Omkar's face

Omkar Konaraddi

Notes from "Mindset" by Carol Dweck

Published on 2021-12-11.

fixed vs growth mindset

fixed: discouraged by failure, failures label or define oneself
growth: see failure as an opportunity for learning

fixed: look smart, avoid looking dumb
growth: enjoy learning and ask questions

fixed: hide deficiencies and avoid circumstances where they may surface
growth: acknowledge, engage, and overcome deficiencies

fixed: hates doing hard things or learning new things
growth: passionate about stretching oneself and sticking with it when it gets tough

fixed: sensitive about mistakes
growth: mistakes are part of the learning process

fixed: proving oneself
growth: growing oneself

fixed: seeks validation
growth: seeks challenge

fixed: insisting on immediate perfection
growth: perpetually a work in progress

fixed: focused on outcome, draws short term satisfaction from favorable outcomes
growth: focused on effort, draws long term satisfaction from effort put forth

fixed: confidence is dependent on outcome; confidence is fragile
growth: confidence is dependent on effort; confidence is intrinsic

fixed: effort is a burden
growth: effort is a "positive, constructive force"

fixed: results-oriented
growth: process-oriented

fixed: setbacks are destructive and limiting
growth: setbacks are informative and motivating

fixed: judges anything and anyone including themselves — casting labels
growth: curious — seeks to understand and support

fixed: concerned about being judged or embarrassed — avoids challenges
growth: concerned about practicing and improving — seeks opportunities

transitioning from fixed to growth mindset

  1. Become aware of what triggers your fixed mindset
  2. Give the fixed mindset a name — it's no longer you, observe it
  3. Swap or have growth mindset ideas coexist — eventually overrun fixed mindset ideas

miscellaneous

foster growth mindset by praising the effort and strategies, avoid praising the outcomes or rewards

"social skills are things you can improve and how social interactions are for learning and enjoyment, not judgment"

elements of growth: strategies, choices, effort, persistence, feedback loop

create concrete plans: think about the when/where/how because it increases the odds of executing on the plans

"Instead of seeing your discussions with your colleagues as time spent getting what you want... grasp the idea of building relationships or even helping your colleagues develop in ways they value"

"change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework"

continue to focus on learning and growing even when the stakes seem high because process/presence over results/future