Growing mindset is opposite to fixed mindset, it drives people to continue to learn and develop. A person having the growing mindset tends to be more resilient to setbacks and short-term failure. They keep learning from them and adjust their methods and directions to achieve their targets. The key traits of the growing mindset and the difference from the fixed mindset are two aspects:
Result-oriented vs. Process-oriented
Growing mindset people focus less on the end results, instead, they care about the process. They are learning and improving during whatever we have been working on. They understand that during the process their skills and knowledge are growing even though the outcomes are not as desirable as they’d like. This difference is also closely related to the following one.
Facing setbacks
How to face setbacks is a very important aspect of different mindsets. A person with fixed mindset may easily defeated by setbacks and negative feedback from others or external assessments. They may regard them as personal attack or escalate them as a proof that we are not good and competent, leading to negative thoughts like self-doubt, frustration, or even giving up what they do. On the other hand, the growth-minded people tend to see these setbacks and feedback as an opportunity to adjust the strategies and directions for efforts, so that they know what to do to make progress. In a long run, they are more resilient to setbacks and obstacles in their study, profession, and life than other people.
