Mindset

The human brain is the most complex physical entity in the universe.

Mindset is "defined as an “established set of attitudes”, as "the outlook, philosophy, or values of a person”, and “frame of mind, attitude, [and] disposition.” Within her broad research, Carol Dweck defines two types of mindsets: the fixed mindset and the growth mindset. The defensive mindset on a personal level described above can be linked to the concept of a fixed mindset: an attitude that views intelligence and competences as something static and therefore sees personal challenges and mistakes as threats rather than learning opportunities."

A person's culture, religion, philosophical outlook, worldview, frame of mind, general outlook, and disposition can help determine their mindset.

Growth mindset

See also: Growth mindset and Growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset and Achievement orientation

According to Western Governors University: "A growth mindset means that you thrive on challenge, and don’t see failure as a way to describe yourself but as a springboard for growth and developing your abilities. Your intelligence and talents are all susceptible to growth. Dr. Carol Dweck of Stanford University first talked about the power of mindset nearly 30 years ago. Carol Dweck and her team became interested in the attitude of students when it comes to failure. After studying the behavior of students and children, the term “growth mindset” came about. Simply put, this mindset means that you believe in your ability to become better through hard work, and help from others."

According to Central Western University: " A growth mindset is how much you believe your basic qualities, like intelligence and talent, can be changed or developed. A fixed mindset is how much you believe your basic qualities are fixed or permanent."

Harvard Business School contrast a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset thusly:

“

[According to Dweck], challenging situations can be catastrophic for those with fixed mindsets because of the implication that if they don’t already have the skills or intelligence to complete a task, there’s no chance of improvement. When you have a growth mindset, you believe you can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed, which makes every challenge a learning opportunity. Given the numerous challenges entrepreneurs face, a growth mindset can be a powerful tool as you work toward your venture’s success.

”

Sport psychology and the mindset of champions

Usain Bolt avoids thinking about his weaknesses before a race. Sometimes he thinks about how he will celebrate if he wins. See: Self-talk

Usain Bolt beating Tyson Gay and setting a 100 meter world record at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics in Berlin, Germany.

See also: Sport psychology and Achievement orientation

• Mental toughness and sport psychology
• How Champions Think: In Sports and in Life by Dr. Bob Rotella. Simon & Schuster (May 5, 2015)
• Relentless: From Good to Great to Unstoppable by Tim S. Grover. Scribner; 45737th edition (April 16, 2013)
• The Art of Mental Training - A Guide to Performance Excellence by D.C. Gonzelez. GonzoLane Media (November 5, 2013)
• Sport psychology books

Articles:

• The Mindset of a Champion
• Building Champion Mindsets by Laura M. Miele Ph.D.
• How Olympians train their brains to become mentally tough, The Conversation, 2018
• Shiffrin: The Mindset of an Olympic Champion

Videos:

• Mindset of champions - video playlist

Beliefs shaping people's actions and mindset

See also: Belief

• Beliefs Drive Behaviors

• The 5 most powerful self-beliefs that ignite human behavior by Bobby Hoffman, PhD

• Knowledge, Belief, and Action, Chapter 5 of the 2020 book Seeing, Knowing, and Doing: A Perceptualist Account by Robert Audi, Oxford Academic website

• How your beliefs shape your actions

• Beliefs and Emotions Lead to Actions and Results, Coaching For Influence website

• How Beliefs Affect Mindset, Henman Performance Group website

Having a right Christian mindset

See also: Christianity

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified." - The Apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

Importance of spiritual growth

Christianity.com on the importance of spiritual maturity:

“

Spiritual maturity is something that should be a priority for every Christian. It’s important in our lives for how we serve God, interact with other people, and take care of our families. Many people claim to be Christians, but there is a difference between being a fan of Jesus and a follower of Jesus. Our spiritual maturity can define what side of the fence we are on. To be a follower of Jesus is to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow him. “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me’” (Mark 8:34).

”

Bible verses relating to spiritual growth and Christian maturity

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time.

Between 5 to 7 billion Bibles have been published.

"His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you." - 1 Peter 1:3-11 (NRSV)

"Therefore, beloved, while you are waiting for these things, strive to be found by him at peace, without spot or blemish, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation. So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, speaking of this as he does in all his letters. There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures. You therefore, beloved, since you are forewarned, beware that you are not carried away with the error of the lawless and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." - 2 Peter 3: 14-18 (NRSV)

"Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God — what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness." - Romans 12: 4-8, NRSV

Lists of Bible verses on spiritual growth and Christian maturity

• Bible verses on spiritual growth

• Bible verses on Christian maturity

Books

• The Complete Book of Discipleship: On Being and Making Followers of Christ by Bill Hull. ‎NavPress; Annotated edition (November 6, 2006)
• The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. NavPress; Enlarged edition (November 3, 2016)
• The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges. NavPress (June 1, 2016)

See also

• Personal development
• Agency (psychology)

External links

• The nature of mindsets

Videos:

• Mindset - videos - playlist

Growth mindset related videos:

• Growth mindset - Video playlist
• Growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset - Video playlist