Why Mindset Still Matters
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Analyse the way the most successful people in the world think, and you'll find a commonality: most of them will have a mindset which lends itself to reaching their goals, and almost all of them will show a high degree of resilience. We are all born with the ability to reach our full potential; there are, of course, external factors which can impact this such as our socioeconomic status, belonging to a marginalised demographic, or access to education. But while these external factors may be unchangeable, what we can influence is our level of resilience and our way of thinking – also known as our mindset.
Adopting a growth mindset
Whatever our goals, whether focused on becoming a world-class entrepreneur, a campaigner who makes a tangible positive change to the world, or perhaps an expert scholar in a particular subject, we all have aspirations in life. However, the unique lens through which each individual views the world undoubtedly impacts how successfully we can work towards those goals.
Subsequently researched by many academics, it was Professor Carol Dweck who first proposed the idea of two distinct types of mindset: fixed and growth. A person with a fixed mindset may avoid taking on a challenge for fear of making mistakes and may see success as a result of innate ability – believing you cannot alter your intelligence levels. However, those with a growth mindset view setbacks as an opportunity to learn something new, and believe you can become better at anything in life given enough practice and effort.
It is perhaps unsurprising that those with a growth mindset are more likely to achieve their goals and reach the top of their game – achieving their full potential by putting in plenty of hard work and being undeterred by thoughts of not being 'clever enough'. But there's good news for those who may currently have more of a fixed mindset and see this as a barrier in the way of reaching their goals: mindsets can (and should) be altered through life, and hard work can see us becoming less fixed in our outlook.
Expert psychiatrist Dr Jacob Towery states: "The good news is mindsets are highly changeable, and if you are willing to learn the technology of changing your mindset and defeating your distorted thoughts, you can have significantly more happiness."
Several studies have shown that intervention, mentoring and exposure to others (such as teachers) with a growth mindset can shift people's perspectives in a positive direction. One such piece of research was undertaken by Professor Dweck and her colleagues as part of their National Study of Learning Mindsets.
A sample of 12,000 ninth-grade students were analysed as they made the transition to high school, with a proportion taking part in interventions designed to counter the belief that intelligence is fixed and mistakes pm indicate a lack of ability. The students in this group reported a reduction in fixed mindset beliefs, and demonstrated an increase in both their GPA and enrolment in advanced maths courses. As part of the Programme for International Student Assessment (OECD), random samples of students were surveyed in 74 different countries, and it was found that growth mindset was 'significantly and positively associated' with test scores in all but two nations.
Resilience: a key requirement
A crucial part of an individual's mindset is their approach to challenges in life, otherwise known as resilience. There are very few people who will go through life without encountering any challenges: whether in their education, their profession or their personal life. And our responses to these hurdles absolutely define how well we can overcome them and achieve despite – or perhaps because of – them.
Someone struggling with resilience may take one of a number of different options when faced with a challenge: giving up, feeling hopeless, or even turning to unhelpful coping mechanisms. Those who have a high level of resilience will still encounter the challenge, but their perspective will see them seeking ways to learn from the experience, finding ways to overcome the issue, and remaining hopeful that there is a way forward. There's a famous saying: 'this too will pass' which perhaps best encapsulates the way a highly-resilient person will approach a challenge in life. They will realise its temporary nature, and do everything within their power to work through it.
As with mindset, there are numerous studies which showcase the positive impact of resilience upon attainment. One such piece of research (Frederickson), analysed undergraduates' positive emotions and ego-resilience (their ability to adapt and flexibly manage their own emotional impulses in situations), showed them a video designed to induce positive emotions, and then asked them to list their personal goals for the next four weeks.
At the end of that time, the results showed that ego-resilience could at least partially explain the link between positive emotions and eudaimonic wellbeing – a focus on living a meaningful life through personal growth and a sense of purpose. Thankfully, while some people are naturally more resilient than others, it's another life skill which can be learned and developed. This has been recognised by many corporations, as well as the US Army, which rolled out a Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CSF) programme for more than 900,000 soldiers. CSF consists of three components: a test for psychological fitness, self-improvement courses, and Master Resilience Training (MRT) for drill sergeants. The findings indicated a clear improvement in 'resilience and psychological health' as a result of MRT.
Reaching your goals
There are some barriers to our life goals which cannot be broken down or eradicated; these barriers are defined by external factors and are not within our power to change. But there are equally many factors in reaching our full potential which are resolutely within our power to alter: and two of the biggest are mindset and resilience.
Repeated studies and a wealth of anecdotal evidence shows that mindset and resilience have a huge impact on achievement, and that both of these factors can absolutely be worked upon. In the same way that (if they have a growth mindset), children can learn to read, write and count by repeated practice, so too can we learn how to become more resilient when we face challenges in life, and so too can we empower ourselves to believe we can reach our full potential.
This is the very reason why I launched the London Organisation of Skills Development and take pride in helping others develop a growth mindset. Ultimately, our goals are within our grasp, but it's up to us to each put in the hard work in order to embed within ourselves qualities like resilience which will see us reaching them.
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