Assignment 21A - Reading Reflection No. 2

1) What was the general theme or argument of the book?

Carol Dweck and her colleagues' research have discovered a simple belief that can guide and direct nearly every part of our lives. It has to do with your mindset aka the view you have of your qualities and characteristics - where they come from and whether or not they can change. Dweck defined two types of mindsets that represent extreme sides from each end of the spectrum. A fixed mindset is developed through believing your qualities are what they are, and you have no ability to change that. Intelligence, personality, and creativity are some examples of these types of characteristics. A growth mindset develops through believing that your qualities can be shaped through different amounts of effort and time put in to enhancing them. Aptitude, talents, and interests are all examples of the types of qualities you can change through experience. Dweck talked about being somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, and different experiences or times in your life when you may veer towards one extreme or the other. Your mindset will vary with each different experience.

2) How did the book, in your opinion, connect with and enhance what you are learning in ENT 3003?

Being an entrepreneur, it's extremely important to be flexible and adaptable in your attempts to solve problems. You may come in thinking you have an incredible solution, but when put into practice, being firm in your goals but flexible in your execution will result in finding the most optimal way to achieve your goal. Allowing your views to change with each experience will allow that type of mindset to guide you in that area. 

3) If you had to design an exercise for this class, based on the book you read, what would that exercise involve?

If I were going to design an exercise for this class, I would create a list of scenarios that an entrepreneur may experience in the first year and ask the class to use different mindsets to adapt to those challenges. 

4) What was your biggest surprise or 'aha' moment when reading the book? In other words, what did you learn that differed most from your expectations?

There wasn't anything that surprised me, but I enjoyed reading the chapters that dove into different aspects of life, such as an athletic approach, a business approach, and a relationship approach with these different mindsets. It was nice that Dweck included these chapters in her book because it allowed me to relate back to my own life and see how I could adopt her practices into my own life.