#88: The Difference Between Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset
Today we're talking about the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset. It may sometimes feel clear and intuitive what the difference is between growth mindset and fixed mindset, but it can also be good to have a reminder. It’s also helpful to check in with yourself at times to reflect on whether you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset.
Where are you on your journey?
Where are you with your expansion?
How does all this look to you?
The biggest difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset is that a growth mindset means you're focused on expanding, and a fixed mindset means you're staying where you are. If you picture a tree, for example, and if you imagine that you're responsible for the tree, growth mindset would be watering the tree. It would be watching it literally grow and evolve and change its leaves and grow taller and go through the whole process. The growing process.
Growth Mindset is all about expansion, openness, curiosity, being willing to try new things, or being curious enough to inquire about different things. It can also be being willing to look at things in a different way, or think, Hmm, I'm not sure about that. I wonder, is there something else there? It's about looking deeper. It's about being open to options and growth mindset is really something that stays with you as you evolve over time. So even the way you look at things, it will change. It will evolve. But it's really about being willing to look at that growth, being willing to go to the places that could potentially feel hard or uncomfortable, and saying, okay, yes, I want to dig deeper here. It could be wanting to learn something new. Even if you have a job that you've been in for quite a few years and you like working. That’s great! Maybe you're also curious about picking up some new skills or picking up some new hobbies to allow you to have another expansion opportunity. Having growth mindset is watering the tree. It's taking care of yourself in a way where you're willing to keep exploring and trying new things and doing new things and testing new things and being open to new things, even if it might feel scary.
Fixed Mindset, on the other hand, is very much about staying where you are for whatever the reason. If we take the analogy of a tree again, it's the tree not being watered. It's really about kind of staying where you are, going through the motions. It could mean that you're stuck or stagnant in some way, not really having the momentum to propel forward, and there's something that's blocked or shut down in terms of wanting to learn new things. It’s being less open. It might be not being open at all, not being curious about new things, and kind of just being comfortable with where you are, and not wanting to push past that in any way. It’s not looking for new opportunities, new experiences, new ways of doing things. Now, it's not bad to have a fixed mindset, but it's really about what are you doing with that, and how is it serving you, if at all?
Let’s dive deeper into the differences between growth mindset and fixed mindset.
Seasons of Change and the Difference Between Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset
When I look at growth mindset and fixed mindset, there can be times and seasons where we feel more growth and expansion, and other times we feel a little more fixed and less flexible. We can kind of go back and forth between the two, because sometimes, let's face it, the growth piece can be scary. The growth piece challenges us to do things that are uncomfortable. If you really want to grow and expand, you have to be willing to change something and change can feel very hard and difficult, and it can feel energy draining too. Since it can take a lot of work, and it can feel like it's using a lot of your energy, it's pretty likely that you're not trying to grow every minute of every day, right? And you will have periods where you feel an accelerated growth, periods where you maybe feel a little stagnant or a little more fixed, periods where you're working through the growth again, but it's going a little slower, and periods also of rest, in whatever way that shows up for you. There are all these different seasons to it. And we talked about seasons last week on the podcast with Jody Smith around families and the holidays and looking at seasons in that way and in this way.
I’m inviting you to explore the seasons of your life in terms of:
Where are you ready, willing and able to expand in some way?
Where have you been more fixed in your mindset? Is there something that you could dig deeper into there?
Challenges of Having a Fixed Mindset
Now, the fixed mindset, it may come with its own set of challenges. Usually, there's a reason for the lack of flexibility, right? So it could be that there's a lot of pain stored there. There's a history of certain things, and you've blocked them out or shut them down.
Can you be kind to yourself, not judging yourself to say, “Oh, I'm fixed and this is terrible”
Can you be more curious about it and say, “Okay, well, I'm fixed in this area. I wonder why and how can I shift that even a little bit?”
It may mean that you seek out support of a therapist, for example, or a different healing modality or doing more body work. You know how much I love the mind body connection and all of these different modalities and tools. Even getting curious about your human design, for example, and learning different ways that you can use that information to help you expand and discover and uncover old thought patterns, belief patterns that don't serve you.
With the fixed mindset, there's an invitation to be curious about why is that? Why are you in that situation with the fixed mindset. There's an invitation to be curious about, why is this happening in this way, and where can you dig deeper?
How You Can Shift from a Fixed Mindset to Growth Mindset
This is to explain the differences between growth mindset and fixed mindset that I see, and usually people that are wanting to transform in some way. Chances are that's you, because you're listening to this podcast. It's all about personal transformation. It's all about mind, body, spirit. This is really an invitation, so take from it what you will, but this is an invitation to take a look at your personal transformation journey and see what are the areas where you've really grown exponentially and expanded, and what are the areas where you may feel stuck or stagnant? And where can you go deeper into those layers?
It's interesting because yes, you can have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset, just globally as your point of view, right and how you approach the world. But I really think there's another aspect of it that goes deeper in that you can be growth oriented in certain areas of your life and more fixed in other areas of your life. Again, depending on what's in there. What are the layers? What's the history? What has happened over the years and built up over time, that there may be places where you're trying to avoid, and fear and avoidance can be really big teachers if you're willing to go in and do the work in those areas. So if you say generally, you are a growth oriented person, but you have an aspect of your life that feels more fixed. If you're taking me up on this invitation to be more curious about it, I would say, how can you invite yourself to look at those deeper parts and explore them in new ways and try to work through any fear you might have, any discomfort looking into those layers of shame and blame and anything that may keep you from hiding in that space.
For me, personally, I will share I've been going through another deeper layer of my own personal transformation journey, including how I show up for this podcast, and you'll start to see that shift a little in these upcoming weeks, and I'll share an episode probably in the new year about it as well. I feel that I've been invited to look at a deeper layer of myself and how I'm showing up and saying, Okay, where's the deeper layer of Mary that wants to come out? Where can I share more about myself, and not just to show up on here and say, I like this and I don't like that, but really sharing more, bringing forward more of my true essence and my being, even just in how I show up to this show and the topics that I cover, and how deeply I go into them, and really following what feels the most aligned and the most joyful for me. And it can feel scary in some ways. You know, it can feel scary to put yourself out there, and it is an area that I would say I see a lot of a lot of people struggle with, a lot of clients, and even some friends with the balance of, how much do you put yourself out there or not? And I've had the same thing. Even though I've had a I have a podcast, I've had the same thing happen and come up for me, and it's something I'm continuously working on. And there's really just an invitation there also to go deeper.
Wherever you feel those pulls, whatever makes you feel like you want to run and hide, can you stop and turn around and walk towards them instead of running away from them and take a deeper look?
That’s really how you shift from the fixed mindset to growth mindset. , if you see that it's showing up in a specific area of your life.
Another thing to note about all of this is that in the personal transformation journey that you are on, this this path, this experience of life that you're having in all of this, there are the times for growth. There are the times for rest and recovery, and so also knowing the difference between if you are in a pause, are you in a rest right now, or are you really fixed about something?
You'll be able to tell the difference. You can reflect and ask yourself “am I just taking a little break from watering the tree, or am I just flat out abandoning the tree and not watering it?”
If you don’t have movement with something and feel stuck, get curious about to see if you’re in a period of rest and then get back up and start growing again or if you’re letting something go. There's no right or wrong ever. It's really just recognizing for you, what's the choice that you're making and what do you what do you want to do with it? What do you want to do with the experience that you're having?
Conclusion
This is an invitation to take a look at where you are on your journey and explore the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset. Take a look at what you've been exploring and working on and growing into or expanding with in some way, and also take a look at where you may be fixed and saying “is it time to dig deeper into that?” If it's not time, that's okay too.
If you're looking for a shift in energy, a shift in momentum, a change to something new, I do think there's a lot of energies out there right now that are that are calling for us to step into a bigger version of ourselves, which can feel scary, and it’s very easy to turn away from that. Consider this a time where you may want to be exploring that a little bit more, especially if you're listening to this episode, because timing is everything.
In all honesty, though, really looking at the difference between growth mindset and fixed mindset to see how you are showing up to your tree, how you are tending to it. Are you watering it or not, and are you okay with that or not? I hope you found this helpful for where you're at right now and what you're going through, and remember that in any and every moment you have a choice. There is no right or wrong. So do not use this as a way to beat yourself up if you feel you're not growing right now. You are exactly where you need to be.
Wherever you are in your journey, I'm happy to meet you there. I will be here for whenever you feel ready to take your next step with support.
I hope this episode was helpful for you in some way, for where you are right now. It's an important step if you're looking to make changes in your life.
If you’d like to connect further about unlocking the next step in your personal development journey, please feel free to reach out. I'm on LinkedIn and Instagram. I'm also on Voxer at @MaryClavieres.
If you want support with where you are right now, I'd be honored to work with you. You’re invited to check out my Human Design readings so that you can learn more about your own energy and how you operate. This tool is a powerful building block that will allow you to live life with less stress and more peace. From there, you can also learn about Voxer coaching, which is great for people that are on the go and want real time, customized support and guidance. It’s about meeting you where you are right now and what you're going through. You can message me on Voxer (@ maryclavieres) if you’d like to chat or if you have any questions.
Thank you so much for being here. I so appreciate your time and your presence, spending it here with me, and I'll speak to you next week.
Other Episodes You May Enjoy:
#77: The Secret to Finding Yourself Again
#82: 3 Easy Ways to Love Yourself a Little More Every Day
#84: What is Self Responsibility
#85: How to Protect Your Energy Amid Chaos with Elizabeth Guilbeault
