By: Kathleen Ririe
“If you change your mindset, you have the ability to change the whole world ”
As I recently visited Haleakala National Park in Maui, I was reminded of some valuable lessons about having a growth mindset while ascending to the top of that 10,023 ft volcano. Haleakala means “House of the Sun” in Hawaiian. Legend has it that the Demi-God, Maui, lassoed the sun from its path across the sky as he stood atop the volcano. Now the sun sleeps in the crater each night and creates world-famous sunrises and sunsets. The 37-mile road up to the summit is known to be the highest elevation gain within the shortest distance in the world. Due to the steep elevation gain and the ability to move quickly in a vehicle, the transitions in weather and ecology as one travels up the mountain are stark– traveling through areas of expansive vegetation, thick mist, and eventually the mostly barren volcanic terrain with a birds-eye view of the mountain’s “lei” of clouds. As I recently visited Haleakala’s summit, I was reminded of some valuable lessons about having a growth mindset while ascending to the top of that 10,023 ft volcano.
Having a “growth mindset” has been quite a hot topic in recent years. A growth mindset is characterized by the belief that our talents, understanding, and skills are not fixed, but instead can be developed and strengthened through dedication and hard work. A recent review of research on this topic noted that having a growth mindset was helpful in managing educational challenges and enhancing learning environments. A Growth mindset is beneficial to learners, educators, and organizations as well (Wolcott, 2020). Although, studies have linked a higher growth mindset to income level, additionally investigations have suggested that students’ mindsets may temper the effects of economic disadvantage (Claro, 2016). So what can we do to harness the power of a growth mindset for ourselves? Perhaps one answer lies in these take-aways from Haleakala’s ascent.
1. Be flexible and intrinsically motivated
There are 620 hairpin curves on the road to Haleakala’s summit. Not only does a little Dramamine come in handy in this situation, but also a willingness to be flexible and submit to the twist and turns in the road. Although the climb is one of the steepest in the world- you can’t tell when you’re in the middle of it. It appears that you are barely moving upward and instead just winding back and forth. Focusing on your values along the way can help the journey feel meaningful. Remember that values are different from goals. Values can motivate you intrinsically (learn more about values in this module). Intrinsic motivation is defined as the motivation to engage in a behavior because of the inherent satisfaction of the activity rather than an external reward. Recent neuroscientific research suggests a relationship between growth mindset and an elevated sense of intrinsic motivation (Ng, 2018). Harvard Business School professor, Clayton Christensen said, “When we find ourselves stuck in an unhappy life- it is often the result of a fundamental misunderstanding of what really motivates us… Your internal motivation should be based on your values, not external rewards” (Christensen, 2012) Go with the flow, focus on your values, and try to enjoy the turns in the road. You are rising higher than you may feel while in the middle of your journey.
2. Be Persistent
As we were driving up Haleakala suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by thick mist and fog. The visibility was only a few yards ahead. We wondered if we should be discouraged or turn back? Would we even be able to see the sunset with all these clouds? Just as we were wondering this our Shaka guide audio tour chimed in “Are there clouds everywhere now? Don’t worry! Keep going! It always clears up towards the top”. Encouraged, we continued up the mountain and just as predicted- the sky was clear as glass at the top. The mist will always come, but it will also always pass if you keep moving forward. A person with a growth mindset stays persistent in the face of roadblocks and setbacks. The mist will always come, but it will also always pass if you keep moving forward. There are lots of examples to illustrate the power of persistence. One study’s results imply that mindset and academic performance constitute a positive feedback loop (Limeri, 2020). In other words if you persist then you will perform better academically, which in turn will develop a more helpful mindset, which will then feed back into your academic performance. Rhew et al found that a growth mindset intervention had a significant difference in the motivation of students (Rhew, 2018). Determination and persistently moving forward with a growth mindset will allow you to move past the “mist and fog” and find greater motivation. Don’t worry if it doesn’t come quickly. Personal growth takes time, but has great intrinsic rewards. (learn more about personal growth from the complete module.)
3. Be Willing to Wait for the Payoff
Cultivating a long term perspective can often help develop a greater growth mindset. At many points along my journey up Haleakala I wondered if the journey would be worth it. I assure you it was! Being flexible, intrinsically motivated by my desire to experience the summit, and persistent, aided in my long term perspective that the hairpin turns, and the mist would eventually pass away as we reached the top. Perhaps just knowing that a growth mindset is tied to greater achievement, and improved overall mental health will give you the perspective you need to keep going when it feels hard (Yeager, 2019 and Burnette, 2023) . The view from the top is worth the climb! You have to push past the road and the mist to see the House of the Sun.
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”
References
Burnette, J. L., Billingsley, J., Banks, G. C., Knouse, L. E., Hoyt, C. L., Pollack, J. M., & Simon, S. (2023). A systematic review and meta-analysis of growth mindset interventions: For whom, how, and why might such interventions work? Psychological Bulletin, 149(3-4), 174–205. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000368
Christensen, C. M. (2012). How will you measure your life? HarperCollins.
Claro, S.; Paunesku, D.; Dweck, C.S. (2016) Growth mindset tempers the effects of poverty on academic achievement. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 113, 8664–8668.
Limeri, L.B., Carter, N.T., Choe, J. (2020). Growing a growth mindset: characterizing how and why undergraduate students’ mindsets change. IJ STEM Ed 7, 35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-020-00227-2
Ng B . The Neuroscience of Growth Mindset and Intrinsic Motivation. (2018). Brain Sciences. 8(2):20. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci8020020
Rhew, E., Jody S. Piro, Pauline Goolkasian & Patricia Cosentino | Olympia Palikara (Reviewing editor) (2018). The effects of a growth mindset on self-efficacy and motivation, Cogent Education, 5:1, DOI: 10.1080/2331186X.2018.1492337
Wolcott MD, McLaughlin JE, Hann A. (2019). A review to characterise and map the growth mindset theory in health professions education. Med Educ. 2021; 55(4): 430-440. doi:10.1111/medu.14381
Yeager, D.S., Hanselman, P., Walton, G.M. (2019). A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement. Nature 573, 364–369. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1466-y