My Journey from a Fixed to a Growth Mindset

What Exactly is a 'Growth Mindset,' Anyway?

Forget the textbook definitions for a second. To me, a growth mindset is the simple belief that you’re not 'stuck' with the talents you were born with. It’s the difference between saying, 'I’m terrible at this,' and asking, 'Okay, how can I get less terrible at this?'

It’s about seeing your brain as a muscle, not a trophy:

• You believe effort trumps talent: Instead of saying, 'I'm just not a math person,' you think, 'I haven't found the right way to learn this yet.'
• Challenges become interesting: A tough problem isn't a threat; it's a puzzle you get to solve.
• Failure is data, not a dead end: Every mistake is just a piece of information on how to do it better next time.

For most of my school life, I wore the label 'bad at math' like a badge of honor. It was my excuse for not trying. When I finally started journaling about these automatic negative thoughts, I realized it was just a story I was telling myself. The real shift happened when I stopped focusing on being 'naturally talented' and started focusing on just putting in the time, day after day.

We all know the Michael Jordan story—cut from his high school team. But the real lesson isn't just that he worked harder. It's that he saw the rejection not as a verdict on his talent, but as a starting point. It gave him a reason to prove that verdict wrong. That's the mindset in action.

In my own small world, this has been life-changing. My first attempts at journaling were a mess of inconsistent, scattered thoughts. The old me would've quit. But the new me just kept showing up. Now, that messy journal is the most powerful tool I have for untangling my own thoughts and making progress.

Why This Shift is More Than Just 'Positive Thinking'

I used to think this was all just fluff. But when I started applying this idea, the changes were real. I remember being handed a new software project at work that was completely over my head. My old brain screamed 'RUN!' and immediately started picturing all the ways I could fail. But I took a breath and asked a different question: 'What’s the first small thing I can learn to get started?'

Here’s why this is a real game-changer:

• It makes the hard stuff fun: Learning stops being a test you can fail and starts being a game you can win.
• It literally rewires your brain: I read a study showing that people with this mindset have more active brain regions linked to learning when they make mistakes. Their brains are primed to improve.
• You become emotionally tougher: Life's curveballs don't knock you out for as long. You learn to see setbacks as temporary and fixable.

Discovering the work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck was a huge 'aha' moment. Her research proved that students who believed their intelligence could grow consistently outperformed those who thought it was fixed. They weren't afraid to try harder stuff.

For me, the biggest win has been quieting my inner critic. A failed project used to be a week of beating myself up. Now, it’s an afternoon of analysis. I reflect on what I can control, adjust my approach, and move on. It’s liberating.

A growth mindset doesn't just change your habits; it changes your identity. You stop being someone who is 'good' or 'bad' at things and become someone who is always learning to get better.

My Old Fixed Mindset: A Checklist of Bad Habits

I couldn’t move forward until I was brutally honest about where I was. For years, I was living with a fixed mindset and didn't even know it. Here are the warning signs I recognized in myself—see if any of these sound familiar.

This was my personal checklist:

• The Challenge Dodge: If a task looked hard or I knew I might fail, I’d find any excuse to avoid it. My comfort zone was my kingdom.
• The Content Zombie: I was consuming way more than I was creating. Hours of Netflix or YouTube shorts would vanish, but I wasn't learning or building anything.
• The 'I'm Just Not a ___ Person' Excuse: 'I'm just not a math person.' 'I'm not a good writer.' These were my get-out-of-jail-free cards for not trying.
• No Game Plan: My days were reactive. I had no clear goals, so I just drifted along, wondering why I wasn't getting anywhere.

Giving up easily and constantly comparing my progress to others were also on my list.

Recognizing these patterns was my first step. I started asking myself some tough questions at the end of each week:

• What was my ratio of 'consuming' vs. 'creating' this week?
• What is one new thing I tried, even if I was bad at it?
• Do I know what my top priority is for tomorrow?

Answering these honestly wasn't about self-criticism. It was about creating a map of where I was stuck so I could finally start planning a way out.

My Toolkit for Change (A Constant Work in Progress)

This isn't about a massive life overhaul. These are the small, daily disciplines that are actually starting to move the needle for me. Their consistency is their magic.

• The 'Two-Minute Journal': Every morning, before touching my phone, I write down three things: 1. One thing I'm grateful for. 2. My most important task for the day. 3. One thing I learned yesterday. It focuses my brain instantly.

• Setting 'Learning Goals,' Not 'Performance Goals': Instead of aiming to 'write a perfect article,' my goal is to 'spend 45 minutes writing and learn one new thing about the topic.' This removes the fear of not being perfect.
• The 'Failure Autopsy': When I mess up now, I grab a notebook and ask three questions: What went wrong? What can I learn from it? What’s one thing I’ll do differently next time? This turns the sting of failure into a tangible lesson.
• The Environment Audit: I started paying attention to who I was spending my time with. I've consciously sought out one or two friends who are also trying to grow, and that supportive energy has been a game-changer.

The key for me has been starting ridiculously small. These simple steps, when done daily, have created more momentum than any giant, ambitious goal ever did.

Fighting the Head-Trash: How I Deal with Obstacles

The journey isn't a straight line; there are days when the old habits creep back in. Here are my biggest demons and how I'm learning to fight them.

• The Distraction Vortex (aka My Phone): My screen time was my biggest time thief. The biggest eye-opener was seeing the weekly report of how many hours I'd lost to the TikTok rabbit hole. I now use an app to block social media for the first hour of my day and after 9 p.m. It's freed up so much mental space.
• The Self-Doubt Gremlin: That inner voice that says 'You're not good enough' is loud. My best weapon is my journal. I write down the negative thought, then write down a piece of objective evidence against it. It sounds silly, but it starves the gremlin of its power.
• The 'Wrong Crowd' Energy Drain: I realized some conversations left me feeling drained and negative. I made the tough but necessary choice to limit time with those influences and invest more in people who talked about ideas and growth, not just problems.

Obstacles like fear of judgment or feeling like I have no time are still there, but now I see them as signposts telling me exactly where I need to focus my efforts.

Making it Stick: From a Novelty to a New Normal

The secret to making this mindset last isn't some grand gesture; it's the boring, un-sexy work of daily consistency. Here's what's helping me.

• Focusing on the Action, Not the Result: I used to be obsessed with the outcome. Now, I focus on just showing up. My goal isn't to 'get fit,' it's to 'put on my running shoes and get out the door.' The results take care of themselves.
• Weekly Check-ins: Every Sunday, I take 15 minutes to ask myself: What went well this week? Where did I get stuck? What's my main focus for the next seven days? This quick check-in keeps me from drifting.
• Rewarding the Effort: I'm learning to celebrate the work, not just the win. Sticking to a new habit for a week, even if the results aren't there yet, is worthy of a small reward. It keeps me motivated for the long haul.

Remember, this isn't a one-time fix. It’s a continuous process of learning and adjusting. The goal is to simply enjoy the journey of becoming a better version of yourself.

The Goal Isn't Perfection, It's Progress

The biggest lesson in all of this is that building a growth mindset isn't a destination you arrive at. It’s the daily, often messy, practice of choosing to learn instead of hide. It's about showing up when you don't feel like it and celebrating the tiny wins.

I've had plenty of setbacks, but each one now feels like data, not defeat. The key is to stay curious, be kind to yourself when you slip up, and surround yourself with people who remind you of what you're capable of.

So, what's your first step? Not some giant leap, but one small, ridiculously easy thing you can do right now to learn and grow. That's where the magic starts.

My Mindset Cheat-Sheet: 7 Rules I'm Trying to Live By

• 1. Start Ridiculously Small: Don't try to change your whole life tomorrow. Pick one tiny habit, like journaling one sentence a day. Consistency beats intensity.
• 2. Reframe Failure as Feedback: Mistakes aren't a verdict on your worth; they're simply feedback on your current method. Ask, 'What did this teach me?' and adapt.
• 3. Curate Your Circle: Your environment is stronger than your willpower. Spend time with people who are already where you want to be.
• 4. Aim for 'Just Outside' Your Comfort Zone: Don't try to leap across the canyon. The sweet spot for growth is right at the edge of your current abilities.
• 5. Acknowledge the Effort, Not Just the Win: Celebrate sticking to the process, especially on days you don't see results. This builds long-term motivation.
• 6. Be a Perpetual Student: Adopt the mindset that you can learn something from everyone and every situation. Curiosity is the engine of growth.
• 7. Focus on Daily Actions: Your future is built by what you do today. Forget the grand five-year plan for a moment and just win this day.

These aren't commandments; they're reminders I use to guide my daily actions. The real magic isn't in knowing them, but in the consistent, daily practice of trying to live them.