Recently, I have noticed both in my professional and personal lives many people struggling with adversity, being faced with struggle and even facing failure and enduring traumatic events. How we approach adversity, challenge, trying times, even trauma can mean the difference between moving on or staying stuck. Having a growth mindset can make a huge difference.

But, what does it even mean to have a “growth mindset?” Having a growth mindset means that we believe that qualities we possess such as intelligence and talent can be changed or developed over time. The opposite, having a fixed mindset, means that we believe certain qualities are permanent or unable to be changed.

Having a growth mindset can help us navigate the often murky waters of life, view challenges as opportunities and can help us face adversity, even traumatic events. When we approach life with a growth mindset, we give ourselves permission to be flexible in our thinking. This is crucial when we are faced with adversity. Approaching life with a growth mindset is akin to living with a flexibility mindset, which allows us to move through adversity with a bit more ease.

In his book, The End of Trauma: How the New Science of Resilience Is Changing How We Think about PTSD, George Bonanno, chair of the Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology and director of the Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab at Teacher’s College, Columbia University, argues that having a flexibility mindset can mean the difference between moving past adversity or staying stuck in adversity. Similarly, Carol Dweck in “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,” argues that having a growth mindset helps us manage challenges.

Bonanno indicates that a flexibility mindset requires of us three things: optimism about the future, confidence in our ability to cope and, a willingness to think about a threat as a challenge. When we embrace these qualities, we may find it easier to navigate adversity. This is what it means to have a growth mindset, as well. When we are living with a fixed mindset, we fail to embrace challenges as opportunities or even as adventure. Living with a fixed mindset can leave us feeling as though we are unable to adapt to adversity. It tells us, “I can’t.” A growth mindset or flexibility mindset reminds us that, “I can.”

Living with a flexibility or growth mindset will not prevent us from facing adversity or even failure, but it will make it easier to adapt to these challenges. We all face challenges, we all struggle, and we all will, at some point, fail at something. Reminding ourselves that failure is not final can be helpful. Failure is an opportunity to learn, grow and become. Failure can mean redirection, even redemption.

Living with a growth or flexibility mindset can help us find new ways to tackle problems as they arise, and remind us that there often is more than one way to do something. This also can remind us that we can do things that are hard, help us draw on past success and prepare us for future challenges. When we live with a growth or flexibility mindset, we realize that we can be the victors of our lives rather than than victims. We have the ability to move past adversity, to manage challenges and to deal with struggle. What could you accomplish if you adopted a growth mindset?

~ Karri Christiansen, MSW, LSW, CADC, CCTP