A fixed mindset can hold you back in a multitude of different areas in your life. To be fixed means to be stagnant when it comes to your personal growth and development. Instead of learning from mistakes and failures, being fixed in your ways does not allow you to overcome your weaknesses and improve. It can be almost too easy to fall into this negative mindset at times and give in to the pressures of life.
Failing at something does not mean that you are a failure. I believe it is important to remember that when something did not go the way you wanted it to, there is a solid reasoning behind that. No matter how terrible it may seem at times, failing is a learning curve and is a means for future improvement. Some of my fixed mindsets include, not feeling good enough, pretty enough, thin enough, smart enough, and the list goes on. These internal limitations hold me back and have absolutely no benefit to me and my goals. Another tough one for me would be criticism. There is a fine line between constructive and destructive criticism, the issue is when you view all of the corrections you receive as negative and relate them back to failure. Relearning and reframing criticism as a positive tool that will enhance your natural talents is so much more beneficial to help you achieve what you want.
Mindsets become fixed whenever you get too comfortable in your ways. The fact that there is always room for improvement can seem disheartening but it can actually be a good form of encouragement for constantly wanting to get better especially for those involved in sports, music, or performance. The reason behind why I developed these fixed mindsets regarding my abilities was because of receiving a steady flow of criticism from competitive dancing for 12 years. Not all of these critiques were said in a way to put me down, not to say that some of them were not, but they messed with my head and caused a mental block when it came to how I truly felt about myself.
The ultimate goal is to work towards developing a growth mindset when it comes to school, social life, relationships, mental health, and appearance. These five things make up the fabric of my life and yet I struggle so hard at times to cultivate a positive attitude when it comes to improving upon them. For my mantra this week I chose to work on "placing effort above talent." This one stands out to me because for so long I put in the work and did not see immediate results which is incredibly frustrating. Over time, I have learned that the journey is a part of the process. It may even be more rewarding than the end goal.
At the end of the day, discipline will always trump motivation. And that is because motivation is fleeting, never stagnant, and is up and down. Once you learn how to discipline yourself when it comes to what you aim to improve on, you can only get better from there.
Grace Connors
