It can be easy to assume the binary simplicity of either having a growth or fixed mindset — but according to the experts — our adoption of a growth mindset is far more nuanced. 

There’s the general perspective: where you believe your talents can be developed through hard work, good strategies, and learnable tactics. Fixed mindsets mean you believe that talent is innate and unchangeable. However, just thinking you are in one camp is limited. 

We are all a mixture of both fixed and growth mindsets, which fluctuate situationally. The continued practice of applying growth mindset involves recognizing fixed triggers, embedded beliefs about failure or uncertainty, and suspending the tendency to get threatened or defensive when we are challenged to grow in ways that can be uncomfortable. 

The work is about getting into the “growth zone” where we get smarter about the right environments to be in, the degree of effort it takes to get ahead, and the self-belief that we can train a level of competence. A setback then represents a chance to learn and be better, instead of a catastrophic event. 

Awareness of how to shift from one way of thinking to another requires a reframe, and your self-awareness antennae up across different aspects of life (career, wealth, health, relationships, etc).