How does our mindset work and why is having a growth mindset important to your recovery?
At the level of the individual, a growth mindset allows each person to embrace learning, to welcome challenges, mistakes, and feedback, and to understand the role of effort in creating talent.
At the organizational level, a growth mindset is fostered when leaders present skills as acquirable, value passion, effort, improvement (and teamwork), not simply natural talent, and present themselves as mentors and not just talent judges
Carol Dweck has identified three key rules to the growth mindset:
Rule 1:
- In a fixed mindset, the cardinal rule is: Look talented at all costs.
- In a growth mindset, the cardinal rule is: Learn, learn, learn!
Rule 2:
- In a fixed mindset, the second rule is: Don’t work too hard or practice too much.
- In a growth mindset, the rule is: Work with passion and dedication—effort is the key.
Rule 3:
- In a fixed mindset, the third rule is: When faced with setbacks, run away or conceal your deficiencies.
- In a growth mindset, the rule is: Embrace your mistakes and confront your deficiencies.
A fixed mindset is a psychological roadblock that limits our capacity for learning and recovery, whereas a growth mindset enables us to fulfil our potential in life, grow and recovery from our pain and adverse circumstances.Â
What mindset are you in when it comes to your musculoskeletal complaint?
In Part 2 of this series, we look at the benefit mindset – what does it mean to fulfil our potential?
