Growth Mindset Examples (15 Examples & Tips to Help)

This comprehensive and very helpful article reveals a lot of growth mindset examples and some tips to help you.

 

Importance of Having a Growth Mindset

All of us from time to time are faced with problems and setbacks in our lives.

A quote attributed to Roberto Luongo states “It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down.

The only thing that matters is how many times you get up.”

And so, there is no immunity pill or action that we can take to insulate us from the hardships of this world.

There are unexpected illnesses, personal losses, and other seemingly setback events in our lives that occur.

An example of such setbacks could be a personal illness, loss of a job, a medical condition in a loved one’s life, passed over for promotion, etc.

The list of apparent negative things that can happen in our lives is endless.

However, the mettle of an individual is proven and tested in those situations and what they do with them.

Consequently, it is important to embrace a growth mindset in the event of these things happening.

 

Personal Story

I readily admit that I had a significant vice that I mishandled.

This vice involved the loss of significant amounts of money.

Not only was my life adversely affected but the lives of those around me and especially my wife.

Fortunately, she stuck with me, and together we used this seemingly negative event in our life as an opportunity to elevate us to a higher level as it related to our finances.

Through studying, reading, educating myself, we were able to turn around our financial situation and become solvent.

It was the beginning of financial education towards saving for our retirement some 20 years later.

It would’ve been so easy to have curled up into a ball and give up.

However, if we are blessed with a growth mindset, we can use opportunities like these and others to be our teachers and educate us towards achieving a better way of life.

 

Definition Of Growth Mindset 

We are all faced with problems in our lives.

The difference in handling those problems is a perspective on whether they are a problem or a challenge or an opportunity.

A growth mindset is an attitude or way of thinking that is demonstrated in how an individual views life’s potential setbacks and problems in their lives.

An individual with a growth mindset embraces those challenges and difficulties of life and utilizes them to their growth advantage.

Their attitude is that rather than setbacks being stumbling blocks they are stepping stones.

Steps to advance a person to a new opportunity and growth in their personal lives.

 

15 Examples of Growth Mindset and Tips to Help You

 

1. Never Too Late

A growth mindset embraces the reality that it is never too late to learn.

Age is not a barrier and the adage about not being able to teach old dogs new tricks is just not true.

A growth mindset is an attitude and has nothing to do with ability.

At any stage of life, we can have a growth mindset.

We just need to adjust our attitude.

 

2. Purpose of Failure

Failure is part of the growth process.

Through failure, we learn a variety of lessons.

Those lessons include learning what does work from those failures of what doesn’t work.

Edison, the inventor of the light bulb, famously said that he successfully found 10,000 ways that didn’t work before he found the actual way that the light bulb would work.

 

3. Handling Criticism 

Most likely, at some point in our lives, we are criticized.

The criticism can be expressed over the way that something was handled or over something we may or may have not said.

Rather than taking the criticism personally and feeling sorry for oneself, or angry, the best way to handle criticism is to use it to improve.

In other words, use any criticism constructively even if it was not intended to be so.

 

4. Room for Improvement 

The quote of building a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door is often attributed by Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Interestingly, building a better mousetrap has been the intent of many individuals.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office indicates that over 4,400 patents have been issued for new mousetraps with thousands of others being unsuccessful.

Even though the basic mousetrap is successful, a growth mindset, figuratively speaking, is always looking to improve the mousetrap.

 

5. Learning from Mistakes 

The classic example of learning how to ride a bike would be one of the best reflections about learning from one’s mistakes.

When learning to ride a bike, the beginner realizes that they can’t go too fast, that there are hazards that you need to stay away from, and you need to watch where you’re going.

These lessons and more, if not followed, will result in a crash.

However, they are part of the learning process, and to continue to ride a bike, one must get back up on the seat and continue to learn.

Someone has aptly said, “I’ve learned so much from my mistakes I’m thinking of making a few more.”

 

6. Positive Attitude 

When it comes to succeeding in life, the best approach that an individual can take is to have a positive attitude.

A positive attitude is a mindset that doesn’t see necessarily the way things are but the way things can be.

In other words, a positive attitude doesn’t concentrate on the downside of the situation or the dark clouds in life but sees the possibilities or the silver linings in those dark clouds.

 

7. Always Learning 

The individual who has a growth mindset is always learning.

These individuals do not rest on what they have learned but concentrate on what they have yet to learn.

A person with a growth mindset is always thinking about how they can further their education.

Not necessarily in a classroom setting but through their commitment and attention to learning from the experiences of life and to hear the perspective of others.

 

8. I Am Not Controlled by My Negative Past 

So often today some individuals have limiting beliefs.

These limiting beliefs can include statements like this is the way that it has always been done.

Or excuse language that blames others or their previous situations.

An individual who demonstrates a growth mindset refuses to be limited by anyone else’s thinking nor limited thinking based upon their personal experiences and influences.

Individual challenges could be performance in school, one’s weight, negative financial situation, earnings, etc.

It is important to take ownership of one’s life and take control of life rather than life controlling the individual.

 

9. Constant Potential 

The individual who has a growth mindset realizes that life is a continual journey.

Consequently, each curve, fork in the road, or detour of life has potential.

That potential is for the individual to continue to grow and expand their horizons.

 

10. Comfortable or Uncomfortable

Additionally, the individual with a mindset that is forward-thinking and ever-expanding realizes that there may be situations that arise which may be uncomfortable or may bring about a pang of fear.

These situations could be classified as unknown because they are new to the individual and represents unchartered territory.

However, a growth-minded individual acknowledges the uncertainty of the situation and the associated fears that may arise.

However, once acknowledged, they continue to move forward realizing that this can be an important part of their continued growth and moving forward successfully as an individual.

 

 

11. Bring on the Challenges 

An individual with a growth mindset does not see things as a problem or an obstacle.

They refer to these situations as challenges and them, it’s not just a matter of semantics.

Rather than concentrating on these areas, it is important to shift one’s focus to using the situations as opportunities and challenges to be the motivating force to turn things around.

An individual with a growth mindset doesn’t see the glass as half empty but as half full and does their level best to fill the remaining portion of the glass with the liquid.

Also See: Money Versus Power & New Money Versus Old Money.

 

12. Others Approval-Take it or Leave It

It is often been said that it is hard to soar like an eagle when you hang around with a bunch of turkeys.

Humorous, but true.

An individual with a growth mindset rises above the individuals whose feet are stuck on the ground and like an eagle soars to new heights.

An eagle was created to fly in the heavens.

 

13. 30,000 Foot Level 

As the individual with a growth mindset soars above their counterparts, a new view and new perspective are achieved.

Rather than being mired in the day-to-day activities and events of life that would deplete and oppress us, the eagle’s perspective is from a higher advantage point.

In the business world, the metaphor of staying out of the weeds is that the business leaders should take a 30,000-foot level approach.

This means that they don’t get mired in the day-to-day activities but keep their vision focused and intent upon the viewpoint of that altitude.

This is not to say that forward-thinking or growth-oriented individual does not involve themselves in daily activities.

However, they balance their viewpoint and maintain the visionary and goal-oriented focus of soaring.

 

14. Patience Is a Virtue 

An individual who is enlightened as to their potential growth and incorporating that mindset realizes that the journey is not a sprint.

They realize that life is a marathon.

There is a distance to be traveled and completed in stages for the marathon runner to be successful.

A quote attributed to an unknown author asserts, “Life is like a marathon.

It’s full of ups and downs that take your breath away.”

 

15. What Doesn’t Kill Me

It has been often said that what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

In the world of weight training, the weightlifter realizes the importance and effect lifting weight has on the muscles.

As the weightlifter trains, the muscles are microscopically torn which causes very minor damage to the muscles.

Then, coupled with a diet of protein, the muscles are rebuilt and become stronger and larger.

This reality of growing stronger can be illustrated in the story of the wrestler who decided to lift a small animal on his shoulders and carry it.

He did the same thing day after day until 4 years later; this wrestler had built up his strength to the point where he was carrying around a 4-year-old bull.

What doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger.

This can be true in every aspect of our life, especially during painful or difficult times.

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• How to Invest and Grow Your Money Daily
• How to Make Your Money Grow in One Hour
• How to Make & Grow Money From Having a Land
• How to Make & Grow Money While You Sleep

 

Growth Mindset FAQs

 

What Is the Main Point of a Growth Mindset?

The main point of a growth mindset is embedded in individuals in which they feel that over some time and with some effort and energy they can work on their weaknesses.

The goal and aim of an individual with a growth mindset believes that they can achieve whatever they want despite any setbacks in their life.

They use the setbacks as part of the successful outcome.

 

What Are the Main Characteristics of a Growth Mindset?

The most important characteristic of a growth mindset is that an individual perceives failure as an opportunity.

That opportunity is to learn.

Another characteristic of a growth mindset is that the individual believes failures are just temporary setbacks in one’s life.

One other characteristic of an individual with a growth mindset is that they welcome challenges.

They believe challenges are the roadway to growth.

 

You Can Do It

The greatest limitations that can be experienced by an individual on succeeding in life are not about their past, present, or future.

These limitations are not about any physical handicaps, lack of education, or anything to do with an individual’s upbringing.

The greatest limitation is found in one’s mind.

Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right.”

 

Conclusion

A growth mindset is a formidable power in the world and within an individual.

A growth mindset is not necessarily about doing giant things but the doing of the smaller things in a giant way.