Hello everyone and welcome to the Kapal Gupta Career Pod Show where we tackle the real stuff about building amazing careers and lives. And I'm your host, Kapal Gupta. Today we are diving into something that could literally change everything for you. The power of a growth mindset. Have you ever felt stuck? Like you just can't get better at something no matter how hard you try? Or maybe you avoid trying new things because you're afraid of looking stupid. We've all been there. But what if I told you that your brain is like a muscle that gets stronger when you challenge it? And that's what a growth mindset is all about. And the coolest part, it's something anyone can develop. Yes, even you. So whether you are struggling with school, trying to level up your social media game, or figuring out what you want to do with your life, having a growth mindset can be your secret weapon. So let's get into it. So, first things first, what exactly is a growth mindset? Now imagine there are two ways of thinking about your abilities. Some people believe their intelligence, talents, and skills are just fixed. You're either good at math or you are not. You're either creative or you are not. And this is called a fixed mindset. But people with a growth mindset believe that their abilities can grow and improve with effort, good strategies, and help from others. They know that the brain can form new connections throughout life when we practice and learn new things. So let me break it down with some examples you might relate to. Fixed mindset thinking sounds like I'm not a math person. I'll never understand algebra. Or I tried TikTok dancing once and looked stupid. I just don't have rhythm. Or I got to see on my first essay, English isn't my subject. But whereas growth minded thinking sounds like algebra is challenging for me right now. But if I practice different kinds of problems, I can get better. Yeah, my first TikTok dance was rough, but everybody starts somewhere. What if I break it down into smaller parts? Now this C shows me where I need to improve in my writing. Maybe I can ask for feedback on how to make my next essay stronger. See the difference? It's all in how you talk to yourself about challenges. And there's something mind-blowing. Stanford researcher Dr. Carol Dwett, who came up with these terms, found that just understanding the difference between these mindsets can start to change how you think. When Lisa, a high school student I worked with, shifted from saying I'm bad at coding to I'm still learning coding, her whole approach changed. She started seeing mistakes as chances to learn instead of proof, she wasn't smart enough. Six months later, she built her first app. So let me ask you what does success mean to you? And how would embracing a growth mindset redefine it? So for most of us, success has been about the end result. That is getting an A, landing a certain job, or hitting a specific number of followers. But with a growth mindset, success becomes about growth itself. Did you push yourself? Did you learn something new? Or did you get better than you were yesterday? Now this kind of success is way more in your control and honestly way more satisfying in the long run. And now let's talk about something we all hate. Failing, bombing a test, getting rejected, or making a fool of yourself. It feels awful, right? But here's where things get in drastic. In a growth mindset, failure isn't the opposite of success. It's actually a part of success. Think about video games. When you first start playing a new game, what happens? You die a lot, you fall off cliffs, you get shot by enemies, you mess up the combos, but you don't think, well, I guess I'm just not a gaming person. No way. You keep playing, learning the controls, figuring out strategies until you level up. So real life works the same way. Now, did you know that before becoming the youngest billionaire ever, Kylie Jenner had a failed clothing line with a sister Kendall? Or that before BTS became global superstars, they were once a small group that people didn't take seriously. My favorite example is basketball legend Michael Jordan, who said, I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed. Even closer to home, my friend Jamie applied to 10 summer internships last year and got rejected from nine of them. So instead of giving up, she asked for feedback, improved her resume, and practiced her interview skills. The one internship she did get led to a job offer after graduation. But those nine rejections weren't failures, they were stepping stones. So let me ask you, can you think of a time you failed? Or how did it shape your approach to challenges? So when you look back at your failures with a growth mindset, you might notice they taught you resilience, showed you what needed improvement, or even pointed you in a better direction than your original plan. So we all have comfort zones, those safe spaces where we know what to expect and feel confident. Maybe yours is hanging out with certain friends or sticking to subjects you're good at in school or scrolling through the same three apps on your phone. Now comfort zones feel good, but here's the truth nothing amazing happens in your comfort zone. Growth happens when you're a little scared, a little uncomfortable, a little out of your element. Scientists call this the optimal anxiety zone where you're challenged enough to grow but not so overwhelmed that you shut down. And for Gen Z, breaking out of comfort zones might look like talking to someone new instead of sticking with your usual group, or taking a class that sounds interesting but challenging, or posting that creative work you've been keeping private, or speaking up in a discussion when you usually stay quiet. So small steps make a big difference. You don't have to skydive to break your comfort zone. Of course, unless you want to. Start with tiny challenges that stretch you just a little. My cousin Alex was terrified of public speaking, like physically sick before presentations, terrified. So instead of avoiding it forever, he decided to start small. First, he practiced speaking up more in small group discussions. Then he volunteered to introduce speakers at a club meeting, just a 30 second thing. Eat small win built his confidence until eventually he gave a five-minute presentation to his entire grade. Was it perfect? No. But it was progress. So once again, let me ask you, what's one thing you've been scared to try? And what's stopping you? Often what stops us isn't actual danger, but fear of judgment, fear of looking foolish, or fear of discovering we are not immediately good at something. A growth mindset helps us recognize these fears and push through them anyway. So raise your hand if you love being criticized. Anyone? No, I get it. Hearing what we are doing wrong doesn't seem great. But in a growth mindset, feedback becomes a superpower. It's free information about how you can improve. So the trick is separating feedback about your work from feedback about you as a person. Now this essay needs more evidence. It's about the essay, not about your worth or intelligence. Your dance moves need more practice, is about dancing, not about who you are. Think about your favorite gaming streamers, TikTok creators or YouTube stars. They all started somewhere. Got feedback, sometimes harsh feedback in the comments, and used it to get better. They didn't let criticism stop them, they let it shape them. So when I first started this podcast, let me tell you the feedback was rough. You talk too fast, your questions are boring, the audio quality is terrible. So at first I felt like quitting, but then I realized this is exactly what I needed to hear to get better. I slowed down my speech, worked on more interesting questions, and invested in better equipment. The podcast improved because I was willing to hear the tough stuff. And here's how to make feedback work for you. Ask specific questions like what's one thing I could improve, or listen without immediately defending yourself, or focus on what you can change, not on things outside your control, and say thank you, even if it stings. You can process your feelings later and pick one thing to work on at a time. So let me ask you once again, how do you handle feedback? And how can you use it to fuel your growth journey? Remember, even negative feedback is a sign that someone believes you can improve. They wouldn't bother giving feedback if they thought you were hopeless, and that's actually a compliment when you think about it. So now you understand what a growth mindset is and why it matters. But how do you actually build the superpower into your daily life? So here are five simple strategies you can start using today. One, watch your words, notice when you say things like I can't or I'm not good at and add the magic word yet, meaning I can't code yet, or I'm not good at making friends yet. Number two, celebrate effort, not just results. So instead of only feeling good when you win or get an A, feel proud when you push yourself and try hard things. Number three, get curious about mistakes. So when something goes wrong, ask what can I learn from this instead of why am I so stupid? Number four, find growth-minded friends. Hang out with people who are always learning and trying new things. Their mindset will rub off on you. And number five, start a growth journal. Each day, write down one new thing you tried, one mistake you made in what you learned, or one small improvement you noticed. I personally use a simple note on my phone that I track my daily stretches. Little ways I pushed myself out of my comfort zone each day. Some days it's as simple as tried a new food, spoke up in a meeting when I was nervous. Other days, it's applied for that job I didn't think I was qualified for, or asked for help when I wanted to figure it out alone. So the brain changes with practice. The more you think in a growth-minded ways, the more natural it becomes. So let me ask you one last question. What's one habit or mindset shift you can adopt today to embrace growth every day? So there you have it. The incredible power of a growth mindset. It's not just some feel-good idea, it's a different way of seeing yourself and your potential. So when you embrace a growth mindset, you stop being defined by what you can do right now and start being defined by what you could become. You see challenges as opportunities, not threats. You see effort as a path to mastery, not something to avoid. Think about where you want to be one year from now, the skills you want to have, the person you want to become. A growth mindset is what bridges the gap between that future you and who you are today. So, what will you do differently tomorrow? How will you catch yourself when that fixed mindset voice starts talking? Or how will you remind yourself that your abilities aren't set in stone? The choice is yours, but I hope you choose growth. And if you found this episode helpful, please share it with a friend who might need to hear it and drop your thoughts in the comments. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of the Kapel Gupta Career Pod Show. So until next time, remember you're not who you are, you are who you are becoming. So this is Kapel Gupta signing off. Keep growing, keep stretching, keep becoming. Bye-bye.