Stuck or Soaring

Picture yourself at the starting line of a race you’ve always wanted to run. The path ahead is clear, the finish line visible, yet you can’t move forward. Why? Because something invisible, yet incredibly powerful, is holding you back. For many of us, that hidden force is our own fixed mindset. It’s the silent saboteur that convinces us our abilities are set in stone, that growth is for others, and that risk is too dangerous. But what if the true key to breaking free isn’t just about changing your mindset, but also about building a hidden strength…your adaptability? In both our personal and professional lives, adaptability may be the overlooked muscle that empowers us to make the leap from stuck to soaring. The real question is: are you stuck, or are you ready to soar by embracing adaptability and the mindset shift that changes everything?

What Is a Fixed Mindset?

Psychologist Carol Dweck, who pioneered the research on mindsets, defines a fixed mindset as the belief that your abilities, intelligence, and talents are innate and unchangeable. People with a fixed mindset think, “I am who I am,” and that’s that. They avoid challenges, fear failure, and see effort as fruitless because they believe their natural abilities set their limits.

In contrast, a growth mindset embraces the idea that skills and intelligence can be developed through dedication, effort, and learning. But to truly activate a growth mindset, you need the ability to adapt; because growth always means change, and change requires adaptability.

Adaptability: The Hidden Key to Growth

Recent research highlights adaptability as a critical driver of success in today’s rapidly changing world. Ross Thornley’s work on AQ, or Adaptability Quotient, explores how our ability to adapt – more than IQ or EQ – determines how well we navigate uncertainty, embrace new challenges, and thrive in dynamic environments. Thornley’s book, Decoding AQ: Adaptability Quotient –  Your Greatest Superpower, argues that adaptability is not just a trait, but a skill that can be measured, developed, and strengthened over time.

How Do You Know If You’re Adaptable?

Ask yourself:

• Do I embrace change, or do I resist it?
• When faced with setbacks, do I pivot and try new approaches, or do I get stuck in old patterns?
• Am I curious and open to learning, even when it’s uncomfortable?
• Can I remain flexible in the face of uncertainty?

If you find yourself struggling in these areas, you’re not alone. Adaptability can be thought of as a muscle that requires intentional effort to build. The more you flex it, the more resilient and growth-oriented you become.

How Your Fixed Mindset Holds You Back

Fear of Failure Becomes a Cage: When you believe your abilities are fixed, failure feels like a judgment on your worth. This fear paralyzes you, making you avoid risks and challenges that are essential for growth. Without adaptability, you’re less likely to recover from setbacks or explore new solutions.

Stagnation in Personal Development: Without the willingness to learn and adapt, your skills plateau. You stop seeking feedback or new experiences because you think, “Why bother? I can’t change.” This mindset limits your ability to evolve as a leader, professional, and individual.

Damaged Relationships and Leadership: Fixed mindset leaders often resist feedback and struggle to empower their teams. They may see others’ success as a threat rather than inspiration. This creates a toxic environment that stifles collaboration and creativity.

Missed Opportunities for Success: Growth and success in business and life often come from perseverance through setbacks. A fixed mindset blinds you to the value of persistence, making you give up too soon or avoid trying altogether.

Building Your Adaptability Muscle

Just as you wouldn’t run a marathon without training your body, you can’t expect to shift from a fixed to a growth mindset without strengthening your adaptability muscle. Thornley’s research suggests that adaptability can be developed through deliberate practice:

• Expose Yourself to New Experiences: Seek out situations that push you out of your comfort zone.
• Practice Reframing: View challenges as opportunities to learn, not threats to your identity.
• Reflect Regularly: After facing change, ask yourself what you learned and how you can apply it next time.
• Stay Curious: Make learning a habit, not a one-time event.
• Build Resilience: Develop strategies to manage stress and recover from setbacks more quickly.

The stronger your adaptability, the more confidently you can pursue growth—even when the path is uncertain.

Breaking Free: How to Make the Mindset Shift

Recognize Your Fixed Mindset Triggers: Pay attention to moments when you avoid challenges, dismiss feedback, or feel threatened by others’ success. Awareness is the first step to change.

Reframe Challenges as Opportunities: Instead of fearing failure, view it as a learning experience. Ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” or “How can this make me better?”

Celebrate Effort Over Innate Talent: Praise yourself and others for hard work, persistence, and progress rather than just natural ability. This reinforces a growth-oriented approach.

Seek Feedback and Act on It: Constructive criticism is a powerful tool for growth. Embrace it with curiosity rather than defensiveness.

Commit to Lifelong Learning and Adaptability: Invest time in developing new skills, expanding your knowledge, and stepping outside your comfort zone regularly. Remember, adaptability is the foundation that supports every step toward growth.

Your Choice

The most formidable barriers in life are rarely external. More often, it’s the beliefs we carry about ourselves, and our ability to adapt, that hold us back. A fixed mindset is a silent weight; one that quietly stifles ambition, creativity, and fulfillment. But adaptability is the hidden key that unlocks your potential. By choosing to cultivate both a growth mindset and a high Adaptability Quotient, you open the door to new possibilities, greater resilience, and a richer, more rewarding journey. The transformation starts with a single decision: to believe that you can change, grow, and adapt…so you can move from stuck to soaring.

Actionable Takeaway

Start today by identifying one area in your life where you feel “stuck.” Ask yourself: What would I do differently if I believed I could improve with effort, learning, and adaptability? Then, take one small action; seek feedback, try a new approach, or tackle a challenge you’ve been avoiding. Remember, the journey from stuck to soaring begins when you build your adaptability muscle and embrace the mindset shift that changes everything.