Kevin McCarthy Presents…

I’ve spent a lifetime trying to be a better person. Personal growth has always been important to me. Yet, there seemed to be something much deeper that held me back from the kind of growth I really wanted in different areas of my life. Even after a special experience I had over 25 years ago where I discovered a profound faith in God, I’ve still struggled to change in some areas.

Then I discovered Mindset: the new psychology of success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. Discovering this book has revolutionized my thinking. In fact, it has altered the very course of my life and profession.

The basic premise of Mindset is that we have a foundational frame of thinking that is either, what Dweck calls, a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Let me try to explain in my own words the difference between the two.

A fixed mindset is a core belief, maybe even unconscious belief, that we are given a certain or “fixed” amount of intelligence, ability, personality or talent. We may vary from that fixed amount to a small degree as we mature or learn. But, the overall quantity is fixed or limited. We may feel we have been given sort of our “lot in life”, our portion or place, if you will. The moment we come up against an obstacle or major challenge, the fixed mindset tells us we have reached that limit. This core belief tends to hinder us from great growth in many areas of our lives.

A growth mindset, on the other hand, is a core belief that regardless of where we start, we can continue to grow; we may never know our limits. If we have a certain amount of intelligence as a young person, for example, we believe we can become even smarter as we learn and apply those lessons. If we have a certain amount of talent, we believe we can improve and possibly even become superstars with the proper training and practice. We may not ever become a superstar. But, a growth mindset allows us to try – even against difficult setbacks. A growth mindset doesn’t mean we believe everyone can be top performers. It simply means we don’t know the limits to our growth. And, we are held back from trying.

As I devoured Dweck’s book, my quest became clear. I began to scour the libraries, bookstores and Internet for every piece of published work on this subject and on the broader subject of how we think. I found white papers, theses, interviews, articles and numerous books from Dweck and other professionals that led me to think about my thinking.

I began to think differently and, consequently, act differently. Those unseen, yet ever-so-real, barriers to personal growth began to give way to the possibility of new levels of success.

I began to understand how our core beliefs, specifically fixed or growth mindsets, have a direct impact on our success at work, in business, in sports, and in leadership. Mindset even affects our success at home, in marriage, in child-rearing, and in personal and familial relationships.

After hundreds of hours and several years of study, I propose this premise: the way we think changes the way we deal with adversity, success, failure, personal growth and literally every other area of life at work and at home.

Stay tuned to future blogs to learn more about these core beliefs and how they impact us on a daily basis at work and at home. I welcome your comments and questions in this blog. If you haven’t read the book, I highly recommend Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

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