What do you believe is possible?
What do you believe you are capable of?
What do you believe you are incapable of?
The way you answer these questions* can classify your “mindset”. Mindset refers to your orientation toward possibility. (*You can also check out the Assessment Center’s measures on Self-Efficacy, Autonomy, 100% Responsibility, and Hope to flesh out your relationship to mindset.)
What is it? Your orientation towards possibility
Since it applies to your potential, mindset can have a huge impact on purpose. For example, believing you’re not creative could bar you from experimenting with a whole host of opportunities that you might develop passion in and purpose through if you were to try them. But alas, seeing those things as outside your scope of possibility makes them outside your scope of possibility.
“I’m not a numbers person.”
“That’s just the way it is.”
“My only skill is working with people.”
“People can’t change.”
“You’re born with a specific set of skills.”
There are two specific kinds of mindsets that have a significant impact on purpose:
- Fixed versus Growth Mindsets affect your likelihood of learning new skills
- Fit versus Develop Mindsets affect your likelihood of developing new interests
Before you get into the nitty gritty about each of them, it’s worth noting that it isn’t a totally binary system. You’re likely not fully one extreme or the other. We often lie somewhere along the spectrum of each mindset type and may even have a different mindset regarding different areas of our lives. E.g., you may have different beliefs about what is possible in relationships, your own personal abilities, the nature of other people, or things that fall into the arenas of work versus leisure.
Fixed Versus Growth Mindsets
The above video from “Better Than Yesterday,” a personal growth youtube channel, explains the concept of Fixed Mindsets with the example of twins that grew up in a house with an alcoholic father. One of the boys became an alcoholic himself and cited his father’s alcoholism as the reason. The other boy chose to never drink in his life and likewise cited his father’s alcoholism as the reason. The video offers that the second twin saw the circumstances of his youth as a learning experience instead of something he had no influence over.
“Fixed” and “Growth” here refer to your fundamental assumption of whether or not people’s personal abilities can change over time. Do you believe people are born with set skills and abilities or that someone can develop skills in things they aren’t initially good at?
Having a Growth Mindset is to operate under the assumption that abilities are not fixed but can be improved through effort and application. The converse is a Fixed Mindset, which follows that our abilities are “fixed” and cannot change.
Dr. Carol Dweck, the psychologist who introduced Growth Mindset as a concept, argued that our belief as to whether or not our abilities are fixed can influence the decisions we make and the effort we apply. In other words, believing something is possible will increase the odds of it occurring because you will make decisions and undertake actions that encourage its likelihood.
A 2007 study with elementary school students implemented a Growth Mindset lesson to teach a group of students how your brain can grow and change in response to effort and learning. The control group of students received a lesson on memory. The students in the Growth Mindset lesson showed increased motivation and achievement: mathematics scores showed a positive trajectory over the course of two years while the control group remained roughly flat. (Blackwell et. al, 2007)
Research in neuroscience supports the validity of the Growth Mindset perspective due to neuroplasticity: our brain’s power to change and respond to internal and external stimuli. When we practice something or experience it multiple times, new neural networks form and existing ones can get stronger.
This 10-minute TED Talk from Carol Dweck dives into the nitty gritty of Growth Mindset. It reviews what has been mentioned above and explains educational interventions that can improve Growth Mindset in youth (such as praising effort instead of intelligence). She suggests that those with Fixed Mindsets experience failure in the moment as severe judgment, may avoid challenges, and may overly rely on external validation.
Learn more by visiting the 5th Myth of Purpose: Your Purpose/Passions are Permanent!
Additionally, it must be noted that there is criticism regarding the utilization of Growth Mindset in educational settings. Check out this page and scroll to “Hope Could Be Misused Like Grit or Growth Mindset Theories.”
Fit Versus Develop Mindset
A “Fit Mindset” is a less prominent idea than a Fixed Mindset, and they could be easily confused- the distinction lies in the fact that a Fit Mindset applies more so to passions and interests than to abilities.
A Fit Mindset is the belief that passion is something within us – and it is set. It simply needs to be discovered. It’s the idea that you are inherently passionate for a few specific activities and that passion will be revealed to you soon after you start engaging with them– you’ll ‘just get it.’ You are only a fit for a limited number of specific activities. (Chen et. al, 2015)
Finding something you are a ‘fit’ for in order to be satisfied is a hugely popular perspective in the theater of career advice. Various thought-leaders promote this idea as a means to satisfaction at our jobs (Sparked, Do What You Are). Psychologist Patricia Chen even offers in one of her studies, “Our results show that these beliefs elicit different motivational patterns, but both can facilitate vocational well-being and success” (Chen et. al, 2015). By both she means Fit Mindsets and Develop Mindsets. There is certainly joy to be had in doing work we naturally love; and, while it may be helpful in some cases, it still stands that such a view limits what is possible.
Comedian Bill Burr was an incredibly shy child, to the point where today he would describe himself as “the wallpaper.” He didn’t have many friends and was quite introverted all the way up until college. He became interested in comedy and slowly worked on transforming himself- inching towards being with and in front of many people little by little. Today he is a very successful comedian, actor, and podcaster.
What would have happened to Bill if he had believed he should do what he already liked, or what came easily to him, or that he was already good at? He may never have considered comedy within the scope of his potential.
A Fit Mindset is a belief that cuts off the possibilities (aka a limiting narrative) of developing passion. When you have a Fit Mindset you’re more likely to give up on something quickly because you’re not naturally skilled in it or you don’t find the activity instantly engaging.
- That first cake you made was a fail and therefore not fun so you don’t try to bake anymore
- Tennis didn’t come naturally so you haven’t tried to play again
- You didn’t sound great when you sang as a kid so you stopped
- If a book doesn’t grab you in the first few chapters you don’t finish it
- You tried to learn French in college but it was boring and you weren’t very good so you stopped after one semester
Rather than something we can only stumble onto, research has shown that passion is something that can be developed! When you stick with something and get more invested, passion grows (Wrzesniewski et. al, 1997) (Newport 2012). *There is a whole section dedicated to the topic of passion, how to develop it, and much more here.
Believing it is possible to develop passion or interest is known as a “Develop Mindset”. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
But why would developing passion matter if you could simply find something you’re a ‘fit’ for and call it a day?
Because simply doing something you’re naturally passionate about does not mean it is a meaningful or purposeful activity. Additionally, our lives may not be conducive to doing what we like at any given time (maybe you have financial responsibilities or other commitments that you are prioritizing that make doing what you naturally love more challenging). When you employ a Develop Mindset, it is possible for you to develop passion for something that is meaningful and purposeful to you that may not initially light you up.
A Develop Mindset expands your options significantly, allowing you to adapt and maximize fulfillment and joy in a greater variety of activities and circumstances. It also makes you far more resilient! (Chen et. al, 2021)
Examples
Check out the table below for some examples of Fit and Fixed versus Growth and Develop Mindsets in various situations.
| Situation | Possible Fit + Fixed Mindset Response/Outcome |
Possible Growth + Develop Mindset Response/Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| You’re passionate about programming, moderately skilled in it, and have a family to support. | The field of programming has ample job opportunities and you easily find a job. It enables you to support your family, an act that is very purposeful for you. | You find a position at an organization that supports a cause you believe in but it requires skills you don’t have or find difficult. You decide to learn the new skills and take the position. You find it meaningful and purposeful to work for this organization AND you find supporting your family purposeful as well. |
| You’re passionate about ceramics, are very skilled, and have a family to support. | You are struggling to make enough money to support your family as a ceramicist but believe it’s the only thing you really love and are truly good at; you can’t imagine doing something else and feel at odds with the different pressures in your life. | You decide that supporting your family is a higher priority than engaging with your current passion right now. You look for better-paid work that you could enjoy that is also purposeful and believe you can/will work to develop passion for it in time. |
| You took a job at an NGO whose mission you deeply care about but find the day-to-day tasks of your role very challenging emotionally and keep finding yourself burnt out. | The challenges are too much and it must be because you aren’t naturally good at this and you probably never will be. You decide to leave. | You wonder about ways to connect to the mission through the tasks you engage in and find ways to enjoy/understand them and their value better. You consider that you may be able to craft your position to look different than it does right now and recognize you may need better boundaries to protect yourself from burn-out. |
| You got your dream job as a video-game designer for a company you’ve always loved; the work is fun but doesn’t feel particularly meaningful. | You resign yourself to it always being that way- this is what you’re good at afterall, it’s just unfortunate that it doesn’t also happen to be meaningful. At least it’s fun. | Over several years you realize that the fun elements of your job are great but not sustaining your motivation. You wonder about creating games that could have a meaningful impact on people’s lives, such as helping them through challenging experiences. You begin to look into companies that focus on making games for processing grief. |
| You invested all your savings in a passion project that didn’t take off and now you need to take a job purely to support your family; likely the ones that pay what you need aren’t ones you’ll be naturally passionate about. | You feel trapped, unlucky, and resentful of your circumstances– you gave your passion your all and it didn’t work out, which you believe was your best shot. You take whatever job is the least of all evils that pays enough and suffer through it. | You wonder about which of your options is most interesting or potentially meaningful. You trust that with investment and dedicated attention you may be able to develop passion for the new job you take. |
Learn even more by visiting the 7th Myth of Purpose: Your Purpose is Within You!
What To Do About It: Cultivate Growth and Develop Mindsets
Cultivating Growth and Develop Mindsets begin with awareness: awareness of our current beliefs and how they impact our decisions, as well as awareness of the science that shows what is possible when we shift our perspective. Once we have awareness we can experiment and learn through doing.
Try the following activities to get you started.
Try This: Identify Limiting Beliefs
Try the following thought experiment and questions to get your gears turning towards Growth and Develop Mindsets.
*The section Your Storied Life dives deep into how our beliefs influence our experience and choices. For the most well-rounded exploration of this idea you are encouraged to visit that part of the site.
- Rewrite the following statements (that are fit/fixed statements) into their growth/develop counterparts:
- I wasn’t capable of learning the skills so I quit
- I wasn’t a natural at it so I quit
- It was boring so I quit
- It was meaningful to me but I didn’t have what it took so I quit
- Think of a time in your life that applies to each of the following situations and write it beside them:
- I wasn’t capable of learning the skills so I quit
- I wasn’t a natural at it so I quit
- It was boring so I quit
- It was meaningful to me but I didn’t have what it took so I quit
- Now for each of the above, write a hypothetical outcome in which you stuck with the thing you quit and became better and came to love it. Detail explicitly how that could have happened- specifically through events over which you have influence (i.e., “Ted gets fired” isn’t an option.).
- Make a plan for the next time you encounter something challenging that you care about. Write down the attitude and perspective you are committed to having in a mission statement (such as “When I encounter challenge X, I will ___”). Even better, think of something you are currently committed to. Consider what insecurities could be stimulated when failure or challenge arises and write down how you will approach that particular situation with a growth or develop mindset.
Try This: Use these tips
- When you experience something challenging, consider it an opportunity for learning.
Looking at tough challenges in our lives as adventures reframes the experience as a journey of aligning with our values. A hero learns from the challenges they encounter along their adventures and uses their new knowledge towards future endeavors. Ask yourself the following:
Why is experiencing/overcoming this important to me?
What could I learn from this?
What have I learned already?
How will this make me stronger?
How does this create other possibilities for me? - Celebrate and acknowledge your progress/learning.
Try something as simple as keeping track of what you are learning and new developments in your abilities in a journal or on a calendar. Take some time each week to celebrate your journey in a way that feels meaningful to you. You could tell a trusted and supportive friend, you could dedicate a moment of quiet, you could carve out some time for an activity you enjoy. And, you can celebrate even when you don’t see measurable progress because you are actively pursuing something and engaging with challenge. See the next point. - Acknowledge actions and effort.
Acknowledging our effort and the actions we are taking rather than over-focusing on results can help maintain motivation when learning takes longer. Think of something you tried to accomplish today and (regardless of the result) say aloud that you are proud of your effort: “I worked hard at ______ today and that shows resilience and commitment; I am learning _______.” - Reflect on your failures daily and what you’ve learned from them.
Cultivating a Growth Mindset relies on developing comfort in and appreciation for failure. If we can destigmatize failure by normalizing it in our own lives we can become more comfortable with taking risks and thus embrace more opportunities for growth. Ask yourself the following:
In what ways did I fail today?
What did I learn from my failures today?
What are some of my bigger failures from the past year? What did I learn from them? What is something good that came from those failures? - Experiment with new activities.
To develop passion or interest we must provide ourselves with the opportunity. Make a list of 5 activities you have never tried that don’t seem particularly appealing. Pick one of them to try this upcoming week. You can use this masterlist of activities from the friendship section for inspiration!
Summary
- Mindsets affect your likelihood of learning new skills or developing new interests, and thus affect your potential and available possibilities, and thus can have a huge impact on cultivating purpose.
- “Fixed” and “Growth” refer to your fundamental assumption of whether or not people’s personal abilities can change over time.
- Having a Growth Mindset is to operate under the assumption that abilities are not fixed but can be improved through effort and application. The converse is a Fixed Mindset, which follows that our abilities are “fixed” and cannot change.
- Believing something is possible will increase the odds of it occurring because you will make decisions and undertake actions that encourage its likelihood.
- “Fit” versus “Develop” Mindsets affect your likelihood of developing new interests.
- A Fit Mindset is the idea that you are inherently passionate for a few specific activities and that passion will be revealed to you soon after you start engaging with them– you’ll ‘just get it.’ You are only a fit for a limited number of specific activities.
- A Fit Mindset cuts off the possibilities of developing passion. When you have a Fit Mindset you’re more likely to give up on something quickly because you’re not naturally skilled in it or you don’t find the activity instantly engaging.
- Research has shown that passion is something that can be developed! When you stick with something and get more invested, passion grows.
- Simply doing something you’re naturally passionate about does not mean it is a meaningful or purposeful activity.
- A Develop Mindset expands your options significantly, allowing you to adapt and maximize fulfillment and joy in a greater variety of activities and circumstances. It also makes you far more resilient!
- Consider asking yourself “What could I enjoy?” rather than “What do I enjoy now?” to expand your possibilities.
- Cultivating Growth and Develop Mindsets begin with awareness: awareness of our current beliefs and how they impact our decisions, as well as awareness of the science that shows what is possible when we shift our perspective. Once we have awareness we can experiment and learn through doing.