23. Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset

Hi everyone and welcome to Project Mindset, the channel for all those who know that with the right mindset, anything is possible in life. Today I want to talk about one of my favorite topics: the concept of a growth mindset. It has a very special meaning for me, and to give you a better idea of ​​what it means to me, I’d like to share a quote from Henry Ford, who once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t , you ‘re always right.”

Whether you think you can do it or you think you can’t, you’ll always be right. And that, for me, perfectly represents the concept of a growth mindset. A growth mindset means that while you may have been born with a certain level of intelligence and abilities, you can improve in any area you choose, depending on your efforts to learn new things. The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. In my view, a fixed mindset can be incredibly damaging because you think that the abilities, intelligence, and skills you were born with cannot be expanded upon. That it’s all fixed, and no matter what you put in, you’ll never reach your ultimate goal.

Consider skills as developable

The author Carol Drake explored this topic in a book that, coincidentally, is also called Mindset, and I think her definition is excellent. I highly recommend Carol Drake’s Mindset. She essentially wrote the same thing: that mindset, or growth mindset, means you can achieve anything in life if you invest enough time and energy. I’ve also considered whether this applies to me. For example, if I say I want to become an astrophysicist, is that even possible?

Personally, I find it an incredibly complex topic; it sounds incredibly complex too. My perspective changed when I expanded on a small word in a sentence I often use—specifically, when I think, “Astrophysics, I can’t do that” or “I won’t get there.” That one small word changes everything. If I simply say, “Okay, astrophysics, I can’t do that yet,” then for me, using that little word means that if I invest enough time in something, I will definitely get where I want to be.

The meaning of the word yet

Think about how often in life you say things like, “I can’t do something,” or “I don’t have the time or the inclination to do anything about it.” But if you add that little word “no” to the equation, you realize that theoretically, you can learn anything, as long as you’re, I’d say, of average intelligence. You might just need a little longer than others, but you’ll definitely get there. I think that being of average intelligence is, well, a prerequisite for a growth mindset.

You have to believe in yourself that you are of average intelligence. You don’t have to be exceptionally intelligent to learn a subject. Another prerequisite is having the mindset that you can’t know everything, but there’s most likely someone who does, for example, how something works. This means that if I don’t know something and I’m willing to invest energy and time, I can start by asking someone before I start reading books.

Hey, I need some information on this and that topic, can you help me out? And there’s definitely someone in the world who can help. Another aspect I find interesting in connection with the growth mindset is the saying “Action Cures It All.” This quote is from Tom Bilio, and I think it’s incredibly cool. For me, it means that when I tackle a new topic, it’s not enough to just think about it; I have to take action.

Start with the first step

Just do it. Action Cures All. That means if I have a problem, I should start doing it. Start doing it and see how far I get. If I get stuck, ask other people, research online, whatever it takes to solve the problem. But just starting to do it is extremely important. It’s another prerequisite for a growth mindset. From my perspective, the point is that just because you don’t currently see a solution and, for example, have asked ten people who don’t have one, doesn’t automatically mean that there isn’t a solution behind the problem.

Let me tell you, hundreds of years ago, landing on the moon was utterly unimaginable, or even talking to someone 100 kilometers away. Today, when a moon landing happens, it’s certainly headline news. But it’s not the same kind of groundbreaking news it was 40, 50, or 60 years ago. Today, we not only talk on the phone. But we also essentially FaceTime. We can see the other person even if they’re in a completely different country or on a completely different continent.

Remain open to previously unknown solutions

This means that just because you can’t see something right now, just because you can’t see the solution, doesn’t mean there won’t be a solution at all. Another prerequisite I see for a growth mindset is essentially the knowledge that you can and must admit that you’ve been wrong or are wrong. This means you have to admit to yourself, or to others, that you were completely wrong with your assumption. Or, if you have a huge ego, you have to simply admit to yourself, “Oh, I did that wrong.”

Yes, let’s just forget about it. Now it’s about tackling the next steps. Let’s look ahead and move on. You can apologize for certain behaviors or decisions you’ve made. But a growth mindset also means simply letting go of certain things, looking ahead again, and continuing to grow, instead of thinking, “Ugh, I made a mistake there. That’s it. I’m just not going to dwell on it anymore.”

That wouldn’t mean a growth mindset. Now I’ve explained many of the parameters of a growth mindset. But for me, there’s a very vivid example of what a growth mindset means. I’m a huge fan of Elon Musk. I’m incredibly good at the things he does. And for me, he absolutely represents the growth mindset. Why? Well, I think he’s accomplished so much in his life, done so many things that previously seemed impossible, and become so successful with them.

An example of ambitious technical goals

So it’s not just about the financial aspect, but also about actual technology that has essentially moved the world forward. For example, he essentially co-invented or co-founded PayPal, a money transfer method that really challenged banking giants and made it clear to them that banks are no longer really necessary for transfers. On the other hand, he has built, or is currently working on building, reusable rockets.

He’s sending them into space. We all know that someday he’ll even land a rocket on Mars. So if that doesn’t mean a growth mindset—something no one has ever done before, he just tackles it head-on. The same goes for electric cars. I don’t want to sing his praises too much, but I just find it interesting that he approaches things with this mindset. He can achieve anything in life that he considers important, where he invests his time, and where he thinks it’s worth investing.

He’s absolutely convinced he can do anything. Even the topic of electric cars, which I just mentioned. Huge corporations have been trying to do that for years. He’s not only developing electric cars but also autonomous driving, which he’s pushing forward incredibly hard. Another project is a functioning battery charging network, something no one before him had really managed. He’s doing all of that himself, and many other things besides. As you can tell, I’m a bit of a fanboy of his. OpenAI, which is advancing artificial intelligence, or SolarCity.

Learning through questions and experimentation

It’s incredible what he does. Personally, I think he’s the Michelangelo of our time, and that’s exactly how I would describe him. I also think it’s cool to live in a time where I get to experience someone like that firsthand, because he inspires me, for example, to have a growth mindset. He was also once asked how he came to build a rocket, for instance—where he acquired the knowledge to do something like that, when NASA, Boeing, ESA, and others spend years researching, building, and developing it.

He said, hey, I’ll just pick out a book and try to absorb as much knowledge as possible about it, gather people who can ask questions, and so on. And that, for me, is the topic of growth mindset. He represents it wonderfully for me. And whenever I’m working on a problem and also thinking about my own limitations regarding growth mindset, the concept of “action cures all,” and so on, I remind myself, hey, there’s someone who’s currently flying a spaceship to Mars.

Take your own development potential seriously

So Reza, stop being so dramatic and just solve the problems you’re currently facing, which, to be honest, seem very mundane. Right, folks, the topic of growth mindset is one of the most fundamental for me when it comes to mindset. Because I’m absolutely convinced that virtually anyone in the world, if they have the attitude that they can learn anything, if they just have enough time, invest enough time, and put in enough effort, can truly achieve anything in life.

Apply a growth mindset in everyday life as well

I hope you also have this mindset or are currently developing it, because I think it’s extremely important not only in the business world, but also in your personal life. A growth mindset also means continuously developing your relationships, your partnerships, and the way you raise your children. Just because you’ve made a mistake or don’t know something right now doesn’t mean you’ll never make progress—quite the opposite.

Investing time in family, relationships, and friends, investing love, trying to be open, acquiring knowledge, experimenting, and paying attention to communication—these are all components of a growth mindset. Okay, folks, as you know, I always try to keep the episodes relatively short. I hope you enjoyed this episode. I need your support. Please subscribe to the channel, leave a like, or a review. Anything would help me grow this channel even further.

And yes, I hope you enjoyed the episode and we’ll talk again soon. And don’t forget, mindset is everything.