When I was learning to play the guitar, there were many days I just wanted to quit.  “It’s too hard.  I’ll never be able to do this,” I told myself.

So I’d put the guitar down and go do something else.  Something easier.  Something I was good at.  Something I could accomplish.

In those moments of frustration I suffered from something that keeps so many of us from achievement.  A fixed mindset.

In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Carol Dweck explains how achievement hinges on whether we approach something with a fixed or growth mindset.  Simply put, growth-minded people welcome opportunities to learn, while people with fixed mindsets focus on talent and accomplishing the task flawlessly right now.

Those with a fixed mindset also shy away from situations in which they see a risk of failure or judgment.

That’s exactly what I was doing with the guitar. Rather than see it as a learning opportunity and something I had to work at, I was committing self-sabotage by focusing on my failure to get the song right, right then.  In my mind, I was a failure and not talented enough.

The truth of the matter is that was bogus.  The truth was I just needed to remind myself that I was learning, needed to practice more, and over time I would get it.  End of story.

The same is true for you.

You have a choice in whether or not you accomplish whatever it is you set out to do.  It’s all about the mindset you employ along the way.

Question:  How has a fixed mindset held you back or a growth mindset helped you achieve?