by Raluca OlariuA mindset is a mix of thoughts, beliefs, values, emotions, behaviors, habits, history, memories, identity, energy, and even communication styles.
This complex mix creates your worldview, your interactions with the world, what you attract and manifest in your life, and your ability to grow.
I can't really express in words what a big influence mindsets have on success, happiness, and living a fulfilling life.
However, I'll do my best to explain how different types of mindsets can influence your life trajectory and the levels of happiness you experience. Also, as we'll learn below, mindsets are not set in stone.
We'll look at what it takes to change your mindset to make it work better for you.
Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset
Like people, mindsets are unique. They are a combination of biology, childhood conditioning, and many other things and I would dare to say that no two mindsets are alike.
But there are some common characteristics that form two main types of mindsets: growth and fixed mindsets.
Characteristics of a Fixed Mindset
A fixed mindset says "My abilities and intelligence are static and can't change."
People with a fixed mindset may have these tendencies:
They avoid challenges like the plague.
They see failure as final.
They fear effort because if you have to try, maybe you're not naturally talented.
They shut down feedback—who needs it when they think they know all they can?
They feel threatened by the success of others.
I used to have a bit of this fixed mindset creep into my own life, especially when learning new skills. If I wasn’t immediately good at something, I’d walk away. Or I linked failure to proof that I'm not good enough or capable.
Shifting to a growth mindset meant challenging my beliefs and working to change my narrative to: Failure is a necessary type of learning. What a big shift!
As Carol Dweck, renowned psychologist and professor known for her groundbreaking research on the concept of growth and fixed mindsets, puts it:
"Sure, people with the fixed mindset have read the books that say: Success is about being your best self, not about being better than others; failure is an opportunity, not a condemnation; effort is the key to success. But they can’t put this into practice because their basic mindset— their belief in fixed traits— is telling them something entirely different: that success is about being more gifted than others, that failure does measure you, and that effort is for those who can’t make it on talent."
Characteristics of a Growth Mindset
People with growth mindsets see their basic abilities as muscles they can flex and strengthen with effort. When they hit a wall, they don’t give up. They just find a bigger hammer.
Here are some growth mindset examples and how it shows up in people's behaviour and worldview:
They love challenges and personal growth. The harder, the better.
They treat failure as feedback, not defeat, and it boosts their motivation.
They’re all about the learning process, even if it means hearing hard truths.
They keep their eyes on the long game, knowing effort today leads to progress tomorrow.
I’ve personally felt the shift when I stopped fearing failure and started asking, “What can I learn from this?”
You've probably heard this so many times it's getting annoying. It's not that simple, you might say. The truth is there's nothing fancy about change. Actually, it can get quite boring at times. Brains function through repetition.
Ask "What can I learn from this?" thousands of times and eventually, it becomes second nature.
The magic isn’t in the dramatic moments of change. It’s in the daily, almost mundane practice of stretching yourself just a little bit further, learning a little bit more, and never stopping.
"As you begin to understand the fixed and growth mindsets, you will see exactly how one thing leads to another— how a belief that your qualities are carved in stone leads to a host of thoughts and actions, and how a belief that your qualities can be cultivated leads to a host of different thoughts and actions, taking you down an entirely different road," says Carol.
Benefits of Adopting a Growth Mindset
Why should you care about having a growth mindset?
Simple: It makes life so much better.
Here’s how:
You’ll bounce back faster when life kicks you in the teeth.
A continuous learning process becomes something you enjoy, not just endure.
You stop fearing change and start seeing it as an opportunity.
You unlock creativity and innovation, two things that a fixed mindset crushes.
Interesting study????
Scientists measured the electrical activity of the brain as students made an error.
In students with a fixed mindset, there was almost no brain activity when they encountered a mistake. They disengaged and avoided the challenge.
Students with a growth mindset showed significantly more brain activity when confronted with errors. Their brains "lit up" as they engaged deeply with the problem. They processed the mistake, learned from it, and used the experience to correct and improve.
Later in the article, we'll learn how you can start to adopt a growth mindset.
What Is a Scarcity Mindset?
Another common type of mindset is the scarcity mindset which focuses on limits.
Scarcity mindsets are the opposite of mindsets of abundance, which believe in endless opportunities.
The problem with a scarcity mindset is it makes you feel like you’re always behind, even when you’re not.
You focus on what you don’t have rather than what you do have. You also see limitations in everything around you: money, resources, opportunities.
This has some serious side effects:
You cling to what’s safe, even when it’s holding you back.
Constantly worrying about running out—of time, money, success—drains your energy.
You’re so focused on immediate needs that you ignore long-term personal growth.
You might also like: The Importance of Having a Meaningful Job.
How the Mindset Forms
As we already mentioned, our mindsets are influenced by many factors.
The Role of Early Experiences
From a young age, the messages we receive about success, failure, and effort shape the foundation of our mindset.
For example, a child who consistently hears phrases like, "You're just not good at math," forms the idea that abilities are fixed and that some people are just “naturally” better at certain things. As a result, the child might shy away from trying harder and believe there’s no point.
In contrast, a child who is told, "Math is tough, but you can improve with practice," starts to internalize the idea that effort leads to growth. She gets a seed of growth planted in his mindset.
Influence of Social Environment
Your social environment—the people you spend time with, the media you consume, even the books you read—also shapes your mindset.
If you’re constantly surrounded by negativity or people who play it safe, guess what mindset you are likely to develop?
The Impact of Mindset
Your mindset is a game-changer in every part of your life.
Below, we'll look at how your mindset influences resilience, well-being, and your ability to change.
Mindset and resilience
Life isn’t easy, and having a growth mindset doesn’t make it a walk in the park. But it does help you bounce back faster when you fall.
Resilience is your ability to recover from setbacks, and it’s deeply tied to how you view those setbacks in the first place. With a growth mindset, you learn to see obstacles as temporary, not permanent.
Mindset and well-being
A growth mindset can also improve your mental health.
Studies have found that people with a growth mindset experience lower levels of depression and anxiety.
Why? Because they view struggles as part of the process, not as personal failings.
Mindset and the ability to change
With a growth mindset, you see change as an opportunity for continuous learning and development.
You’re more open to new experiences and challenges because you believe that effort leads to improvement. This makes it easier to adapt to new situations and embrace the unknown.
When working on career transitions, lifestyle changes, or any other type of changes with my clients in coaching, focusing on the mindset is always helpful. We identify limiting beliefs, challenge them, and replace them with empowering thoughts.
What Is My Mindset?
So, how do you figure out what kind of mindset you have?
Here are some key questions to ask yourself:
Do you embrace challenges as opportunities to grow, or do you tend to avoid them out of fear of failure?
Do you see failure as feedback and a chance to learn, or as a reflection of your abilities? What’s your attitude toward effort?
Do you believe effort is a necessary part of growth, or do you think it’s only needed when you lack talent?
Are you open to constructive feedback, or do you get defensive and take it personally?
Do you think you can improve with practice, or do you feel that your abilities are fixed and unchangeable?
Are you excited by the opportunity to learn, or do you avoid learning new things because you fear looking incompetent?
How do you handle setbacks?
Take some time to answer these questions to get an idea of the type of mindset you might have.
5 Steps to Take Today to Start Developing a Growth Mindset
If the answer is that you have a fixed mindset, you probably want to change this.
Here are five simple steps you can take today to start your growth mindset training.
1. Embrace the Power of "Yet"
Next time you catch yourself saying "I can't do this," add a little magic word to the end: "yet."
"I can't do this... yet."
"I don't understand this... yet."
"I'm not good at this... yet."
It's a small change, but it makes a world of difference. It shifts your approach to life from one of limitation to one of possibility.
2. Become a "Praise the Process" Pro
Instead of focusing on outcomes or innate abilities, celebrate the effort and strategies you use.
Did you put in extra hours studying? Try a new approach to a problem? Give yourself a pat on the back for that!
You'll be better prepared to focus on what you can control and reinforce the idea that growth comes from hard work and dedication.
3. Make Friends with Failure
Okay, maybe not best friends, but at least acquaintances.
Failure is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be the end of the world. In fact, it can be your greatest teacher.
Next time you stumble, ask yourself: "What can I learn from this?" "How can I do better next time?"
This turns setbacks into stepping stones.
4. Surround Yourself with Growth-Minded People
You know the saying, "You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with"?
Seek out friends, mentors, and colleagues who embody a growth mindset. Their growth-oriented mental attitude and can-do spirit will rub off on you.
5. Start Small, But Start Now
Don't try to overhaul your entire mindset overnight. You'll get overwhelmed and also, brains don't function like that. They need repetition.
Instead, pick one small area of your life where you want to cultivate a growth mindset. Maybe it's learning a new language, improving your cooking skills, or taking up a new hobby.
Whatever it is, start now. When those old, negative thoughts creep in – "I'm too old for this," or "I'll never be good at it" – replace them with something that empowers you. "I'm capable of learning anything I put my mind to," or "Every expert was once a beginner."
If you do this consistently enough, your brain will start to rewire itself and create new pathways for personal growth and possibility.
P.S. If you're serious about shifting your mindset and making real changes in your life, I’d love to work with you.
As a transformative mindset coach, I focus on helping people challenge the beliefs that are holding them back and develop practical strategies to build confidence and take action.
Let’s talk about your goals and how we can work together to create the progress you're looking for.
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