Setbacks are temporary. These growth mindset quotes burst your self-doubts and inspire self-improvements towards your goal.
When I was in elementary school, I learned more slowly than other kids.
Take math, for example, an equation that others would master in class; I had to practice and memorize it repeatedly. So naturally, I was frustrated and soon concluded that I was just dumb.
But then my teacher told me something that changed my life. She said, “you know what, Emma? Learning itself is an ability that needs training. So the more you learn, the better you will be at picking up new knowledge and skills.”
So I started to pay attention to how the top students did it. They didn’t memorize – they asked questions as well. They didn’t just solve the equation. Instead, they made their own to test if their methodology. And gradually, I figured out my own way of learning.
If it weren’t for my teacher, I might still sit in the classroom feeling sorry for myself. This growth mindset had helped me keep going when it was hard.
And for you, you may be going through a career shift, picking up a new language, or starting a new role. It’s ok to make mistakes, not to be perfect, or even suck at it. But your strength grows over time, and one day you will get there.
To help you overcome your limiting beliefs, here is a list of inspiring growth mindset quotes. Keep scrolling!
Inspiring growth mindset quotes
Everything is hard before it’s easy.
– Goethe J.W
Sometimes we expect things to go smooth at the beginning. And if they don’t, we get frustrated and stop trying. Out of all the growth mindset quotes by Goeth, this one probably resonates with me the most.
Look back at the achievements you are proud of. Are they easy, or do they need you to stretch a bit? Any climb worth remembering is challenging. It puts you to the test and makes you better.
It’s not that I’m so smart. It’s just that I stay with problems longer.
– Albert Einstein
Always do what you are afraid of doing.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Fear of failure kills more action than fear itself. A fixed mindset will blame the lack of talent and ability – something you either have or don’t.
But a growth mindset looks at it differently – a failure is a lesson to be learned. When we think of it this way, we stop attaching wins or losses to our worth. Instead, the ability to grow from our experiences is what will define us as a person.
The struggle you are in today is practicing the strength you need for tomorrow.
– Robert Tew
The mind is just like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.
– Idowu Koyenikan
So don’t stop training it. Instead, push your limit little by little. Stretch until the impossible doesn’t look impossible anymore.
Growth happens when you start to check and correct yourself.
A growth mindset is not just about believing in your potential. It also requires you to be honest about your mistakes so you can learn the lessons.
It’s easy to be defensive when faced with criticism. But you don’t learn anything if you put all your energy into protecting an ego. If you can take a step back and ask yourself, “how can I do better,” the mindset will reward you with real growth.
It never gets easier. You just get better.
– Jordan Hoechlin
Don’t wish life to be easier. Believe that you can be better.
If a tree’s strength is judged while it is still a seed, it is mistaken as weak.
– Idowu Koyenikan
Be patient with the process. Just because you can’t figure out a problem doesn’t mean you can’t achieve that in a week, a month, or a year.
Your strength at the current moment doesn’t define you. If you put your mind to it, your skills, resilience, and intelligence will grow. And you will be closer and closer to the tasks that were once impossible.
The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset.
– Carol S. Dweck
The expert at anything is once a beginner.
– Helen Hayes
Don’t compare your first chapter to someone’s entire book. You haven’t seen the awkward bumpy start of their journey. And don’t be embarrassed by your own.
Every flower blooms at a different pace.
– Suzy Kassem
Be patient with your growth.
I won’t get upset at you about a mistake. I’ll get upset at you for the next mistake that comes from still thinking about the last mistake.
– Doc Rivers
This is such a relatable quote about growth mindset. We have all been there.
We feel embarrassed about the mistakes we made. And the more we fear they might happen again, the more likely they would.
It’s logical because it’s hard to focus on the issue itself when the fear of failing drains most of our energy. And that’s why dwelling on the past is not productive. Letting it go is.
Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them.
– Albert Einstein
When faced with something beyond our reach, a defensive mind says, “it’s not my problem. I don’t have the money or the resources to do it.”
Instead of blaming others, a growth mindset looks within and evaluates the situation objectively. He will say: “ok, I might not be able to do this right now. But that’s temporary.” With this mentality, you can keep pushing their limits and exceed your own expectations.
This is what Einstein tried to tell us with this growth mindset quote, that we need to stay out of our way of self-improvement. Put away the ego, and you will reach your potential.
The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.
– C. JoyBell C.
Challenge yourself. You never know what you can do until you step into the arena.
I never lose. I either win or learn.
– Nelson Mandela
You are not a loser if you learn something.
You are allowed to be both a masterpiece and a work in progress.
– Sophia Bush
Trust the seeds you are planting.
Mistakes are awesome learning opportunities.
– Peyton Curley
If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.
– Confucius
Don’t ask yourself why you failed. Ask yourself how you can do better. And when you have the answer, take action and do it again. We don’t learn by regretting and overthinking. Go experiment and explore new ways. This time you are not starting from scratch. And you have a better chance at nailing it.
Success doesn’t teach the best lessons. Failures do.
Nothing is impossible. The word itself says “I’m possible.”
– Audrey Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn is not just a famous actress and a symbol of beauty and elegance. She was and still is an example of self-growth. She was a ballet dancer before she started acting. And you can say she came into the business with little to no expertise.
As she said, she was “asked to act when she couldn’t act and asked to sing when she couldn’t sing.” But she took the opportunities and did it anyway. She didn’t surrender to her temporary limits. Instead, she used them to push herself to go further. This is how a growth mindset can pave the way towards your dreams.
I haven’t failed. I just found 10000 ways that won’t work.
– Thomas Edison
The will to win, the desire to succeed. The urge to reach your full potential – these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.
– Confucius
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t. You are right.
– Henry Ford
How you talk to yourself matters.
It is never too late to be what you might have been.
– George Elliot
You will either step forward into growth or step backward into safety.
– Abraham Maslow
Be the one that forges ahead.
Talent is a pursued interest. Anything that you’re willing to practice, you can do.
– Bob Ross
I do not fix problems. I fix my thinking. Then problems fix themselves.
– Louise Hay
One day when you look back, you will find that everything happens for a reason, whether good or bad.
It’s easy to quit, to say that it’s beyond your reach. And it so much more work not to surrender to temporary limits. But that’s what makes life meaningful.
Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard.
– Kevin Durant
Short growth mindset quotes and mantra
Sometimes we need the motivation to overcome our limiting beliefs. So if you, your children, or students are looking for inspiration, here are some short growth mindset quotes to read.
Keep going. Keep growing.
Don’t stop until you are proud.
You can do what you set your mind to.
You are a limited edition with unlimited potential.
Believe in the power of yet.
I am not there yet.
I can’t do this yet.
It’s too hard for me now.
I don’t know how to handle it yet.
Progress not perfection.
Read also: 32 Perfectionism quotes to love the perfectly imperfect you
Believe you can, and you will.
The best views come after the most challenging climb.
No failures, just lessons.
Knowing what doesn’t work is progress.
A path with no obstacle leads you nowhere.
Which of these growth mindset quotes do you relate to?
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