Hey folks!
We’re a week into our December book, Mindset by Carol S. Dweck.
How are you finding it so far?
We’ve packed this email edition with a number of great resources from Carol Dweck as well as some short summaries on the lessons so far — make sure you check out her TedTalk in particular.
If you’ve not yet kicked it off, there is still plenty of time left in the month for you to get started. Particularly seeing as our December book club call will actually be in Early Jan. So you’ve got loads of time!
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﹅ Key highlights from Mindset so far…
Now that we’re roughly a quarter of the way into Mindset, a few themes are already standing out. Here are three key takeaways that are shaping how we’re thinking about growth, challenge and the stories we tell ourselves.
The penny-drop moment about fixed vs growth mindsets
Right from the beginning, Dweck draws a clear contrast between the two mindsets, and it is a bit of an eye opener. You start spotting the fixed mindset everywhere: in how people react to mistakes, in how they talk about talent, and even in how you frame your own wins and wobbles. It’s a simple idea, but it has big ripple effects once you start noticing it in daily life.
Why effort is not a dirty word
One of the strongest early themes is the reframing of effort. Instead of something you resort to when you’re “not naturally good” at something, effort is presented as the route to mastery. It is the thing that moves you forward. This shift alone makes you look at challenges very differently and gives you permission to lean in rather than hold back.
How your inner voice shapes everything
Dweck introduces the idea that the mindset you hold quietly nudges every choice you make. The stories you tell yourself about your ability, your intelligence, your prospects… they all stack up. You can already see how making small tweaks to that inner dialogue can open doors you had mentally shut.
What’s been your biggest “aha” of the book so far?
● Additional resources
Here are some great resources that [Author] has put out it to the world if you’re thirsty for more!
TedTalk: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve
Dweck’s short talk introducing growth vs fixed mindsets. Easily digestible and a great supplement to the book.
A Summary of Growth and Fixed Mindsets
No time to read the full book over the holidays? This summary will get you up to speed in a few minutes.
► Join the conversation
What Bad Ass Bookshelf members are saying
We’re building an incredible community over on our Bad Ass Bookshelf Discord channel where over 110 of you have joined in the fun (it’s free BTW).
Here are some of the chats we’ve been having:
Some excellent book recommendations - for both fiction and non-fiction
How we’re getting on with reading this month’s book
Introductions from a diverse set of non-fiction book-fans like ourselves!
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These comments come straight from our private Discord community, where our Bad Ass Bookworms chat all month long.
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♦︎ Next book club call
We're so excited to host our next Bad Ass Bookshelf bookclub call to discuss Mindset at the beginning of January! Call details below:
Date: Tuesday 6th December
Time: 17:00 GMT (12:00 EST / 09:00 PST)
Participation in our monthly bookclub calls is exclusive to our Bad Ass Bookworm members. Join today!
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