Does talent exist? Probably.
After all, there are people like Michael Kearney, who started reading at 8 months old, entered college at 6, and graduated at 10 that’s not a typo.
Crazy impressive. (Also probably not someone it’s useful or healthy to compare your own trajectory to, if you’re prone to attaching sense of self-worth to such comparisons—prodigies exist, you highly likely aren’t one, and that’s totally fine.)
Or no matter how much I practiced, I would never beat Lebron at basketball. He is, in the most generous and praising sense of the phrase, a genetic freak of nature.
So yes, talent exists, and genetics pretty clearly influences things.
But focusing on talent, and in particular, thinking that your talents and skills and abilities and even intelligence are purely fixed, is just flat wrong. It also isn’t useful.
What is useful? Cultivating a growth mindset.
Which is what we’ll talk about below.
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(click to skip ahead)What is a growth mindset?
At its core, having a growth mindset means you believe that you (and others) can get better at something through time and dedication. That skills and abilities can be improved over time. That you are fundamentally capable of learning from your mistakes, and growing from them.
To dive a little deeper…
Growth mindset definition
Here’s a simple definition, according to Carol Dweck, who developed the concept: “A growth mindset is when students understand that their abilities can be developed.”
To expand a bit then: A growth mindset involves having the belief that things like skills, abilities, and understanding can be developed over time (in contrast with having a “fixed mindset”—believing that one's ability to improve is fixed or capped and cannot extend beyond a certain point. More on that below).
So, “having a growth mindset” is about your fundamental frame for how you approach your life—and that you can
ground your frame in the capacity to learn and improve, and
not attach your sense of self-worth to failure.
Why a growth mindset is incredibly valuable
The simple answer, which is maybe convincing enough on its own for you to adopt one, is that adopting a growth mindset is highly likely bordering on guaranteed to make your experience of life better.
But if you want more specific or instrumental reasons for doing so, the advantages of a growth mindset are generally though to include
Greater fulfillment in experiences
Enhanced creativity
Stronger relationships
Becoming a lifelong learner
Improved teamwork
Worrying less about looking smart and put more energy into learning
Actually tending to achieve more than people with a fixed mindset
Increased resilience
Improved mental health via decreased anxiety and stress and a decreased tendency to view challenges as threats to self-worth
“Growth mindset” vs “fixed mindset”
The simple difference is whether you conceive of something as being or having fixed, innate, baked-in traits and capacities, or as things you can strengthen and develop over time through things like intentional practice.
Here’s how Dweck has put it before:
“In a fixed mindset, students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents are just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that's that, and then their goal becomes to look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching, and persistence. They don't necessarily think everyone's the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe everyone can get smarter if they work at it.”
It’s both important and useful to understand that you are never acting from just one or the other—there are things about which you will (very reasonably and accurately) have a “fixed mindset”, like, say, your ability to fly, or your height, and things about which you can develop a “growth mindset”, like, say, your skills as a writer or your ability to do math.
To expand a bit on that last bit: The danger (to my mind) is the ease with which we seem to conceive of things as fixed that are capable of growth—for example, someone who thinks they “aren’t a math person” or is “just not good with language.”
Both math and language abilities are things you can strengthen over time. To think you “aren’t [X domain of skill or ability] type of person” just chains yourself to a false reality that you have invented.
Which seems like not a great idea.
Key misunderstandings of having a growth mindset
Growth mindset doesn’t mean always being positive. Part of having a growth mindset is actually acknowledging failure and limitations, and working through them.
Growth mindset doesn’t pretend talent doesn’t exist. Rather, it involves understanding that talents and abilities can be developed.
Growth mindset isn’t simply about effort. Effort is a super important component of growth, but it has to be coupled with effective strategies and seeking feedback.
Growth mindset isn’t a claim of limitless potential. Instead, it’s about a fundamental belief that, in most domains, you are capable of improving.
Growth mindset isn’t simply things that you like about yourself. In fact, having a growth mindset involves being unafraid of looking at deficiencies, failings, and negative characteristics so that they can be improved upon.
How to develop a growth mindset
Maybe the most important way to start developing a growth mindset is to reflect on your framing and mental habits, and to understand that you can change them.
Notice for example, when a challenge arises, how you react physically and emotionally: Does your body slump, or tense? What happens to your breath? Do you feel a desire to avoid? Does your mind start chattering about how you can’t do this?
Or watch how your mind reacts when someone offers criticism (whether “constructive” or not): Do your defenses rise? Does your mind start trying to list ways they’re wrong? Does it feel like your worth is being threatened?
If you notice these things happening, also notice that, in that moment, you can make a different choice.
You can see this as a chance to grow, to become more, to have greater autonomy and ownership of your life.
You can acknowledge feelings of defensiveness, then not actually act on them.
You don’t need to beat yourself up for having those feelings and reactions, or sometimes failing to make that different choice. But the more you develop a capacity to see your framing and mental habits, the more capable you are of changing course.
In that way, you can start cultivating a different frame of mind.
So, some things to play with:
1. Embrace challenges as opportunities:
Change your perspective:
Notice when you see challenges as roadblocks, and instead choose to view them as chances to learn, grow, and improve.Embrace “yet”:
When facing difficulties, if you notice your mind saying something like, “I can’t do this,” take it one word further: “I can't do this yet.”Focus on effort:
Acknowledge that effort and perseverance are key to achieving goals, regardless of something like talent.
2. Learn from mistakes and setbacks:
Don't fear failure:
View mistakes as valuable learning experiences, not as indicators of your worth.Analyze your mistakes:
Not seeing mistakes as reflective of your worth makes it a lot easier to then identify what went wrong and how you can learn from it to improve in the future.Be patient with yourself:
Growth is a process, not a destination—be kind to yourself, and give yourself time.
3. Cultivate a growth mindset through your actions:
Set clear goals:
Define what you want to achieve and create a plan to reach those goals.
Take ownership:
Take responsibility for your actions and results, rather than blaming external factors.
Seek feedback:
Actively solicit feedback from others and use it to improve your skills and knowledge.
Try different learning tactics:
Experiment with various approaches to learning and problem-solving.
Cultivate a sense of purpose:
Knowing your ‘why’ behind your goals can help you push through challenges and aim for excellence.
Model growth mindset language:
Use language that reflects a growth mindset, such as “I'm learning” or “I'm trying my best” instead of “I'm not good at this.”
Acknowledge and embrace imperfections:
Accept that everyone has flaws and that imperfections are a natural part of the learning process.
And maybe the biggest:
Stop seeking approval from others:
It’s easy (and pretty natural) to worry about how others perceive you. But it frequently isn’t actually beneficial for your growth and sense of well-being. Focus on your personal growth and self-confidence rather than external validation.
How do students with a growth mindset see their mistakes?
Students with a growth mindset view mistakes as valuable—as learning opportunities, as stepping stones to improvement, embracing challenges and using errors as feedback to develop their skills further.
They focus on persistence and foster resilience and adaptability.
In particular, reflect on your relationship with the word “failure” here: I’ve known people who want to avoid referring to anything as a failure, who seem paralyzed by the very concept, and who instead wanted to recast any reference to failing.
But notice the ways that can just inculcate a fear of failure, rather than an ability to deal with failure.
‘Cause you’re going to fail at things in life. Because you’re human. Failure is a thing humans do. Lots and lots.
And that’s fine.
So instead, notice that you can fail well, and fail poorly:
Are you running from your failures, or even from the concept? Or are you looking for ways that your failures can feed your growth, your abilities, your understanding?
Examples of growth mindset vs fixed mindset
Scenario 1: Writing college essays
A student asks a teacher for feedback on their personal statement; the teacher points out several aspects of the essay that could be strengthened, like the student’s voice or use of imagery and detail.
Fixed Mindset:
The student becomes defensive, or feels as though their individual worth is being called into question.
Growth Mindset:
The student asks about techniques and strategies they could use to make the improvements the teacher pointed out, and builds out a plan for revisions.
Scenario 2: Workplace feedback
Fixed Mindset:
An employee receives negative feedback on a project and becomes defensive, saying, “I'm just not good at this type of work.”
Growth Mindset:
The same employee receives the same feedback, but instead of getting defensive, asks clarifying questions, expresses interest in learning new skills, and discusses a plan for improvement, viewing the feedback as a chance to grow.
Scenario 3: Learning a new skill
Fixed Mindset:
A student struggles with a new trigonometry concept and says, "I'm just not good at math," and gives up trying.
Growth Mindset:
The same student struggles with the math concept, but instead of giving up, they ask for help, seek out extra practice, and celebrate small improvements, believing that with effort, they can master the material.
Scenario 4: Responding to Failure
Fixed Mindset:
After failing an exam, a student concludes they are not intelligent and simply don’t have the ability to succeed in this subject area.
Growth Mindset:
After failing an exam, a student analyzes their mistakes, seeks feedback, and uses the experience as a learning opportunity to improve their study habits and approach.
Highly recommended: Take a minute to reflect on a time like those above that you reacted with more of a fixed mindset reaction. Write down 3 things you could have done differently.
Activities for developing a growth mindset
There are a lot of ways you can start fostering a growth mindset. Below, we’ll lay some of them out, split into broad categories.
Reflection and Self-Awareness:
Growth and Challenge Journaling:
Schedule 5-10 minutes a day to regularly reflect on your successes, challenges, and how you've learned from setbacks. Document challenges, actions taken, and outcomes, fostering self-reflection and learning.Mindfulness Practices:
Set a timer for 15 minutes, and just sit comfortably and notice your mind chatter. In particular, notice if your mind often seems to get defensive, or harp on mistakes, or outsource your sense of worth and validation. You can get better at noticing your mind, and as you do, it becomes easier and easier to not follow it down those paths.Famous Fails:
We’ve seen this one proposed by a few different people: Shift your relationship to the concept of failure—learn about the failures of famous individuals and how they persevered, demonstrating that setbacks are part of the journey.Encourage Feedback:
Lean into the discomfort of actively seeking feedback from others and view it as an opportunity for growth and improvement.
Goal Setting and Progress Tracking:
Goal Setting and Progress Tracking:
Set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals and track your progress to celebrate accomplishments and identify areas for improvement.30-Day Challenge:
Commit to a small challenge for 30 days to build new habits and learn more about yourself. (And it’s fine to start small.)
Learning and Problem-Solving:
Learning Ally:
Embrace the concept of being your own best ally, pushing boundaries and supporting your own growth.Better Problem-Solving Skills:
Practice problem-solving and view challenges as opportunities for learning and growth. Bonus points: Do this in an area where in the past you’ve told yourself “I’m not an [X] type of person,” e.g. “I’m just not a math person.” = spend some time practicing math problems.Play a Growth Mindset Game:
Engage in games that promote resilience. Give yourself the chance to fail. Then embrace it, and learn from it.
Have fun, take care, and dive in.
Andrew Simpson, CEG’s Editorial Director, has worked as an educator, consultant, and curriculum writer for the past 20 years, and earned degrees from Stanford in Political Science and Drama. He feels most at home on mountain tops and in oceans.
Top Values: Insight/Growth | Truth | Integrity
