Growth Mindset: Why You Need It to Succeed

If life isn’t going as you wish and you’re feeling anxious or depressed, it may not be that something is “wrong” with you. Instead, you might be trapped in a fixed mindset.

I was guilty of this.

I was utterly convinced there was something wrong with me. I kept thinking, “This is why I never fit in.” That’s why everything feels harder for me.” I had a million reasons—believing I was broken, a hopeless case, and life wasn’t fair.

Then I discovered the actual issue: my set, limited thinking. It broke when I stopped accusing myself and began transforming behaviors. It was as if designing a Safe Casino strategy: safe, stable, and designed to yield better outcomes. Turns out, your brain—like your luck—works better when you stop playing against yourself.

The Solution? A Simple Change in Mindset

I wasn’t expecting that. It took some time to accept it was real. For three reasons:

1. Facing it meant recognizing that my misery wasn’t the outcome of fate or bad luck—it was coming from inside me.
2. I couldn’t hold anybody else accountable for how my life had turned out—only me.
3. Nobody else would fix it for me—it was entirely my responsibility.

It’s difficult to admit something about yourself that goes against the story you’ve been living. I was the victim, I believed, not the person in control. But the more I faced the truth—that I was the source of my pain—the more it all made sense.

Most of the struggle wasn’t with life but how I thought about it

“I’ve faced countless troubles in my life… most of which never actually happened.”

– Mark Twain

How many of us worry about everything that can go wrong and never does? How often do we relive bad memories or worry about things that never happened? Are we reacting to life or the stories we tell ourselves about it?

It’s not life’s events that hurt us the most—it’s how we think about them”.

― Epictetus

Here’s the powerful part: I wasn’t stuck. I could climb out of that dark place by shifting how I saw things. I didn’t need a hero—I needed to change my thoughts.

Consider this for a second

What if you could set yourself up to win at life—be happier, more fulfilled, and confident? How far would you go to make that your reality?

Develop a growth mindset.

Your attitude seems small, but it can completely change your life. It has a way of separating happy, successful people from the rest.

Growth Mindset, Resilience, and Mental Health

Your attitude is your inner GPS for navigating and dealing with the world. It tests you to solve problems and challenges. It proves to others and yourself how hard and strong you are in the face of adversity.

Growth mindset individuals will not abandon challenging situations. They see tough times as chances to grow and even enjoy the process. Fixed-mindset individuals will abandon and avoid situations that can show them their weaknesses.

A growth mindset can potentially decrease tension, eliminate anxiety, and lower depression.

Studies have shown that growth-mindset students feel less stressed, anxious, and depressed. A study found that people with a fixed mindset had more mental health struggles.

Fixed or Growth Mindset, Which One Do You Have?

Take a look at the two perspectives below—see which one feels more like you:

1. “You’re either born with talent or you’re not. Intelligence is fixed, and there’s not much you can do to improve your abilities.”
2. “People can grow and change. With effort and learning, you can get smarter and build new skills.” Study, work hard, and practice to develop new talents and skills.

If the first view sounds more familiar, you likely lean toward a fixed mindset. If the second feels right, you’re more growth-minded.

Can You Change Your Mindset?

This is not a trick question for those with a fixed mindset. And trust me—I’ve been in your shoes before! You can grow a growth mindset if you approach it with care and patience. This can take you to a happy, prosperous, and contented life. You have spent an entire lifetime constructing your view of the world and allowing it to mold you. So you won’t do this overnight. It takes time and concerted effort. But that’s a small effort compared to living a life full of regret and missed dreams.

Level Up Your Mindset—Faster

Want to speed things up? Our Ultimate Resilience program at Flourish and Thrive helps you move past a regular mindset. It guides you to embrace a Hero’s Mindset.

We use proven strategies and practical tools based on fundamental research.

• Bulletproof yourself against stress.
• Grow beyond trauma and adversity.
• We’ll help you smash through whatever’s been standing in your way.
• Optimize the way you see yourself and the world.

This way, you can become unstoppable in pursuing a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Conclusion

It doesn’t have to be this way. A fixed mindset is like trying to move forward with the brake on—you will slow down. You aren’t broken; your mind needs to be rebooted.

You can choose to shift your perception of yourself and of your world. When you take full responsibility, it all starts changing. Only you can create the success and happiness you want—it begins with you. So aim high—and rig life in your favor.