Reflect on the connection between mindset and outcomes
You're now aware of the inner dialogue that's causing your fixed mindset. You're starting to understand how that dialogue negatively affects your ability to work on your coding project. You have some approaches to shift your fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
Reflect on your mindset during a task or project
Take a few minutes to reflect on how mindset might have affected you in previous situations. Also reflect on the connection between your mindset and the way those situations were resolved. Optionally, note your thoughts on a device or on paper.
Think of a project or task that you found challenging but that you felt positive about doing. This task or project could have been at school, at work, or at home. The circumstances don't matter as much as how you felt about it and how you were thinking about it at the time. Maybe you were excited about doing the work, solving little challenges, and learning new things. You might have enjoyed sharing your progress with peers to get their feedback. Perhaps the learning process itself was satisfying for you.
Try to remember which tasks were challenging and were rewarding.
In general, would you conclude that you had a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?
Reflect on your mindset during a challenging situation
Think of a stressful situation you've experienced in school or at work. For example, consider the following tasks that many people find stressful or uncomfortable:
Managing a team
Speaking in front of a group
Meeting a project deadline
Learning a new skill
Performing a new skill in front of a peer or teacher/manager/mentor
Reflect on your inner dialogue during the stressful situation. Optionally, note your responses on a device or on paper. Compare your inner dialogue to the following examples of inner dialogue that represent different mindsets:
"What if I fail in front of everyone?" (fixed)
"What if people think I'm unintelligent?" (fixed)
"I'm excited to learn that new skill." (growth)
"I'm not going to make this deadline. I always finish projects late." (fixed)
"I'll never be able to learn how to do that. Someone else can learn how to do it." (fixed)
"This area is new to me, but I can apply myself to learn how to do it." (growth)
"I'm glad my colleagues are more experienced than I am. I'll be asking them for guidance until I know what I'm doing.” (growth)
Identify the correlation between mindset and outcome
Try to remember an experience from your life where mindset affected the outcome (positively or negatively). Use the following questions to consider how your internal dialogue and mindset affected the outcome of the situation. Also consider how you might manage the same situation in the future. Optionally, note your responses on a device or on paper.
How did your inner dialogue and mindset affect your actions?
- What did you do or say that was a direct consequence of what you were thinking and your fixed or growth mindset?
- Is there anything you wish you would have said or done? Conversely, is there anything you regret having said or done?
How did your inner dialogue and mindset affect the outcome of the situation?
- What outcomes do you think were a consequence of your mindset?
- If you had had a different mindset, do you think the outcome would have been different?
If you could relive the experience with a growth mindset tomorrow, how do you think the outcome of the situation might be different? What inner dialogue could you use to nudge your mindset from fixed to growth?