Which voice will I hear?

It’s normal to have both a fixed and a growth mindset talking to us and competing for our attention.

Sometimes we listen to our growth mindset. We say to ourselves, “You can do this!” and think, “I’m not giving up!”

Other times, our fixed mindset shows up. It might be triggered by a mistake, a failure, or criticism from someone.

Our fixed mindset voice says things like, “I'll never be good at this. It's too hard. Just give up.” And sometimes our fixed mindset takes control, filling our head with thoughts like, “I’m not artistic”, “I’ll never be a good writer”, or “I’m not a math person.”

Everyone falls into the fixed mindset sometimes. We just need to notice when our brains are stuck in a fixed mindset and remind ourselves that our brains are built to grow, change, and learn.

When you get stuck, try using these strategies to jumpstart your growth mindset:

1. The power of yet: Add yet at the end of your fixed mindset statements.

Example: “I can’t do this.” → “I can’t do this YET!”

2. Say stop: When your fixed mindset voice is getting out of hand, tell yourself to stop and clear your mind before continuing.

3. You instead of I: It’s easier to pump yourself up and give yourself crucial advice using the word you instead of I.

Example: "I got this." → "YOU got this!"