We all want a life of fulfillment, a life in which we can unleash our potential. Yet, these times of strain and uncertainty do not help. It turns out that people are getting more and more impatient and lost. Their confidence and self-esteem dwindle; their insights and beliefs change. Instead of living, people survive, and are happy with that.

According to Carol Dweck, one of the world’s leading researchers in the fields of personality development, social psychology, and developmental psychology, it is all about mindset. She wrote “Mindset: the new psychology of success”, a book that dives into the universe of psychology, mindset, and human motivation. In her book, Dweck asserts that our mindset shapes our personality, but at the same time, our mindset sets limits to our growth potential. Our mindset may greatly shape our beliefs, decisions, and the way we cope with any situation.

Dweck’s book exposes findings and tries to inform readers about the two existing types of mindsets: the “fixed mindset” and the “growth mindset”.

The fixed mindset:

Carol Dweck compares a fixed mindset to the belief that people’s qualities are carved in stone and that their intelligence or personality cannot be developed. Personality is nothing more than a deep-seated trait. People with a fixed mindset stand and live for survival and do not even know that this may prevent them from growing and reaching their full potential. They assume that people are either smart or dumb, ethical or unethical, good or bad, rich or poor, etc. That way, they end up admitting that they are who they are, and that nothing can change it. People with a fixed mindset tend to avoid risks and challenges. Instead of striving and learning from mistakes and failures, they will always find excuses and want to prove themselves correct over and over. They exist but do not live.

The growth mindset:

In the other hand, possessing a growth mindset is far beyond living for a survival purpose. People with this other kind of mindset attempt to transcend a state of existence out of yearning. Growth mindset is based on the belief that people’s basic qualities are things that they can cultivate through efforts. Carol Dweck maintains in her book that although people may differ in every way – in their initial talents and abilities, interests, or temperaments – everyone can change and grow through learning and experience. People with a growth or thriving mindset are more likely to reach their full potential and succeed in life because they live to thrive, not to survive. They look at things differently and believe that they are capable of reaching a higher level of intelligence, building stronger personality traits, and achieving fulfillment.

Growth mindset is the key to a thriving life. So, let go of your old habits and way of thinking that hold you back from achieving what you think is a successful life.

Sources: “Mindset: the new psychology of success”, Carol Susan Dweck, Ph.D. , 2006 / Medium