65 and riding the wave of a growth mindset
In 2023, I was a 63-year-old, a baby boomer. I wondered if people my age had to settle for the abilities that accompanied them when they entered their 60s. In my search for an answer to that question, I came across some interesting data from Ubersuggest, a software company that tracks and analyzes search terms used on Google.
In 2023, ‘growth mindset’ - the belief you can grow beyond your current abilities - was searched about 60,500 times per month. 100% of the searches were done by people aged 18 - 64, with only 3.2% done by ages 55 - 64. In other words, of 60,500 searches on this important term, less than 2,000 searches were done by baby boomers.
Its opposite term, ‘fixed mindset’ - the belief you are stuck with your current abilities - was searched about 9,900 times per month. Again, 100% of the searches were done by people aged 18 - 64; only 6.1% of the searches were done by ages 55 - 64.
In a June 12, 2023, webinar, Navdeep Jassi, professional engineer and Project Management Professional, defined fixed mindset persons as obsessed with outcome whereas growth mindset persons are obsessed with the process and journey. I wondered if it was possible we baby boomers had been conditioned to view this stage of life as an end-of-our-potential outcome, instead of as a continuation of the journey to our full potential?
Fast forward to today. I’m 65 and learning how to run faster. I want to run the 2025 Nashville Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon in 2 hours and 10 minutes. It will be the fastest I’ve ever run a half marathon. In late December, I hurt a hip muscle. Doubts about a running future plagued me until I found a way to run wearing a hip support wrap. Growth mindset!
I’ve improved my nutrition and gym routine. Project management meetings, leadership trainings, and podcasts - all valuable resources as I journey toward my full potential. Just this last week, my husband and I perfected a homemade pizza. Growth mindset!
And ChatGPT is becoming a bestie. Today I asked ChatGPT to create a daily schedule through March 31st. ChatGPT asked a few clarifying questions, which I answered. Within moments, a schedule was created that assigned time blocks for work tasks and personal time. Without a growth mindset, I would be stuck thinking I have to labor for hours trying to figure out a workable schedule.
Thank you, growth mindset!
Not familiar with growth and fixed mindsets? Carol Dweck, Ph.D., is a psychologist and professor who completed multiple studies on children in learning environments. She found the fixed mindset vs the growth mindset played a significant role in learning success.
Specifically, Dweck found:
Children with fixed mindsets viewed every situation as an end-of-the-road scenario with either/or outcomes: they either succeeded or failed, were smart or dumb, were accepted or rejected, or won or lost. As a result of this mindset, they:
Avoided challenges
Gave up easily
Saw effort as fruitless
Ignored constructive criticism
Felt threatened by others’ successes
Children with growth mindsets, on the other hand, viewed every situation as an opportunity to build upon existing intelligence and personality. They:
Embraced challenges
Demonstrated resilience when setbacks presented themselves
Believed mastery was possible through effort
Learned from criticism
Were inspired by, and learned from, the success of others
Dweck also learned that teaching children a growth mindset - focusing on the process of learning, instead of the outcome (i.e., smart or dumb) - significantly improved their ability to achieve higher levels of their potential.
Operational excellence begins with clarity on workflows and procedures.
This blog was co-written by a human and ChatGPT and edited by a human!
© 2025 Lori K. Barbeau