You’ve probably seen lots of articles written about successful people and what their secrets to be so fortunate are. Chances are, an article about them will contain something like “Top 10 Tips to Have a Successful Interview” and then provide you with tips such as “Believe in yourself!” or “Take more risks!” While those tips are useful, the problem with them is that they are for the most part unconnected. They provide temporary inspiration, but it soon fades, and you’re left back where you started.
Let me provide you with the common thread of these tips: mindset. As described by Carol Dweck: A Summary of The Two Mindsets, There are two different types of mindsets, fixed and growth.
First, let’s talk about the fixed mindset. In this mindset, people are good or bad at something based only on their inherent nature (that means they rely on talent only to achieve their goals) and they are thus uncapable of change. Typical behavioral traits are that these people tend to give up easily and avoid challenges. Now, how can you recognize if this is representative of your mindset? Here are some habits that people with fixed mindsets gravitate towards:
- putting yourself down
- « Mon anglais est horrible ! J’ai honte de moi-même. »
- « Ça ne sert à rien de parler anglais, personne ne comprend jamais rien de ce que je dis. »
- « Je suis tellement nul(le) en anglais que je ne sais même pas faire une phrase. »
- being negative
- « De toute façon, ça ne vaut pas la peine d’apprendre l’anglais puisque je n’y arriverai jamais. »
- « Ça fait déjà cinq ans que j’essaie d’apprendre et j’ai toujours un niveau de petit enfant. »
- « Tout le monde y arrive sans problème, et moi je ne comprends toujours rien ! Je dois être bête ! »
You are putting yourself on the path to failure by doing this. Instead, switch to the growth mindset. What’s important in this mindset, contrary to the fixed mindset, is the belief that everything (skills, abilities, intelligence, etc.) can be developed. Essentially, these traits are not just handed to you, but they can flourish into whatever you desire as long as you put the work in. So instead of using the sentences above, rephrase to them to:
- learn from your mistakes
- « Je n’ai pas encore réussi. »
- « Ça n’a pas marché cette fois. Qu’est-ce que je peux faire mieux la prochaine fois ? »
- « Je pourrais essayer ça au lieu de ça lors de mon prochain entretien. »
- boost your desire to learn
- « Je devrais peut-être donner beaucoup effort pour y parvenir, mais je suis prêt(e) à tout donner. »
- « Je n’y ai jamais réussi, mais je veux bien réessayer ! »
- « C’est quelque chose d’extrêmement difficile pour moi, mais je peux le faire ! »
Do you see the difference between the examples under fixed and growth mindset? A job interview doesn’t just start the day of, the days building up to it are equally important. Working on your mentality is the most important preparation work you can do. Even changes as small as how you formulate sentences related to failure is enough to change the way you approach interviews in English. Over time, these small changes will add up and the negativity will start to disappear. When that happens, you can truly start to build something positive.
So, the next time you catch yourself thinking, what if it doesn’t work out? ask yourself, what if it does?
Now that you know, send me an email at contact@leonildarenaldo.com so that together we can cultivate moments for your growth mindset to flourish
