Growth mindset * No growth plan = Fixed mindset

Duncan Anderson. To see all blogs click here.

Reading time: 3 mins

One Sentence Summary: 

• Growth mindset * No growth plan = Fixed mindset / no growth. 

• Growth mindset * Growth plan = Growth / optimism about the future. 

• Growth plan = 1. If you don’t succeed try again + 2. With a new / upgraded strategy.

Definitions & Predictions

• Growth mindset = think mental abilities are not fixed, that you can growth / level them up with effort. Eg you can improve at maths with effort. 

• Fixed mindset = mental ability are fixed, eg someone is born good / bad at maths. 

• No growth plan => eventually fixed mindset

• Growth plan => eventually growth mindset

“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Einstein 

• If you give up, guess how much improving you’ll do? 

• Improvement = 1. Quantity * 2. Quality

  • Growth Plan = 1. If you don’t succeed try again (quantity) * 2. With a new / updated strategy (quality) 

  • Improved ‘intelligence’ = strategy added

• Growth plan levels - individual perspective

  • L0: don't try - if you don’t work nothing will

  • L1: just try hard - work hard, but also try work smart

  • L2: think you can improve but don't have a strategy for doing so - hope is not a strategy 

  • L3: if you don't succeed try again with a new strategy 

  • L4: think about what you did and why the strategy didn't work, consider multiple strategies, strategically choose the best strategy to try on the next attempt. 

• Growth plan levels - manager perspective

  • -L1: show how to solve the problem (ie a unit of procedural help (vs conceptual understanding built), robbing opportunity to grow... but can do this if time pressure)

  • L0: don't help

  • L1: say 'try again but with a new strategy'

  • L2: 'please explain to me the strategy you used and why you think it didn't work.' 'what is a way to level up this strategy or what is a better strategy to try?'

  • L3: if the person stuck after L2 then offer three possible strategies and say 'which do you think you'd like to try and why?'

In many respects these blogs are ‘strategies’ / little learnings / a little theory for how to approach a small piece of life

• This blog is a strategy about how to approach growing yourself. 

• The blog is a learning for how to approach things if they don’t work out on the 1st attempt. Oh, and, “The first version of everything is sh1t” - Hemingway. 

• Growth mindsets are great. But growth plans are essential. 

  • Levelling up = Acquiring a new strategy

  • Levelling up = Upgrading a strategy 

  • No plan = hopeless

  • Plan = hope

• To level up all you need to do is strategise strategies. 

Is “Growth plan > Growth mindset”?

• You are not going to succeed at everything. The only way to succeed at everything is to not try anything new! 

• Improvement = 1. Quantity * 2. Quality

  • If your quantity of trying goes to zero then you can’t improve. “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

  • So what matters most is if people continue to try?!?

• The table above posits that:

  • ‘No growth plan’ eventually leads to fixed mindset and stopping trying / giving up irrespective of starting mindset (ie Growth Mindset or Fixed mindset)

  • ‘Growth plan’ eventually leads to a growth mindset and people continuing to try irrespective of starting mindset (ie Growth Mindset or Fixed mindset)

• As such ‘Growth plan > Growth mindset’?

If you only take away one thing

• They teach the idea of a ‘growth mindset’ a bunch, I think they should teach the idea of ‘growth plans’.