How I cured my fixed mindset
(and cultivated a growth one)
Our mindset determines whether we believe that we can learn and change and grow, or not. In this context there are two types of mindset: A fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
Cultivating a growth mindset is one of the Push values — we believe it’s essential for anyone with ambitions, because there are endless challenges and problems to be solved on the journey.
Here’s a example from my life to illustrate the differences in thinking…
I had an idea for this app but I had no funding and no experience. I needed to get started building the app myself…
Fixed mindset Matthew said “That’s not me. I wasn’t good in Computing, I got a D. I found that too difficult so there’s no point in trying now.” This was my thinking up until about 2015.
After reading about the growth mindset I freed myself of this debilitating belief. I was able to respond along the lines of “I don’t know how to do this thing, but If I put in enough effort I’m sure I can learn how. Everyone else started where I am now.”
Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential wrote “People with a fixed mindset believe abilities are naturally born and set in stone.” whereas “People with a growth mindset believe change and development are possible if they try hard enough.”

It’s the difference between thinking that top performers are born with extreme talent, and knowing that top performers work harder than 98%. One mindset paralyses you, the other motivates you. A shift in my mindset kicked my learning motor into gear, and amongst other things, got me learning how to code. 👨🏻💻
“Great effort” — Wisdom for parents and teachers
“To encourage a growth mindset, we need to praise the process that students engage in: their effort, their strategies, their focus, their perseverance, and their improvement.”
Carol Dweck is a world-renowned psychologist from Stanford University.
In one experiment students took a series of tests. Group A were praised for their results. “You must be really smart”. Group B were praised for their effort. “You must have worked really hard”. That subtle difference had a big impact. Students in Group A didn’t want to partake in any further challenges that might expose weaknesses. 90% of Group B were willing to.
After further tests proved more difficult, those in Group A now believed that they weren’t so smart after all. They felt deficient.
In contrast, the students in Group B simply thought that they needed to apply more effort. Furthermore, they found out that the “good effort” students enjoyed the experience a lot more, even saying that the difficult problems were more fun.
Students with a growth mindset aren’t fearful of failing because it is the process of trying that has been recognised and praised in the past, not the outcome. In this context of academic study, a child who has repeatedly heard “you’re really smart” may become complacent, thinking they can rely on their existing talents. This happened to me — my grades dropped from top set GCSEs (taking Maths a year early) to failing modules in my A-Levels.

If you want to learn more about this fascinating research, grab yourself a copy of the book here.
I hope I’ve explained the importance in learning mindsets, and given you some inspiration to assess your own. As friends, colleagues, mentors, and teachers it’s paramount that we help others cultivate a growth mindset. People’s potential depends on it.
Keep growing,
Matthew Frawley
