Self Talk

Growth Mindset

• "I want to learn new things"
• "This is very hard, I'll try a new strategy"
• "I can't do this YET"
• "Where else can I improve?"
• "I can do better tomorrow than I did today"

Fixed Mindset

• "I'll stick to what I know"
• "This is too hard, I'm fine where I'm at"
• "I can't do this"
• "I've reached my full potential"
• "I'm not good enough, what's the point"

Obstacles

Growth Mindset

• Primarily Driven by their efforts
• Excited by Challenges
• When things don't work out, takes personal responsibility
• Mistakes are opportunities to improve
• Recognizes weaknesses and plans to work on them
• Critical Feedback is a tool for success

Fixed Mindset

• Primarily Driven by outcomes
• Avoids Challenges
• When things don't work out, Blames others
• Mistakes are personal defeats
• Avoids weaknesses, refuses to work on them
• Critical feedback is a personal attack

Intelligence and Personality

Growth Mindset

• You can always change who you are if you put in the work
• Intelligence and Personality can be developed and improved
• Your intelligence can change for the better if you work hard enough
• Your best efforts make you smarter

Fixed Mindset

• You can't change as a person, you are who you are
• Intelligence and Personality are set for the rest of your life
• You can learn new things but you can't actually get smarter
• Smart and Talented people don't need to put in the effort

Success and Failure

Growth Mindset

• Success is about pushing yourself to learn something new
• Failure means, you didn't give your best efforts
• I feel smart when I work on something hard for a long time and start to figure it out

Fixed Mindset

• Success is about how smart or talented you are
• Failure means, you are not smart or talented
• I feel smart when something is easy for me but other people can't do it

Enjoyment and Interests

Growth Mindset

• You thrive when things are just beyond your grasp
• You find interest in challenges that reveal your deficiencies
• You're interested in immediately difficult things
• When things are difficult you find interest and enjoyment
• It's easy to enjoy things that do not testify to your intelligence
• I like to compete with people older, bigger, faster, more skilled, and better than me because it makes me try harder.

Fixed Mindset

• You only thrive when things are safely within your grasp
• You lose interest in challenges that make you feel less smart or talented
• You are only interested in things you do well right away
• When things are difficult you lose Interest and enjoyment
• It's hard to enjoy things that are not a testimony to your intelligence
• I like to compete with people less skilled than me because it makes me look better.

Relationships

Growth Mindset

• I want people to offer me feedback especially if it's critical
• I want a relationship that helps me to work on my faults
• I want a partner that challenges me to become a better person
• I want a partner that encourages me to learn new things

Fixed Mindset

• I need people to constantly reassure me that I'm doing a good job
• I want a relationship that makes me feel perfect
• I want a partner that puts me on a pedestal
• I want a partner who worships my strengths