Smart is not something you Are… Smart is something you Become.

Whenever there is any new challenge on the horizon, we tend to measure our worth with our present abilities. We judge ourselves based on the things that we are apt to do. Those challenges become mightier if our present abilities are unable to overcome them. 

We fear failure & settle for what is on our side of the challenge because the fear of humiliation cripples us to go above and beyond that challenge. 

What we lack is not the skills but the vision to see what is not & what it can be.

We tend to see our abilities as something we inherit and not that we acquire with intense learning. That is why many of us get stuck with a mediocre life.

We see what we are & fail to see what we can become.

To put it in simple and popular terms, we can classify it as a Growth mindset & Fixed mindset, a theory that can make a notable difference in our life. This Mindset theory is the work of Standford psychologist Carol Dweck in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. 

She highlights that there are two types of people: 

Fixed Mindset: 

People who believe that their skills are fixed and can't be altered. They avoid hardship and challenges due to fear of failure to maintain their status of smartness. They believe that their skills alone can make them successful and there is no need to put in the effort. 

Growth Mindset: 

People who believe that their skills and intelligence can be acquired with learning and growing. They thrive on challenges because they are not afraid of failure. They see setbacks as an opportunity to learn something more and grow the skills to the next level. They never shy away from putting in the effort. 

The Growth Mindset helps us realize that there is ample scope of improvement with an appetite to learn and put in an intense effort. 

Shift focus from 'what we are able to do now' to 'what we can do in the future.' It will help to discover our true potential. With that, we can reach the new heights that we set our sight on. 

When we think that we are limited by our abilities, we fear taking on the challenges that seem like a threat to our perception of smartness. When we fear failure more than progress, we opt to do nothing rather than make a mistake by doing something. 

But when we embrace the growth mindset, we somehow overcome the fear of failure. We put in the effort to learn new skills that can help us excel in our life. 

With the growth mindset, if the results are not visible quickly, we are able to resist the temptation of giving up early because we know it takes perseverance and patience to learn something new. A growth mindset gives us a vision that we can cultivate new skills with intense efforts and that is not possible overnight.

Our ability to take risks and put in intense efforts is directly related to the growth or fixed mindset we stick to. 

We have a choice to make between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and choose wisely as the former can open multiple doors to excel in life while the latter will anchor you to your current position. 

One has the potential to ignite our inner potential and help us reach new heights while the other can push us into mediocrity. Choose Wisely.