Fixed Mindset vs Groth Mindset
Notes #9 - Why a Growth Mindset Will Take You Further Than Talent Ever Could
Hey everyone! 👋🏼
Josep here, back with your weekly bite of career insights and encouragement ✨
Last week, we explored how soft skills like emotional intelligence are becoming the new superpowers in an automated world.
This week, we go deeper.
🌀 Beneath every skill—technical or human—lies the mindset that fuels it.
🧭 In today’s issue:
The 2 types of people, according to Carol Dweck
Why your mindset—not talent—shapes your future
How to shift from fixed to growth, one belief at a time
Stick with me for 5 minutes — it will be worth it, I promise! ✨
Let’s dive in! 👇🏻
‼️ The fourth module, Basics of Linear Algebra, of the introductory course to Data Science is now live on LearnDs.ai. Just go check it out now!
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲
According to psychologist Carol Dweck, the world is made up of two kinds of people:
𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 and 𝗡𝗼𝗻-𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀.
Learners believe their abilities can grow with effort.
Non-learners believe their abilities are fixed and unchangeable.
This belief—your mindset—shapes your entire approach to life and work.
The kicker? One leads to progress. The other keeps you stuck.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲?
The contrast between a Fixed Mindset and a Growth Mindset is like night and day, and it all starts with how you think about challenges, failure, and your own potential.
💭 Fixed Mindset
Avoids challenges
Shies away from the unfamiliar
Takes feedback personally
Gives up easily when things get hard
Believes failure defines limits
Thinks abilities are set in stone
Gets discouraged quickly
🌱 Growth Mindset
Embraces challenges as fuel for growth
Believes anything can be learned with effort
Sees feedback as a gift for improvement
Bounces back stronger from setbacks
Believes failure teaches valuable lessons
Knows skills can grow with time and practice
Finds the upside in tough situations
The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything
In a world that’s constantly changing—your tools, your team, your job description…Why wouldn’t you change too?
When offered a new opportunity, even if you feel unqualified, try this:
Say: "I don’t know how to do this… YET. But I will learn." 💥
That tiny shift?
It transforms fear into motivation.
🧱 Growth Isn’t Easy—But It’s Worth It
Sometimes you’ll fail.
You’ll get stuck.
You’ll feel like quitting.
But here’s what growth-minded people do differently:
They get back up.
They learn.
They adjust.
They try again.
Resilience isn’t a gift—it’s a skill.
And it grows every time you choose not to give up.
This Week’s Challenge
Think about a time you held yourself back because you “weren’t ready.”
Now, reframe it:
What would the growth version of you do?
Write it down. Speak it aloud. And start acting on it today.
Remember:
You're not "bad at public speaking"—you’re just not confident yet.
You're not “not a data person”—you just haven’t practiced enough.
You’re not stuck—unless you believe you are.
‼️ The fourth module, Basics of Linear Algebra, of the introductory course to Data Science is now live on LearnDs.ai. Just go check it out now!
Dive in and explore it today!
PS: You’re allowed to…
Not know something — and still go for it anyway.
Feel unprepared — and trust you’ll figure it out.
Say “I don’t know this yet” — and start learning today.
Fail at something — and still believe in your potential.
Doubt yourself — and still take the first step.
Struggle — and keep going anyway.
Grow slowly — but steadily.
Progress isn’t about perfection.
Growth is messy, nonlinear, and full of “try again” moments.
The most important part?
You show up. You keep learning. You keep evolving.
That’s what a growth mindset looks like. 👊🏻
Are you still here? 🧐
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See you next Tuesday!
Best,
-Josep
This is all trivially true, and dated! The continued assumption that most literate adults who engage with substacks like this believe that their abilities are ‘fixed’ is - excuse my straightforwardness - basically tosh.