one thing I haven't mentioned before is that while we can encourage a growth mentality, Dweck raises an essential point:
"The path to a growth mindset is a journey, not a proclamation."
This indicates that we should not only create an atmosphere, but also engage in activities that promote growth attitude. Activities that allow us to grow as individuals while also enjoying the process.
What Is a Growth Mindset?
For the uninitiated, a growth mindset is a mindset coined by Carol Dweck, who discusses two mindsets: fixed mindset and development mindset.
Based on her studies, Dweck concluded that a child's success or failure was determined by their thinking. She saw that people who were encouraged to learn more had a different attitude and behavior toward everything in life than others.
For example, one student may regard setbacks as opportunities to learn, but another would quit up after failing the first time. She ascribed these behaviors to the two mindsets I discussed before.
Despite the fact that Dweck's studies focused on youngsters, adults are not significantly different. In other respects, we are simply more mature versions of our childhood habits.
For example, consider our own life goals. Are you someone who does not establish goals or who gives up when they fail? Chances are you have a fixed mindset, which means that everything you do is centered on your existing abilities. You've also most likely stopped studying about your sector and developing your talents.
Unless you possess a developing mindset.
7 Growth Mindset Activities To Try
So, if you want to grow as an individual, you must first build your thinking. One such approach is to engage in development mindset activities. Even though it is important to understand and apply things at a young age, we might modify our habits as we become older. As the phrase goes:
"The optimal moment to plant a tree was ten years ago. The second-best time to grow one is now."
With that in mind, here are a few growth mindset activities to try.
1. Self Exploration
If it is not already evident, our current thinking has an impact on how we shape the future. If we have a fixed perspective, we are likely to remain in our current situation.
So, one thing we can do to fix this is engage in growth mindset activities that push us to change. One such activity is self-discovery. This entails examining your mindset and beginning to modify it.
To help with this, I recommend watching the video 'Lost Generation'. It's a two-minute film, but the goal is to persuade people to watch it and then discuss what they discovered.
The purpose of the debates is to discuss how the future varies depending on the mindset we take today. You wish to conclude this experiment by asking the question: What happens when we change our mindsets?
2. Identify Everday Mindset Examples
A fixed mindset and a growth mindset exist not only in educational settings, but also in everyday life. This is one of the many growth mindset tasks available, and it emphasizes our attitudes. We accomplish this by analyzing the behavior and providing examples.
To do this project, gather many pieces of paper and a variety of colored pens. If you are doing this on your own, you could type these out.
After that, put out instances of how each attitude might be used in everyday situations. These can include terms that each mindset employs, their perspectives on topics such as obstacles, failure, and roadblocks, how they deal with adversity, and so on.
To complete this assignment successfully, you must have a general understanding of both of these mindsets. It is also beneficial to do this as a group because the goal is to jot them down and then debate why you think this way.
3. Take Action
Doing it is one of the most straightforward growth mindset practices available. The most difficult element of starting something new, whether it's acquiring a new skill or developing a new habit. If you have a fixed mindset, you're unlikely to want to venture outside of your comfort zone.
If you want to build a development mentality, you must shift your perspective and begin doing more. This is more than just focusing on what you are enthusiastic about. It is also about discovering new passions. This entails trying things you might not have considered before.
4. Self-Reflection
Self-reflection, like self-exploration, is crucial. Self-reflection is a growth mindset activity that focuses on the external self rather than the internal. It will concentrate on the abilities you've acquired and how you were able to improve them.
Regardless of your current perspective, pondering in this way can help you piece together a lot of information. For one thing, it makes us recognize that when we initially started something, we weren't very good at it. We eventually grew used to it.
Your current work is an excellent example. Think back to your first day of work. What was it like? Did you arrive prepared to follow a routine and maintain a consistent workflow throughout the day? Or did you have to explore to figure out what you were strong at and what you needed help with?
When learning a new skill, it is important to reflect on your development. Keep track of your changes.
5. Research Neuroplasticity
Neuroplasticity is the study of how our brain adapts to the environments, actions, and experiences we encounter in life. This research revealed that our previous understanding of brains was incorrect.
For a long time, we believed that our brain was a "non-renewable" organ. We never imagined that our brain could produce new neurons on its own, let alone develop and shape itself as we saw fit.
Decades of research have revealed that, regardless of age, people can grow and learn new things. After all, our brain has numerous circuits and paths.
Simply put, these pathways enable our brain to guide us through a series of processes. The more we repeat those steps, the more our brain develops that pathway. It gradually builds a circuit, allowing us to accomplish that task more skillfully and quickly than previously.
Being aware of neuroplasticity and how it affects our lives is critical to our development.
6. Actively Look for Opportunities to Learn
Better yet, look for learning chances that you believe you are not a good fit for. This can happen within your own industry or outside of it.
In any case, taking on a challenge can help you grow. The main reason for this is that it trains you to be comfortable with discomfort. It also teaches you how important your attitude is.
Again, someone with a fixed perspective would hesitate and give up when things were difficult. Someone with a growth attitude will move forward in their own way.
Learning a little about a subject or practicing a skill will not qualify you as a professional in that field. However, it will take you one step closer to being knowledgeable and competent in that field. That can give you the confidence you need to accomplish it again and implement it in your life.
7. Develop Grit
Grit defines your perseverance in achieving your goals. It is the effort you will put into your task, as well as your resolve to overcome hurdles and move forward.
Developing grit is discovering something you are interested in or passionate about and working hard to develop it. Another way to look at it is that with hard effort and dedication, you can gradually develop, progress, and succeed in that field.
To develop grit, surround yourself with others who have it as well. Find people that are committed to their aims and collaborate closely with them. Being around people who show up every day ensures that you will eventually become like them.
Dr. Angela Duckworth's book Grit is a wonderful read for developing grit.
Final Thoughts
The list of growth mindset activities is extensive. There is no better way for developing a growth mentality. The goal is to determine which approaches work best for you.
So, adopt the mindset of experimentation and see what you enjoy. After all, trying these growth mindset exercises will help you develop your mentality from the beginning.
