15th March, 2007
The Psychology of Success
The people who succeed in life are often not the ones with innate ability. Typically, they are the ones, who may lack ability, but embrace failure; or perhaps do not even perceive unmet challenges as failure, but rather as obstacles to be overcome or as opportunities for growth.
This must-read article about Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck describes people with two mindsets: growth and fixed. Growth mindsets belong to the people I described above. Fixed mindsets belong to those adverse to change, afraid of failure, and threatened by the success of others. They believe they are set in a state of “good” or “bad.” Effort for the “good” ones is unnecessary and similarly, effort for the “bad” ones is just a waste of time. Success-oriented people fall into these categories as performance-driven and learning-driven.
[People] for whom performance is paramount want to look smart even if it means not learning a thing in the process. For them, each task is a challenge to their self-image, and each setback becomes a personal threat. So they pursue only activities at which they’re sure to shine and avoid the sorts of experiences necessary to grow and flourish in any endeavor. [People] with learning goals, on the other hand, take necessary risks and don’t worry about failure because each mistake becomes a chance to learn.
The author uses an analogy, contrary to the belief of the fixed mindset, that intelligence, like a muscle, grows stronger through exercise. Conversely, intelligence also grows weak and flabby in the absence of stimulation. I have experienced this phenomenon dramatically, first-hand, and in both directions.
I think most entrepreneurs ”use it or lose it” inherently. They have the growth mindset. However, this can easily be forgotten or suppressed, if we get too bogged down in the daily routine of running a business. It is important to step outside of your own world as often as possible, to get out of your daily routine, to stretch your boundaries, and to challenge yourself to think about things in new ways, if not for the sake of your business, for the sake of your personal growth.
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Posted at 7:31 pm |
