Growth Mindset and the Practice of Getting Better

When something feels difficult, we often reach for an explanation about ourselves. We struggle to speak in a meeting and decide we lack confidence. We make a mistake with unfamiliar software and assume technology is beyond us. A disappointing result becomes a statement about our ability.

I find it more useful to slow down before accepting that statement. What exactly was difficult? What preparation was missing? Which part could improve with practice or support?

A growth mindset begins with the belief that abilities can develop. Its value becomes practical when that belief changes what we do next.

What a growth mindset means

Psychologist Carol Dweck's work distinguishes between viewing ability as largely fixed and viewing it as capable of development. A growth mindset allows room for improvement through learning, effective strategies and help from others. It does not require believing that everyone has identical abilities or unlimited potential. [1]

For me, the useful question is whether I am treating my current level of skill as a final judgement. A difficult first attempt tells me something about that attempt. It rarely tells me everything about what I could learn.

That distinction matters when we are beginners, and also when we are experienced. Being capable in one area does not mean we will feel comfortable learning something new. We can be open to developing technical skills while remaining convinced that we will never become better at presenting or handling disagreement.

The place to start is a particular skill, rather than a label for our whole personality.

Separate the experience from the explanation

Imagine you have to present an idea to a group. You lose your place, miss a key point and leave feeling embarrassed.

The observable facts are that you lost your place and missed a point. The explanation you add might be that you are a poor communicator. That explanation is much broader than the evidence.

A useful review would ask whether the material was organised clearly, whether you rehearsed aloud and whether the audience needed a shorter introduction. Each question gives you something you can change.

You do not have to pretend the presentation went well. Honest reflection works best when it describes a problem accurately enough to help you address it.

Try writing two sentences after a setback. First, record what happened without judging yourself. Then identify one factor you can investigate. This creates a little space between disappointment and the conclusion you draw from it.

Give effort a direction

Working harder can feel reassuring because it is visible. Yet repeating an ineffective approach can leave you exhausted without making the task easier.

Consider someone who wants to improve their writing. They could spend another evening rewriting the same document alone. Alternatively, they could ask a reader where the argument becomes unclear, study one strong example and practise writing a shorter opening.

The second approach gives effort a specific purpose. It also creates a way to check whether the practice helped.

My approach is to make the next attempt small enough to review. If the goal is clearer writing, work on one paragraph. If the goal is speaking up, prepare one useful contribution to a meeting. If the goal is learning a tool, complete one real task rather than watching tutorials indefinitely.

Then compare the result with the previous attempt. Keep what helped, change what did not and ask for support where you remain stuck.

Learn to ask for usable feedback

Broad feedback often produces broad anxiety. Being told to be more confident leaves you guessing about what to do differently.

A more useful request is specific: Which part of my explanation was hard to follow? What information would have made my recommendation stronger? Where did I rush?

Listen before defending your work. You can consider feedback without accepting every opinion as correct. Ask for an example, look for recurring themes and decide which suggestion is relevant to your goal.

I would also keep a record of what went well. If you only document mistakes, your review can become an inaccurate account of your progress. Knowing which preparation or behaviour helped gives you something to repeat deliberately.

Be careful about the promises attached to mindset

Growth mindset research deserves a more measured reading than many motivational messages suggest. A large US school experiment found benefits for some academic outcomes, with the learning environment influencing whether effects were sustained. [2] A 2023 review by Macnamara and Burgoyne questioned the reliability of academic achievement benefits after examining study quality and bias. [3] Another review, by Burnette and colleagues, reported small academic benefits in targeted groups when interventions were delivered with high fidelity. [4]

These findings concern educational interventions. They do not establish that adopting a growth mindset guarantees adult career success, higher income or better performance in every setting.

My practical interpretation is to use mindset as a way of approaching learning, then judge progress through evidence. The belief that improvement is possible should lead to better practice and support. It should not become a promise that belief alone will change the outcome.

Make room for limits and recovery

Sometimes the obstacle is a missing skill. Sometimes it is an unreasonable workload, inadequate resources or an environment where asking for help carries a cost.

Before blaming your attitude, examine the conditions around the task. What time, access or guidance would make improvement realistic? Who can help remove the obstacle? Is the goal still worth pursuing in its current form?

Changing direction can be a thoughtful response to new information. Rest can also be part of learning when fatigue prevents useful practice. A growth mindset does not require turning every difficulty into another demand on yourself.

Try one week of deliberate improvement

Choose one skill you have been describing as a personal weakness. Make it concrete. Rather than working on confidence generally, you might practise explaining a recommendation in two minutes.

1. Record your starting point with a short example of your current performance.
2. Identify one part to improve and choose a manageable practice task.
3. Ask someone suitable for one specific piece of feedback.
4. Repeat the task with that feedback in mind.
5. Review what changed and decide what to practise next.

At the end of the week, ask what you can do more clearly or consistently than before. An imperfect result can still contain evidence of progress.

The thought I would leave you with is this: give yourself a fair opportunity to learn before deciding that a skill is beyond you. Start with a precise question, take a manageable step and let the next attempt provide new information.

Sources and further reading

[1] Stanford Report. Interview with Carol Dweck, Perseverance key to children's intellectual growth, Stanford scholar says, 2015.

[2] Yeager, D. S., et al. A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement. Nature, 2019.

[3] Macnamara, B. N., and Burgoyne, A. P. Do growth mindset interventions impact students' academic achievement? A systematic review and meta-analysis with recommendations for best practices. Psychological Bulletin, 2023.

[4] Burnette, J. L., et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of growth mindset interventions: For whom, how, and why might such interventions work? Psychological Bulletin, 2023.