How a Growth Mindset Can Benefit Your Career in 2023

2023 is officially here, which means it’s time to set and stick to some resolutions and finally become the perfect version of yourself… not.

Now is a time for you to reflect on where you are in life and set some goals for the future. Whether your goals are to start a new exercise routine or level up in your career, there is one sure thing you can do to take care of your mind and set yourself up for success. And that is to run (not walk) into 2023 with a growth mindset.

What is a growth mindset?

Let’s start at the source. Stanford Psychologist Carol Dweck, a pioneering researcher in the field of motivation, coined the term growth mindset as “the belief that a person’s capacities and talents can be improved over time.”

The Anatomy of a Growth Mindset

To understand what a growth mindset is, you have to understand what a fixed mindset is – the general belief that your skills, abilities, knowledge, talent, and worth are fixed or static. If you wish you were a faster runner but do not believe it’s possible to increase your speed, for example, you probably wouldn’t be inclined to train and diet in ways that build more muscle than is required to sprint.

A fixed mindset brings negative thinking and self-talk.

A person with a fixed mindset might take constructive criticism personally, avoid challenges or go out of their comfort zone, or go to extremes to hide their flaws to control how others view them.

A fixed mindset is also the human baseline .

It takes work and time to develop a growth mindset. And it’s worth it. A growth mindset helps you:

• Embrace the process rather than painstakingly crave the end result.
• Find inspiration in others rather than measure your value against their success.
• Seek out feedback rather than internalize it as a personal attack.
• View failure as a learning experience or a step toward success rather than viewing it as the end all be all.
• Seek out challenges to develop your skills rather than stick to what’s comfortable.
• Be kind to yourself rather than hyper-critical of your failures.

How can you shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset?

An easy and common trick is to add “yet” to limiting, fixed beliefs or thoughts, like:

I can’t do cardio for more than 15 minutes. Yet.

I’m not ready to take the leap into a new career. Yet.

Below is a TedTalk from Carol Dweck, where she shares the power of “yet” ↴

If you believe you can’t switch up your career, you probably never will.

If you say not yet? Your mind is forced to find a roadmap.

If you’re compassion fatigued, feel the redundancy of a role wearing on you, or just don’t understand why what you’re doing isn’t fulfilling you anymore – contact an agency recruiter who specializes in your industry. They are free resources and passionate about helping people during these pivotal moments in their careers. Maybe contracting is just what you need to dip your feet into a new work setting or get the required experience for your next big career move! For healthcare professionals, paraprofessionals, social workers, and more – check out our career boards or contact us at 800-879-4471 or info@ghresources.com to learn more!

How will you bring a growth mindset into the new year?