Introduction
The Mindset Matrix is a tool that helps you understand the 15 different types of mindsets and how they affect your life. It was created by professional coaches and consultants, who use it as part of their coaching and consulting with clients. Their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, as people have found this helpful tool in understanding themselves, others, and their behaviors.
The Fixed Mindset
In his book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Carol Dweck explains the fixed mindset by saying:
“People with a fixed mindset believe their qualities are carved in stone. They have an enduring sense of who they are and their capabilities. They tend to be very successful in academic and professional environments where success is defined as proving you’re smart or talented and in environments like musical chairs competitions (like Wall Street). In these situations, people with fixed mindsets flourish because their self-handicapping strategies allow them to avoid looking bad at all costs.”
The problem with this way of thinking is that it’s not only self-defeating but also incredibly limiting; if you believe you can’t change or grow, why bother trying
The Growth Mindset
The growth mindset is the opposite of the fixed mindset. It’s the belief that intelligence and ability can be developed through effort, practice, and persistence. People with growth mindsets believe that their most basic abilities can be cultivated through dedication and hard work–and they’re willing to do just that!
People with a growth mindset believe they can learn new skills or improve at old ones. They don’t see failure as an indictment of their character but rather as an opportunity to learn something valuable about themselves or how they operate in certain situations. They take ownership of their actions, even when they don’t turn out well for them in the short term (or even long time).
The Gambler Mindset
The gambler’s mindset is about winning or losing, not about learning. It’s about the short term, not the long term. And it’s about being right rather than effective–and in many cases, this can lead to being a victim of circumstances.
The Gambler Mindset has one goal: winning at all costs. The person with this mindset feels their success depends on luck rather than skill or effort; they’re more likely to blame others for their failures than themselves because they don’t believe they have any control over what happens in life (or business). They also tend to be risk-takers who play games of chance rather than invest time and energy into creating real value through hard work and dedication–which means that even if someone does manage to succeed at something due entirely (or mostly) because of luck alone, then there’s always another chance coming up soon anyway!
The Victim Mindset
The victim mindset is believing you have no control over your life. It means you feel like a pawn in the hands of others, at their mercy and powerless to change things. You may be aware of this feeling and think it’s normal, but actually, it’s not–it’s just an unfortunate byproduct of having been raised with a victim mentality.
The problem with this way of thinking is that it leads us down a path where we always feel like victims and do nothing about it; we become helpless, passive people who let others dictate how we should live our lives because they “have more power than me.”
Zero Sum Mindset
A zero-sum mindset is the belief that your success comes at the expense of others. If someone else wins, you lose–and vice versa.
This mindset can lead you to think that if another person gets promoted or gets a raise, it’s because of something negative about yourself (like how hard they work). It can also cause you to feel jealous when someone else achieves success because it makes your achievements seem less important or valuable in comparison.
If this sounds familiar, don’t worry; we’ve all fallen into this trap at some point in our lives! A zero-sum mindset can affect any area where there are opportunities for personal growth or achievement: relationships with friends and family members, schoolwork, sports and hobbies, career choices…the list goes on!
Follower Mindset
The follower mindset is the belief that you can’t change your circumstances or that you have to follow the rules of others, do what others tell you to do, and wait for someone else to make things happen. This mindset can lead people into a victim mentality–the idea that they are powerless in their own lives and must accept whatever happens as part of some more excellent plan.
It’s easy for those with this mindset type to fall into bad habits because they don’t see themselves as having any control over their future outcomes or happiness levels; it just feels like something out there has power over them (e.g., “I’m not meant for success”).
I’ll Do It Later Mindset
The I’ll Do It Later Mindset is a mindset that causes you to put things off and procrastinate. This mindset can be a problem in work, school, and personal life. The I’ll Do It Later Mindset is driven by fear–fear of failure, fear of success, and simply not knowing how to do something well enough yet (and so avoiding doing it).
The I’ll Do It Later Mindset stems from the belief that there will always be another opportunity for success or learning available later on down the road–when things are less stressful or more convenient for us personally. But there will only sometimes be another chance at success; some opportunities are one-time only! You have no way of knowing when they might come back around again…if ever…so why not act now?
One Try Mindset
Be willing to try new things, even if you’re still determining how they’ll turn out.
Don’t be afraid of failure or what other people think about you. If you want something badly enough, go for it, and don’t take no for an answer!
If there’s something important in life that you don’t know how to do, ask someone who does know how (or Google it). If they can help me learn this skill, I won’t need them anymore – which means they’ll have less value than me! That sounds like a good thing. Now, I have become more valuable than before because I know more than anyone else around here, so everyone will want me around them all the time instead of just some random person who doesn’t know anything useful at all…
My Way or No Way Mindset
This is the My Way or No Way Mindset. This is about doing things your way, being right or wrong, winning or losing, and being in control and independent of others.
This is also known as the “I’m on my own” mindset because it’s often used when you feel like you’re all alone in life with no one to turn to for help and support. People who have this mindset are usually stubborn with their opinions and don’t ask for guidance from others because they believe they already know everything there is to know about something (or someone).
Gratitude Mindset
Gratitude is a state of mind that involves being grateful for what you have and not focusing on what you don’t have. It can help us appreciate the good things in life, regardless of how small they may seem.
A grateful mindset is good because it makes us feel happier overall, even when facing difficult situations or challenges. Gratitude helps us appreciate our blessings instead of focusing on what we lack or don’t have right now–which means we’re more likely to be happy with our lives overall!
Abundance Mindset
The Abundance Mindset is the belief that there is enough to go around. It means you can have what you want, and it also means the universe will meet your needs and wants in one way or another. The world isn’t out to get you; it has your back and wants only good things for you.
A person with an abundance mindset believes they deserve happiness and success (and maybe even more than one thing at once). They feel confident because they know that whatever happens next will be great–whether or not that turns out true doesn’t matter. After all, this person has faith that everything will turn out fine anyway!
Solution-Oriented Mindset
A solution-oriented mindset is a way of thinking that focuses on finding solutions to problems rather than dwelling on problems themselves. It’s a mindset that encourages people to focus on what they can do to improve their situation rather than what they cannot do.
Solution-oriented people tend to be more optimistic and open-minded. They’re able to see different points of view, which helps them come up with diverse ways of solving problems or addressing challenges in life–and they have the courage necessary to take action when needed!
Creative Mindset
The creative mindset is thinking outside the box and developing new ideas. The creative mindset is also characterized by being innovative, having a sense of humor, and being able to see things from multiple perspectives.
Creative people are often interested in art or design. Still, they don’t necessarily have to be artists themselves–they need an open mind that allows them to see things differently than other people might perceive them.
Collector Mindset
Collectors are people who focus on the positive. They tend to be more resilient, happier, and more successful than others. Collectors are also more likely to be leaders, have better relationships, and experience less stress.
Collectors can see the good in situations where others might not; they find meaning in the most challenging experiences by focusing on what they’ve learned or gained from them instead of dwelling on what they’ve lost or failed at achieving.
A collector mindset is beneficial because it helps us live in our most authentic selves — those who are confident enough not only accept themselves but also celebrate their achievements without needing external validation from others (like praise).
You can change your mindset!
Even if you don’t believe your mindset can be changed, it’s essential to understand that it can. Your brain is malleable and flexible; it can transform itself based on the information you give it. If the data coming in is pessimistic, then your brain will start filtering things through that lens–but if we want our mindsets to reflect positivity, optimism, and creativity instead of negativity or pessimism, then all we have to do is change what we’re feeding them with.
The good news is this: there are many ways for us as individuals who have been raised with certain beliefs about ourselves (and others) since childhood to begin making changes towards having more positive self-images and overall outlooks on life!
Conclusion
We all have a mindset, and it’s essential to understand how it affects our lives. If you’re looking for a way to improve your mood and live a happier life, this article is for you! We’ve explored 15 different types of mindsets–from fixed to growth–and given examples of how each can be used in real-life situations. Remember: no matter where we start on this journey toward self-improvement, all it takes is one slight shift in perspective before everything begins falling into place.
