How Changing Your Beliefs Can Change Your Life

Most people have experienced or know someone who has thrown up their hands and claimed they are not skilled in math. During childhood, these individuals may have found math class challenging and perplexing, while others seemed to effortlessly comprehend new ideas and conquer complex problems. As a result, many concluded that they are inherently bad at math and that this deficiency is permanent, leaving them with a lifelong struggle to perform calculations, measure, and calculate things.

Psychologist Carol Dweck has extensively researched this concept called "fixed mindset", which refers to a belief that your qualities and abilities are fixed and unchangeable. If you have a fixed mindset, you'll feel a constant need to prove yourself, as if you only have a certain amount of intelligence, personality, and morality that you need to demonstrate repeatedly. It's important for you to show that you possess these basic traits because looking or feeling inadequate in these areas is not an option.

This can result in a never-ending cycle of trying to prove your worth. Every situation becomes an opportunity to confirm whether you truly know who you are. For instance, if your parents tell you that you're intelligent, you might feel the need to demonstrate your intelligence to your teacher. Similarly, if you believe that you have a certain amount of intelligence, attractiveness, charm, self-control, resilience, etc., you'll find yourself adhering to those beliefs.

If you're someone who tends to procrastinate, you might succumb to the temptation of playing video games instead of working on your goals. Your closest friends might have told you that you're a six and that you can't date anyone outside of your league. When you establish these beliefs about yourself, you limit your potential and restrict who you can become.

Dweck has identified another type of mindset, which is the growth mindset. The growth mindset is rooted in the belief that your inherent qualities can be developed through your hard work and dedication. While individuals may differ in their natural talents and inclinations, everyone has the potential to change and grow through practice and experience.

The growth mindset does not suggest that anyone can become a superstar like Jackie Chan, but it recognizes that potential is not fixed and is not yet fully known. Those with a growth mindset do not think, "I can be anything I want," but rather, "I have not yet discovered my full capabilities."

According to Dweck, the growth mindset fosters a love for learning, rather than a craving for approval which is more typical of a fixed mindset. People with a growth mindset appreciate the value of hard work and are willing to learn and persist despite setbacks. This is in contrast to those who have a fixed mindset. For them, the effort is seen as a negative sign that they lack natural ability.

Dweck's research indicates that individuals with a fixed mindset tend to ignore feedback that points out how they could improve if they got a question wrong while focusing only on feedback related to their current ability level. They are not interested in learning the right answer or improving their performance.

The opposite of the growth group is a group of people who are not easily distracted when they are instructed to expand their knowledge. Rather than focusing on the outcome, they prioritize the process of learning. This mindset is not limited to intelligence but can also be seen in people's attitudes toward love. The growth mindset believes that faults and difficulties in a relationship can be improved and developed. According to this perspective, both partners and the relationship itself can evolve and change over time.

The fixed mindset is all about wanting things to be perfect from the beginning, forever, and without any effort. This is the belief that things are meant to be and that it is possible to ride off into the sunset, living happily ever after. According to Dweck, this idea originates from the cultural notion of true love, which suggests that once you find the one, love will come easily and naturally, without requiring any compromise or effort.

Your beliefs can sometimes work against you. Thinking that you are a certain way and that it is impossible to change can limit you and make your life uninteresting. It would be much better to live life by experimenting and trying new things, without worrying about meeting certain expectations. Imagine how freeing it would be to attempt the things you've always wanted to do but were too afraid to try. The only person keeping score of your abilities is likely yourself.

Now that you understand that it is possible to change your beliefs, what are you waiting for? Why not try out new things and live a life free of restrictions? There is no need to be afraid of trying something new. You can liberate yourself by taking risks and stepping out of your comfort zone. Don't wait any longer to try new things and see what you're capable of achieving.