7 Reasons Writers Need Growth Mindset
I am a big proponent of learning and personal development. You could say it’s a passion, but in truth, it’s also a strength of mine that I happen to enjoy.
Around this time of year, with fall semester in full swing, I think fondly of the first time I heard the term growth mindset. It wasn’t until grad school! I’ve always wondered how my college experience might have been different if I’d known about it earlier.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I learned about it exactly when I most needed it.
So now I talk about it with almost everyone. Students in the classroom, colleagues, members of my professional network, the list goes on.
One of my favorite groups to talk with about growth mindset is writers.
What is Growth Mindset?
Although you’ve probably heard of the growth mindset before, you may not be familiar with the term itself. It simply means that someone believes they can learn and improve skills.
First coined by psychologist Dr. Carol Dweck (known worldwide for her work with mindset) in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, growth mindset established the idea that a person’s belief about their abilities was equally important to the abilities themselves. That people actually can improve when they believe their hard work will positively impact & grow their skills.
“Growth mindset established the idea that a person’s belief about their abilities was equally important to the abilities themselves.”
This might not seem ground-breaking, but it’s still changing the face of education today. It’s a completely different model than fixed mindset, which is the idea that you are born with the skills you have, and that no matter how hard you work, you’ll still have the same skills. It’s so common in the classroom that any teacher you ask has probably had more than one student say something along the lines of “I’m just not good at XYZ.”
I know that happens in writing classrooms, and in fact, I’d estimate that more than 50% of the students I’ve taught have some kind of fixed belief about writing. Even outside the classroom, it’s breathtaking how many professionals and writers believe that good writing is based on talent instead of improvable skills.
So why is the belief that you can learn and improve so important for writers?
7 Reasons Writers Need Growth Mindset
The fact of the matter is that writing is a skill. It’s not a table of numbers or letters, or a set of facts you can memorize. It’s a skill that can be developed and honed with practice and dedication.
Having a growth mindset is critical for writers because it:
Encourages Learning - When you know you can build a skill, it encourages you to learn more about it, test it, and even try it out for yourself. And so it is with writing and growth mindset. Writing is much less scary when you think about it in terms of learning rather than overcoming your own perceived deficiency.
Encourages Personal Growth - Building new skills is a great way to grow as a person (and a professional). When you know you’re not stuck in the same skill set you’ve always had, it opens up opportunities to improve in places that interest you, including writing.
Enables Progress - Seeing our progress usually makes us feel good, right? Being able to look at where you were and see how far you’ve come is a feel-good scenario. What better way to see progress than by starting where you’re at with writing and intentionally learning and building upon your skills? Growth mindset allows us to know that even if we’re starting off in a place we’re not satisfied with in our skills, we can improve them and see our progress along the way.
Grows Self-Esteem - I don’t know about you, but when I learn a new skill or realize that I’ve gotten better at something I felt I could barely do before I get an immediate boost in self-esteem. Maybe this is because I am an achiever by nature, but it’s tremendously helpful for me to know that I can be better if I try. This is important for writers (many of whom also struggle with lower self-esteem) because when we’re more assured of ourselves, we’re stronger writers.
Grows Confidence - When our self-esteem grows, our confidence typically follows. Seeing progress and knowing you can improve skills is a simple way to boost your confidence. When you’re more confident, your writing will become stronger because you write with more conviction - you believe in it so others will be more likely to do so as well.
Changes Understanding of Abilities - Probably the most profound thing a growth mindset does is change the way we think about ourselves as creatives. If you’re stuck in a fixed mindset, it’s hard to believe you can be a writer (even if it’s your biggest dream) when you feel like you got stuck with a set of subpar skills. When you start believing that you can change your skills and improve, it’s an immediate and life-changing improvement.
Allows Big Dreams (On Purpose) - This is something we don’t talk about as much as we should, but when we feel like we’re stuck with our current skills and talents, we can’t really dream that big. If you “suck at math” how in the world could you be an astronaut someday? But what if, instead of thinking you’re stuck, you truly believed you could learn with hard work and dedication? “I suck at writing” could now become “I’m going to be a writer someday.” Life-changing, right?
Next Steps
Growth mindset is so important, especially with all the tools available today, many of which are even free! The belief that you can learn and improve may seem simple, but it can change your life in a big way if you stay open to the possibilities.
Read a little more about the growth mindset here & listen to Dr. Carol Dweck talk about it here. Take a little time and Google it. Read about it and listen to Dr. Dweck talk about it. Get a good understanding of the implications.
Accept that growth mindset will only help you succeed as a writer. Growth mindset really is a powerful tool for writers, and knowing that - and believing it - will help you succeed.
Begin acting on your new growth mindset. As always, practice makes perfect, right? Start practicing your new mindset right away. Places where this comes up often with writers is in starting new projects & rewriting.
Get help with your new mindset. Sometimes we all need a little pick-me-up. Especially when we’re working on something new, or pivoting (thanks COVID-19). If you’re struggling with how a growth mindset could look in your creative life, or if you’ve figured it out but need some help getting there, I can help. I work with writers on this all the time because it’s hard! Doing it alone can make it harder, so why not enlist help? Click here to read more about how we can work together and get you on the right track.
My challenge to you is to begin to intentionally accept a growth mindset into your life and writing.
Have you heard of the growth mindset before? Tried it? Found another way to use it with your writing? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com!
Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.