People in a fixed mindset believe you either are or aren’t good at something, based on your inherent nature, because it’s just who you are. People in a growth mindset believe anyone can be good at anything, because your abilities are entirely due to your actions.

The fixed mindset is the most common and the most harmful, so it’s worth understanding and considering how it’s affecting you. For example: In a fixed mindset, you believe “She’s a natural born singer” or “I’m just no good at dancing.” In a growth mindset, you believe “Anyone can be good at anything. Skill comes only from practice.”

The fixed mindset believes trouble is devastating. If you believe, “You’re either naturally great or will never be great,” then when you have any trouble, your mind thinks, “See? You’ll never be great at this. Give up now.” The growth mindset believes trouble is just important feedback in the learning process.

In a fixed mindset, failures define you. In a growth mindset, failures are temporary setbacks.

In a fixed mindset, you look inside yourself to find your true passion and purpose, as if this is a hidden inherent thing.  In a growth mindset, you commit to mastering valuable skills regardless of mood, knowing passion and purpose come from doing great work, which comes from expertise and experience.

Summing-up: The difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset is a little bit like “nature vs nurture”.