Can a person change? If you think not, you’re likely shackled with a “fixed mindset,” a handicap that ensnares some degree of many people’s potential by convincing them it doesn’t exist.
People with a fixed mindset believe as Popeye did: “I yam what I yam.”
The awful irony of a fixed mindset is that it’s as true as we make it. And, as Zrinka Peters writes, this personality trait can decide whether you take up life’s challenges, or sit them out.
A fixed mindset breaks our ability to learn and grow by robbing us of the tenacity to try and the endurance to fail and try again.
Perhaps you’re thinking you don’t have a fixed mindset and that you’re just too old to change or set in your ways.
While scientists once believed the adult brain stopped forming new neurons, and struggled to form the new neural connections linked to learning and growth, that is no longer the case.
“The brain can actually continue to change and develop steadily throughout life and even improve in some areas with age,” writes Ms. Peters. Neurogenesis, as it’s called, is now studied in adults of many ages and we are learning how to keep the brain healthy and nimble.
The counter to the fixed mindset is the growth mindset. People with a growth mindset believe in their ability to develop and change themselves in important ways.
“Mistakes and disappointments are viewed as opportunities for learning and growth, not as identity-defining moments,” writes Ms. Peters.
If you’re unsure of your own mindset, it’s worth taking some time for self-reflection. Another important aspect of your core beliefs about yourself is your locus of control, a concept psychologists use to describe how people perceive their ability to influence their own lives.
There are three common variants that psychologists and researchers discuss.
The first is an external locus of control. People of this persuasion believe their lives are defined by their circumstances. In other words, life happens to them.
The second is the internal locus of control, which is the belief that our lives are defined by our decisions and actions. These people are choosing their own adventure.
And finally, there is a spiritual locus of control, people who believe their lives are governed by the Divine, but in close connection to their faith, choices, and actions. These people live under the influence of a higher power.
People with an external locus of control tend to make less of the necessary life changes for better health and people with an internal locus of control tend to fare better, notes Martha Rosenberg.
“A feeling of having some control over your life, sometimes called self-efficacy, has been shown to help people who are suffering from migraines, diabetes, kidney disease, epilepsy, HIV, Parkinson’s disease, cancers, depression, chronic pain, cocaine addiction, obesity, alcoholism, cigarette addiction, work burnout, shame, and even internet addiction,” she writes.
So take a moment to assess your mindset and locus of control and recognize that these are flexible. Starting with these essential beliefs about yourself and your world can have a domino effect on the rest of your life, whether you’re facing disease, mental health issues, or just want to keep growing.