Creating a growth mindset

by Bronte Holding

You might have heard of having a ‘fixed vs growth’ mindset before, but what does this actually mean? Well, if someone has a ‘fixed’ mindset, it means they view their current abilities, intelligence, personality traits, and lifestyle as something that is permanent and unchangeable. One the other hand, someone with a growth mindset will believe they are capable of improving these things through effort. 

When it comes to achieving health and fitness goals, a lot of people adopt a fixed mindset, which can become a major setback. If you believe that you’ll never be capable of changing your habits, getting stronger, or improving your mental health, then this puts you at a disadvantage right from the start, as you will never actually commit to making changes. 

So, how can you turn a fixed mindset into a growth mindset? The first step is becoming aware of your thoughts and how you talk about yourself, and acknowledging areas where you might have a fixed mindset. Once you’ve done this, reframe the thought to view it as an opportunity for growth. Here are some examples:

 

  • I can’t get up early, I’m not a morning person → I can challenge myself to get up 15 minutes earlier, that’s not very much time difference! Over time I can increase this as I get used to earlier mornings.

 

  • I hate resistance training, and I could never learn to like it → I’ve never resistance trained consistently, but I have struggled in the past. I am going to start with 2 sessions per week, and train with a friend to make it more fun! 

 

  • I’m not a cardio person, I won’t try it → Last time I did cardio I didn’t like it, but that doesn’t mean I will not enjoy it now. I am going to try a different type of cardio this time, and I’ll just commit to 10 minutes. 

 

  • I don’t have time to meal prep, I’m too busy → I scrolled on TikTok for 1 hour last night. Tonight I am going to dedicate that amount of time to prepping my meals for the week! 

 

After doing this for a while, your brain will start to naturally adopt a more positive growth mindset towards new challenges and tasks, rather than a negative fixed one. It won’t happen overnight, but if you keep challenging and reframing your fixed thoughts, you’ll have a  growth mindset in no time! 

Bronte, TWS Community Manager x 

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