Growth vs. Fixed: how your mindset shapes your behaviors

Julie Murphy • May 4, 2011

I recently came across a few articles about mindset and how it affects your behaviors. Turns out, a great professor, social psychologist and author by the name of Dr. Carol Dweck presented a few interesting ideas about mindset in her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success . Much of what she talks about focuses on business, but I think that it’s an excellent resource for those looking to make some financial changes as well.

Fixed vs. Growth

According to Dweck, there are two types of mindsets: a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. People with growth mindsets believe there is no limit to what you can do; with hard work, you can truly do whatever it is you set your mind to accomplishment.

Those with fixed mindsets, on the other hand, believe that you are given a certain (or “fixed”) amount of intelligence, skills and competencies. They think that putting effort into things that you aren’t good at is a waste of time. You should only focus on tasks that you’ll excel at and make you shine.

I talk a lot about changing your behaviors and tapping into your heart’s desires to take control of your finances and fulfill your destiny. But I think that considering the kind of mindset you have will help you understand why you have certain behaviors. And it’ll also help you ignore those crabs in your bucket.

Overcoming the fixed mindset

You’ve seen what crabs in a bucket do to each other when one gets to the top; after all the work to climb out of that bucket, the others pull that lone soldier back down to the bottom. This is a great example of the growth mindset verses the fixed mindset.

You are trying to make major financial changes in your life by taking small steps each day. You know that the cumulative effect – as well as the small successes you’ll achieve each day – means that if you can do this, you can do most things you put your mind to. Since you’ve figured out your blueprint for success, you’ve entered the growth mindset.

But those crabs in your bucket – your fixed mindset friends – may not see it that way. They’ll look at how long it’s taking you to reach your goal. They’ll question why even bother if you can’t have instant gratification. After all, why put effort into something you’re not good at when you can do something you are good at without much work?

Focusing on your growth

When you encounter people with a fixed mindset while you’re moving with your growth, it can be discouraging. Being new to this way of thinking, you may still have a little bit of the fixed mindset giving you negative feedback. When you’ve become used to second-guessing yourself, making a total mindset shift doesn’t mean that it’s just going to go away and you’re miraculously cured.

The thing to do here is to focus on your goal, and that goal is your growth. The crabs in your bucket aren’t growing. When they see that you are growing, their natural instinct is to stunt your progress. Just know that as they try to force you to remain fixed, you must focus on continuing to grow. The minute you start listening to those crabs of doubts, they pull you down and become your reality.

Tags: mindset, fixed mindset, growth mindset, fixed vs. growth mindset, mindset and personal finance, mindset and behaviors, personal finance and psychology, Julie Murphy, Chicago personal finance

The post Growth vs. Fixed: how your mindset shapes your behaviors appeared first on Julie Murphy.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Share Blog On Social

A woman is smiling while money is falling around her.

A book titled the spiritual laws of money

Get it NOW!

Recent Blogs

The Life You're Waiting For Is Waiting for You to Wake Up

By Julie Murphy • August 4, 2026

What if nothing is wrong with your life? What if the frustration you feel... The anxiety around money... The constant striving... The feeling that something is missing... Isn't a sign that you're failing. What if it's simply your soul trying to wake you up? So many of us spend our lives searching for the next thing we believe will finally make us feel whole. More money. A different relationship. A better job. A healthier body. Another vacation. Another achievement. Another finish line. Yet somehow, after every accomplishment, that feeling quietly returns. "There has to be more than this." And there is. Not because your life is lacking. Because you've been taught to look for fulfillment in places it was never meant to come from. One of the greatest lessons I've learned is that life is always working for us, even when it doesn't feel like it. Every challenge... Every financial struggle... Every relationship... Every fear... Every success... They're all invitations. Not punishments. Invitations to become more aware. Because awareness changes everything. You can't transform a belief you don't know you're carrying. You can't heal a wound you refuse to acknowledge. You can't create a different future while living from yesterday's programming. This is why I don't believe true wealth begins with your bank account. It begins with your awareness. Money simply magnifies the relationship you already have with yourself. If you believe you're not enough... No amount of money will ever feel like enough. If you don't trust yourself... It won't matter how much financial security you create. You'll still feel uncertain. Real wealth isn't something we earn. It's something we uncover. It's been within us all along, buried beneath years of conditioning, fear, expectations, and stories that were never ours to begin with. When we begin clearing away those layers, something beautiful happens. We stop chasing. We start creating. We stop reacting. We begin choosing. We stop living from fear. We begin living from love. That's where abundance begins. Not outside of you. Inside of you. That's why I created the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge . Not to teach you how to make more money. Not to convince you that positive thinking changes everything. But to give you space. Space to slow down. Space to become aware. Space to notice the patterns you've been living from without even realizing it. Over the course of 21 days, you'll begin seeing yourself differently. You'll explore the beliefs shaping your financial life. You'll reconnect with your intuition. You'll learn how your emotions influence your decisions. Most importantly... You'll begin remembering that you already have everything within you to create a life that feels aligned, peaceful, and abundant. The challenge isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to who you've always been. If your heart has been whispering that it's time for something different... Listen. It may be the beginning of everything. I'd love to walk this journey with you. Because your greatest investment has never been in the stock market. It's always been in yourself. And when you awaken that relationship... Everything else begins to change. With Love, Julie P.S. Sometimes the biggest transformation doesn't happen because life changes around us. It happens because we finally become aware of the life we've been creating, and realize we have the power to create something new. If you're ready, I'd love to have you join us for the 21-Day Wake Up Wealth Challenge.