Dear Dads,
A fixed versus growth mindset is an important concept to understand when it comes to setting goals and striving toward success. A fixed mindset is in place when a person believes that their abilities, skills, and talents are ingrained and can never change or be improved upon. On the other hand, a growth mindset is one where a person believes that their abilities, skills, and talents can be developed over time through practice and hard work.
Those with a fixed mindset tend to shy away from challenges as they don’t believe they can achieve them. They also tend to give up easily if they fail at something because they think failure is proof of their limitations. In contrast, those with a growth mindset embrace challenges as learning opportunities, believing that failures are just opportunities to improve themselves.
The statement “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take” speaks directly to the importance of having a growth mindset. By not taking risks and attempting new tasks, even if we may fail, we miss out on invaluable learning experiences that help us grow as individuals. Those with a fixed mindset will often let fear of failure prevent them from taking risks or trying new things whereas those with a growth mindset will see failure as part of the process rather than an endpoint.
Having a growth mindset versus a fixed one has been linked to greater achievements in both professional and academic pursuits. Individuals with a growth mindset have been shown to be more motivated to learn difficult concepts because they view mistakes as steps toward eventual success rather than proof of their limitations. Those with this type of outlook will often persist longer when faced with difficulties or challenging tasks because they focus on the end goal rather than any potential obstacles along the way.
It is important for everyone to recognize that our abilities can be improved upon over time through dedication and hard work, regardless of how talented we may (or may not) naturally be. To maximize potential, we must strive for continual improvement by embracing challenges and viewing failure simply as another step in the process toward success. rather than proof of limitation or lack of ability.
Chris
