Brainology: The Growth and Fixed Mindsets

Life is full of choices. Everyday, we make simple choices without giving them a second thought; "What should I wear today" or "What should I have for dinner?" However, some of the choices we make affect more than just a single day. Our success in life can depend on them. In Carol Dweck’s 2008 article titled "Brainology," she lays out two types of mindsets, and states that what mindset one has is a choice that they make and is critical to one’s success. The first is a fixed mindset, which is when a person believes they only have a certain amount of intelligence, and that they cannot exceed that intelligence. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a growth mindset, when a person believes that intelligence is not fixed, and through effort and education, anything is possible. My past experiences, specifically in my math classes in high school, had given me a fixed mindset, as evidenced by me eventually dropping out and getting into a profession that I was naturally able to excel in. However, after years of feeling stuck with no forward progression in sight, I have chosen to adopt a growth mindset, which is why I was able to re-enroll in school, earn my high school diploma, and am now working towards becoming a Master Mechanic.

First and foremost, I have always struggled in school. I can immediately think of two reasons for this – lack of support from others and the mindset I had when it came to my scholastics. Growing up, I didn’t receive support or have someone to believe in me. This contributed to having a fixed mindset. If I wasn’t able to pick up quickly on a topic, especially math, I gave up. I didn’t ask for help because I believed that was viewed as a sign of weakness. One topic I struggled in particular with is fractions. Finding common denominators and flipping fractions in order to divide just never made sense. I distinctly remember my 10th grade Algebra class. We had a test solely dedicated to fractions. I thought that I had the material down and was feeling confident that I had passed. However, when I got the test back, I had failed. I felt so embarrassed and discouraged. After that, I simply stopped going to class. That negativity, and ignorance, led me down a path of indifference. Rather than being comfortable with failing and overcoming challenges, I dropped out of school in the 11th grade.

After dropping out of school, I believed that school just wasn’t for me, and instead I started to work various security jobs. I knew I was good with my hands, and have always thought of myself as a protector, plus it didn’t require any previous education. The work just came naturally to me. I started working as a bouncer for a bar, and then ended up working with inmates on McNeil Island for DSHS. It was a state job so it had great benefits and pay. Still, in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to do more with my life, but couldn’t find the motivation and lived with a sense of fear; the fear of failing and not being good enough. As Dweck explains in her article, "a fixed mindset makes challenges threatening for students…and it makes mistakes and failures demoralizing." If I wasn’t able to pick up what I was studying when I was younger, what would be different the older I got? I had found something that I excelled in without putting in much effort. I thought that some people were just naturally good at school, and I wasn’t one of those people. Little did I know there was more to it than that.

Subsequently, as I got older, I realized I wouldn’t be able to work security for the rest of my life; so I started to change my attitude. I have always wanted a career where I could work on cars, but the first step to doing that was to get my high school diploma, and then enroll in college, which is exactly what I did. After working for DSHS for nearly 10 years, I came to a crossroads. I found myself unemployed and stuck. As I searched for new jobs, I found I was qualified for nearly every one based solely on my experience. However, experience wasn’t enough anymore. Many of the basic requirements included at least a high school diploma or GED. I also knew that if I was going to go back to school, I wanted to go down a path I was passionate about. I began to weigh my options. I knew I wanted to specialize in a trade. I bounced around between Welding and Electrician for a while. However, when it came down to it, I knew I really wanted to work on cars. It had always been a passion and a hobby of mine growing up. Still, I was nervous to go back to school. I didn’t want to feel the shame and embarrassment that I felt all those years ago. However, I put my doubts aside and re-enrolled in school.

Because of the choice I made to stop living in fear and start working towards what I want, I have developed a growth mindset. I am the first out of five siblings to get my high school diploma and attend college, all because I stepped out of my comfort zone and began consciously working towards my end goal, which is a career as a Master Mechanic. I now think about things in a different way than before. "Brainology" states that those with a growth mindset carry "the idea that the harder you work, the more your ability will grow and that even geniuses have had to work hard for their accomplishments." Asking for help or clarification when I don’t understand something doesn’t make me unintelligent, and might be uncomfortable, but is imperative to my success. This is especially true for the Technical Math class I’m currently enrolled in. As I mentioned previously, math has never been my strong suit. One of the prerequisites for the automotive program is Technical Math. While math was the class I was dreading the most, I have approached the material in a different way than I did in high school. Instead of giving up and just not completing assignments when I didn’t understand something, I have utilized the book and taken the time to read over and practice the material. Fractions were one of the topics I struggled the most with, and guess what the second homework assignment was on? Before I started the actual homework, I did nearly 50 practice questions. It took almost two hours to finish all of them. However, when I did the homework that counted towards my grade, I received a 100%. I can attribute this to the fact that I took something I always thought I wasn’t good at, put in effort, studied, referenced back to the book when I needed to, and ended up being able to master fractions. My actions are a prime example of how my mindset has changed.

I can blame many things on why I had a fixed mindset in the past. I thought that I couldn’t succeed in school because I couldn’t naturally grasp the material. However, through changing my attitude and my effort, I have developed a growth mindset. I know that by continuing to work hard, I can improve my abilities and gain intelligence. I gave up easily and didn’t have anyone to positively influence me to realize my potential, and when I found something that was like second-nature to me, that’s the path I took. Nevertheless, I knew that I wanted more out of life, and decided to challenge my beliefs about my intelligence. I can confidently say I know that as long as I keep consciously trying, and not be afraid to face any challenges thrown my way, I can continue to grow. Anything is possible.