Cultivating a Growth Mindset

Growth mindset is the art of seeing opportunities instead of obstacles or seeing failure as a chance to develop our abilities further. People with a growth mindset are constantly seeking opportunities to learn, gain new skills, and enhance their existing skills.

How to Achieve a Growth Mindset

A growth mindset can be the difference between accomplishing our goals or letting them go. Here are some practical tips to cultivate yours.

• Transform the way you think. Resist the urge to look at failure as a bad thing. Rather, see failure as an opportunity to learn how to do something better.

• Embrace the power of “yet.” Infusing “yet” into your daily routine gives a path to the future that praises persistence. Instead of saying, I do not know or I can’t do it; say I do not know “yet” or I can’t do it “yet”. You will see change every time you push beyond your comfort zone.

• Take criticism as a gift. Be open to feedback and accurate information about yourself.

• Celebrate the process, not just the result. It is important to appreciate the effort you put in to advancing yourself.

• Embrace teamwork. People with a growth mindset realize that they do not need to be the smartest person in the room. They are open to learn from those around them and are proud of the success they can have with their team. 

Many of us naturally have growth mindsets, but anyone can cultivate one or improve on what is already there.  Remember progress takes time.

Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts. –W. Churchill

Malissa Lewis serves as the Chief of the Loan Repayment Branch in HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW). She leads a team of nineteen analysts who work to strengthen the healthcare workforce and build healthy communities through the administration several workforce loan repayment programs.

Prior to the Loan Repayment Branch, she served as a section chief in the Division’s Scholarship Branch. Malissa has over 11 years of public health experience and leadership experience.