Thursday 12 April 2012

Book Review

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success


In her book, Mindset: the New Psychology of Success, author Carol Dweck , proposes that everyone falls into one of two mindsets---either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. She uses numerous examples of individuals who have achieved success and others who have failed in various facets of life, and how their specific mindset either contributed to or detracted from their ultimate results. The primary determining factor of what mindset you possess is how your parents, teachers and peers responded to your early accomplishments. Did they praise the accomplishment and focus on your talent? Or did they praise the effort and determination that you applied in achieving what it was you achieved?

When someone says to a child: “Your so smart.” Or “Your such a talented artist?” The child interprets this as: “If I don’t do this well on the next exam then I am stupid” Or “If I really worked hard on this painting then I am not that talented.” They then go on to associate effort and hard work with being untalented and/or being stupid. The result is a Fixed Mindset that never allows for improvement or an increase in intelligence or capabilities. The Growth Mindset on the other hand recognizes that you can achieve what ever you can conceive by applying yourself and working hard.

The author’s examples are clear and precise, and leave no doubt the power of this simple principle that controls our thinking and ultimately our happiness. She uses examples from every day life as well as the successes and failures of sports and business celebrities. At the end of the chapters there are simple exercises to expand your awareness and help adjust your thinking.

This book is a must read for anyone—the business person striving for success, the athletic or personal coach, the athlete, the parent or grandparent, artists, writers, those in the performing arts, scientists, intellectuals, teachers and students.

These are principles that can be applied immediately to changing your life and those around you.

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