Author: Cathrin Edelmann
2 minutes read
Cultivating the right mindset could be the single most important thing you ever do to help you achieve success.
Mindset is the lens through which we view the world. It shapes how we perceive situations, solve problems and interact with each other. It is the software that runs our thinking and decision-making. Our mindset can be a great asset or a liability.
Dr. Carol Dweck identified two predominant mindsets – fixed and growth.
In a fixed mindset, people believe their qualities are fixed traits and therefore cannot change. These people document their intelligence and talents rather than working to develop and improve them.
In a growth mindset, people have an underlying belief that their learning and intelligence can grow with time and experience. When people believe they can get smarter, they realize that their effort has an effect on their success, so they put in extra time, leading to higher achievement.
Growth mindset.
Having a growth mindset can be powerful as it enables us to reframe challenges, see potential and rebound when we are set back. It enables collaboration and expansiveness.
But what happens when we’re in a fixed mindset and we just don’t know it? When we’re stuck in an inner dialogue with ourselves that typically starts with “I can’t”, how do we shift to “I can”?
The Hunger Project has been interrupting mindsets and beliefs around what is possible for more than 40 years. We’ve learnt what drives human behavior and how to harness mindset to create positive change in the communities we work.
Based on our insights, we’ve developed a methodology that helps people to make the shift from “I can’t” to “I can” successfully and by doing so, create an end to hunger and poverty themselves.
