Myth 1: Effort is Everything
The most common misconception about having a growth mindset is that it’s entirely based on how much effort you put into your work.
While praising effort instead of achievements will certainly foster a growth mindset, this is only one of many strategies! If we believe that effort is all we need to succeed in learning, then we would persist with ineffective learning strategies by obsessing over effort, ultimately not reaching our learning goals.
If a particular strategy isn’t working, it is far more beneficial to acknowledge that and try something different instead of praising ourselves for our effort and making moves to improve.
To avoid this pitfall, it is important to define what exactly it means to work hard.
The most common misconception about having a growth mindset is that it’s entirely based on how much effort you put into your work.
While praising effort instead of achievements will certainly foster a growth mindset, this is only one of many strategies! If we believe that effort is all we need to succeed in learning, then we would persist with ineffective learning strategies by obsessing over effort, ultimately not reaching our learning goals.
If a particular strategy isn’t working, it is far more beneficial to acknowledge that and try something different instead of praising ourselves for our effort and making moves to improve.
To avoid this pitfall, it is important to define what exactly it means to work hard. Hard work is not the repetition of the same strategy. It involves reflection, trial and error, and self-awareness.
We need to regularly reflect on our strategies and seek guidance and feedback from those that are more skilled than us. It is less about working hard and more about thinking hard.
Myth 2: It’s easy to implement
Another common misconception is that having a growth mindset is either something you already have or that it’s easy to develop. First of all, people tend to confuse having a growth mindset with being open-minded, optimistic, or flexible – all traits they claim to already have. This is called a false growth mindset. While being resilient and having high (but reasonable) expectations of yourself certainly help with your learning and success, that is not what a growth mindset is.
It is the belief that qualities can change and that we can develop our intelligence and abilities.
Second of all, simply learning about these mindsets is the first step in a thousand-step journey. While awareness may help you identify your mindset, it won’t help you change your mindset. Developing a growth mindset isn’t only about fostering the belief that you can improve, but also about changing your behaviors, strategies, and communication when it comes to learning. It takes active effort! Cultivating a growth mindset is a gradual process of becoming a self-sufficient and and communicative learner.
Myth 3: A pure growth mindset is the goal
As stated by Dweck, everyone has a mix of growth and fixed mindsets and that’s okay. Think of fixed and growth mindsets as poles on a spectrum. Depending on the skill you’re working on, you will have a different mindset. However, in order to access and use a genuine growth mindset more often, you need to accept your fixed mindset and the associated thoughts and actions that it produces.
We won’t overcome our difficulties by pretending that the limiting thoughts that
we have don’t exist. It’s only by accepting them and watching for the triggers that set them off that we’ll really be able to deal with them. It is important to accept that you have a mix
of mindsets.”