Could it be that as you read this post your mind has already been drifting towards thoughts of a new year? Are there better choices I could be making? Am I at the place I had hoped to be at this season of my life? Am I satisfied with my approach to the personal and professional relationships around me? I think not! (However, if I’m being transparent, my contemplation regarding habits and other areas of my life typically occurs around August rather than December, as my life revolves around an academic calendar and not with the hanging of a new calendar on my refrigerator). But the premise is the same, regardless of which month it occurs. It’s a time of reflection, a time to ponder the areas where we desire to improve and grow.  

Many threads are weaving their way into this research on a flourishing life and one of those appearing steadily is this concept of mindset. I guess on some level there has always been a vague awareness of the relationship between our thinking and our success, especially in the world of sports, but I had not brooded over these concepts of fixed and growth mindset until repeatedly being referred to the work of Carol Dweck. What really convinced me of the mindset’s vitality to personal and professional success was upon reading Leadership is Language (introduced in Get Better) where David Marquet describes his transformation of the USS Santa Fe from a floundering ship to a flourishing one, primarily through changing the communication culture from one of a prove, or performance mindset, to one of improvement or growth.

Without summarizing all the fantastic examples of the Improve Mindset that has drawn my attention, I will share some of the key questions Dweck uses to challenge us to reframe our thinking, whether that appears in our role as educators, coaches, parents, Christ-followers, students, or just plain human beings on this planet. For as Dweck and other authors share, it’s an ongoing, continual process. “Mindset change is not about picking up a few pointers here and there. It’s about seeing things in a new way. When people…change to a growth [Improve] mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is growth, and growth takes plenty of time, effort, and mutual support.”

I’m still investigating how to incorporate the Improve Mindset with my students and in mentoring, so please share any ideas you might have in the comments below; but in the meantime, I will use the following questions posed by Dweck in several areas of my life so that I am focused on the Improve Mindset and not the unfortunate evil twin, Prove Mindset. I hope you are able to apply them into your own life as well.

“Ask yourself these questions…What are the opportunities for learning and growth today? For myself? For the people around me? As you think of opportunities, form a plan, and ask: When, where, and how will I embark on my plan? When, where, and how…make the plan concrete. How asks you to think of all the ways to bring your plan to life and make it work. As you encounter the inevitable obstacles and setbacks, form a new plan and ask yourself the question again: When, where, and how will I act on my new plan? Regardless of how bad you may feel doing it, do it…And when you succeed, don’t forget to ask yourself: What do I have to do to maintain and continue the growth?”

References:

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: the new psychology of success (1st ed.). Random House.

Marquet, L.D. (2020). Leadership is language: The hidden power of what you say-and what you don’t. Portfolio/Penguin.