Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Written by: Jocelyne Bilodeau
Edited by: Jocelyn Martin
The Lens You View Life Through
Every challenge we face — whether it’s a difficult conversation, a career shift, or a moment of self-doubt — is filtered through the mindset we’ve been practicing, often without even realizing it. In my work with clients, I see this constantly: two people can face the same situation, yet one feels stuck while the other sees possibility.
That difference isn’t willpower. It’s mindset.
Understanding the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset gives us back choice — and with it, the ability to respond to life instead of reacting from old patterns.
What Is a Fixed Mindset?
A fixed mindset is rooted in the belief that abilities, traits, and capacity are set. People operating from this mindset often think.
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Challenges feel threatening because they might expose a weakness. This mindset often lives alongside survival patterns like people-pleasing, perfectionism, avoidance, or fear of judgment — patterns designed to keep us safe, but that quietly keep us stuck.
As Shirzad Chamine explains in Positive Intelligence:
“Your mind is your best friend… and your worst enemy.”1
In a fixed mindset, we tend to listen to the part of the mind that wants to protect, predict, and prevent discomfort. Its intention isn’t bad — it’s protective — but it often operates from past experiences rather than present truth.
What Is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset understands that skills, confidence, and emotional resilience can be developed. Instead of seeing challenges as proof of inadequacy, they’re viewed as opportunities to learn, stretch, and evolve.
This mindset doesn’t ignore fear or discomfort — it meets them with awareness and compassion. It creates space between the thought and the reaction, allowing us to choose a new response rather than defaulting to old conditioning. |  |
From a growth mindset, curiosity replaces self-judgment.
Instead of asking “What’s wrong with me?”
We begin asking:
“How is this happening for me, and what can I learn?”
That shift alone changes everything.
The Belief Beneath the Mindset
At the heart of both fixed and growth mindset is belief — what we quietly assume to be true about ourselves.
As Henry Ford famously said:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t — you’re right.”2
This quote captures the essence of mindset in its simplest form. A fixed mindset treats limitations as facts. A growth mindset understands that beliefs are learned — and therefore changeable. What we repeatedly think shapes how we show up, what we attempt, and how we move through challenges.
Where Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Really Separates
One of the clearest distinctions between these two mindsets is how we relate to change.
In a fixed mindset, change feels threatening, inconvenient, or unnecessary. There’s often a quiet hope that things will shift without us having to stretch or feel uncomfortable.
A growth mindset understands something deeper.
As Bob Proctor teaches in Thinking Into Results:
“Change is inevitable, but personal growth is a choice.”3
Change will happen whether we’re ready or not. Life will bring transitions, challenges, and opportunities.
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That choice lives in awareness — and in the questions we ask ourselves in the moment.
How Mindset Shapes the Way You See Challenges
When you’re in a fixed mindset, a challenge feels like something happening to you.
When you’re in a growth mindset, it becomes something unfolding for you.
This is where real transformation begins.
A growth mindset doesn’t demand perfection. It invites curiosity. It allows us to pause, regulate, and respond intentionally rather than reacting from fear or habit. Over time, those moments of choice — practiced again and again — rewire how we experience challenges and build genuine self-trust. |  |
Moving From Fixed to Growth: A Gentle Practice
Shifting mindset isn’t about forcing positivity. It’s about awareness.
Notice the inner narrative.
Pause and ground yourself.
Get curious instead of critical.
Ask: “How is this happening for me, and what can I learn?”
Take one aligned step forward.
Each time you do, you strengthen the growth mindset — and loosen the grip of old patterns.
The Choice That Changes Everything
Mindset isn’t a personality trait.
It’s a practice.
A fixed mindset keeps us tied to who we’ve been.
A growth mindset opens the door to who we’re becoming.
Every challenge becomes a choice point — to stay in familiar patterns, or to meet life with curiosity, awareness, and intention. And when we choose growth, even the hard moments become part of our evolution.
References
1 Chamine, S. (2012). Positive Intelligence, p. 6
2. Ford, H. (2018). Big Life Journal, p. 7
3 Proctor, B. (2022). Thinking into Results. Program Material and lessons
Put This Into Practice
Explore the workshops and programs that build these skills in your team, or reach out to talk through what makes sense for you.