Do You Have A Growth Or Fixed Mindset?

This one is just me, wrapping up season 2 of Happy Chirp. I sit down with my thoughts today, not a guest, because I need to be real about what this season has been. It was hard. I was learning how to be a mom, and then learning how to be a working mom, all while trying to keep this podcast alive. I won’t pretend it was perfect. I won’t say I’m proud of the output. But I am proud that I showed up, even when I didn’t want to.

The weight of season 2

I started working again about two months after having my baby. For six months before that, I did motherhood completely by myself. And then suddenly I was juggling both. Honestly, I feel like I didn’t do justice to the podcast the way I could have. There were inconsistencies. Episodes I missed. But I kept getting up. I kept bouncing back. “I’m just still proud that you know I did it all the way through and I bounced back every single time,” I told myself. The fact that it wasn’t perfect doesn’t cancel the fact that I kept going.

Fixed vs. Growth: what it really means

This season brought me face to face with something I’ve always talked about: growth mindset versus fixed mindset. In simple terms, a fixed mindset is that voice that says, “This is how I am, I can’t do better than this.” Fixed hota hai, as the name suggests. You believe your abilities are set in stone. A growth mindset is the opposite. It says, “I can’t do this yet, but I can get there if I practice enough.” When you believe you can change, you actually take steps. You invest in your mental health, physical health, learning new skills, taking courses, networking. You step out of your comfort zone. People with a fixed mindset don’t do those things because they don’t think they can grow, so they never do.

When I lost my can-do spirit

Here’s the part that shocks me. Before this year, I was someone who never, ever told myself I couldn’t do something. I would say, “How dare you say I can’t?” Everything felt possible. But this past year, I heard myself say things I never thought I would. I called myself dumb. A failure. A loser. I actually said, “I can’t do this.” That was a fixed mindset taking over. And it was scary. The negative self-talk was so loud. And I realized that if I didn’t catch it, I would start believing it.

Choosing growth again

So I decided to consciously work on it. I began to rationalize those thoughts. Instead of “I can’t do this,” I told myself, “You can’t do it right now because you are going through this and this and this. But that doesn’t mean you cannot do it ever.” I started using the word “challenge” for difficulties, because a challenge is something you can overcome. I decided to have a problem-solving approach instead of treating every problem like a dead end. I did this so much that I think my brain actually changed. I wake up with a can-do attitude now. I’m not saying I’m perfect. I still slip. But the improvement is huge.

Small investments in yourself

Having a growth mindset isn’t just about feel-good thoughts. It’s about investing in yourself so you can give more to the world. When you work on yourself, you become more emotionally intelligent, more skilled, more valuable. You can be a better partner, a better mother, a better friend. You can contribute more to society. And yes, it also means you can negotiate for the things you want in life. “Make yourself so good and so much better that you are in a place or position to negotiate and bargain for the things you want in life,” I reminded myself. That is true empowerment. It’s not selfish. It’s how you become someone who can genuinely help others.

Why this matters to you

If you’re feeling stuck, like you’re in a rut, maybe you need to sit down with yourself and ask: what’s my mindset right now? Are you telling yourself you can’t because you’re stupid? Or are you saying you can’t yet because you haven’t learned the skill? The first one stops you. The second one gives you a path. I know how hard it is to switch from fixed to growth, especially when you’re exhausted, when you’re a new mom, when life feels like too much. But you can start small. Choose one negative thought today and rewrite it. Add the word “yet.” That’s a small thing that matters. And it can change everything.