101 Growth Mindset Phrases to Ponder

Here you will find 101 of the BEST growth mindset phrases to ponder for encouragement, self-confidence, positivity, and personal growth. They are applicable to children, teens, and adults!

A growth mindset is a great strategy for personal development and becoming the fabulous person you want to be! Maintain a growth mindset consistently and you will learn to believe in yourself and do anything you set your mind to do! A growth mindset will also help you develop flexible thinking skills that help you live a happier and more successful life!

What is a Growth Mindset Phrase?

A growth mindset phrase speaks to the concept and purpose of a Growth Mindset.

It is a phrase or statement that suggests people can improve themselves through hard work and effort.

These statements are often encouraging and promote a positive attitude toward accomplishing something that may be challenging.

They may also offer reminders about self confidence, achieving your goals, and the importance of a maintaining a positive attitude.

These phrases may also use growth mindset language that includes words that empower and support.

gold mindset letters with coral arrow going up coral frame and shades of coral and green flowers

Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset

I learned about growth mindset back in 2007 when Carol Dweck first coined the term. It was a new buzzword in schools across the country while I was teaching and going into school administration. It was significant in the field of social emotional health, as well.

These are simplistic definitions of growth mindset and fixed mindset as I have come to know these terms through my work over the past 14 years.


Growth Mindset Definition: A belief that you can accomplish your goals, desires, and dreams through hard work, self-confidence, effort, and a positive attitude. Your intelligence and potential is not limited or fixed. You can grown in unlimited ways. You confront failure with an attitude that you just need to try harder.

Fixed Mindset Definition: A belief that your intelligence is fixed. Some things you can do and some things you will never be able to do. You shy away from challenges and you live your life without expecting to ever reach a higher potential. You confront failure with a attitude of giving up rather than trying harder.


For a couple of years, almost every Staff Development meeting in my schools was about Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset. Any educational conference I attended included multiple sessions about Growth Mindset.

All classrooms were reflective of the concept, with posters and growth mindset words on display everywhere.

fixed minset and growth mindset words on a yellow and pink background

Teachers used growth mindset words of encouragement; classrooms often had growth mindset slogans; there were growth mindset quotes on the walls around school buildings; growth mindset vocabulary words and growth mindset praise phrases were being used everywhere while everyone was developing a growth mindset.

To be honest, many educators thought it was just another trendy educational term that would go away in a couple of years.

But today, we know that’s not the case. Almost everyone is at least somewhat familiar with the concept of a growth mindset.

Related Article: Hard Working Women: Books, Blogs, and Boss Babes

drawings of children with various facial expressions that represent fixed mindset and growth mindset with thought bubbles

Carol Dweck wrote a great article for Harvard Business Review in 2016 that explained her theory in easy terms… you can check it out here for more about growth mindset.

Growth Mindset Phrases that Nurture Self-Confidence

As a retired educator and a personal growth and development writer, I have a unique perspective about growth mindset.

I’ve worked with parents, educators, families, and students to develop the concept of growth mindset. Now I write about growth mindset and related topics for self-improvement.

Really, who wants to have a fixed mindset when there is so much to learn and do in this big beautiful world around us?

However, interestingly, I often see labels and titles such as:

  • Growth Mindset Phrases for Kids
  • Growth Mindset Phrases for Teachers
  • Positive Growth Mindset Phrases
  • Growth Mindset Phrases for Parents
  • Growth Mindset Phrases for Adults
  • Phrases for Growth Mindset
  • Growth Mindset Phrases for Students
  • Growth Mindset Phrases for Classrooms

You get the idea… for women… for successful people… for motivation… for inspiration… etc… etc… etc.

But I do not believe there is a need to differentiate between growth mindsets for special populations. I’ve been living a growth mindset lifestyle for 14 years and I believe the words we use and apply to a growth mindset are applicable to EVERYONE.

In fact, I’ve always believed that growth mindset practices and phrases globally apply to self-confidence and positivity in all human beings.

While words may differ slightly to help children understand, the global concept of growth, self confidence, and positivity is what comes to mind when I think of a growth mindset.

Therefore, you’ll see that I have clumped all of my favorite growth mindset phrases together for you to ponder. I’ve added some inspirational mindset quotes at the bottom, as well. Some were on display in my classrooms and offices. Others are on display in my home today. Some are words I’ve written about here on my blog. But all of them have special meaning to me. And I hope you’ll find them meaningful, as well.

growth is always good and a white tree with flowers on it on a pink and coral background

Growth Mindset Words of Encouragement

The first 75 growth mindset statements are not attributed to any particular person. They are followed by 26 growth mindset quotes with attribution.

1. Always believe that something wonderful it about to happen.

2. Stop waiting to live.

3. Be the BEST version of yourself.

4. The best is yet to come.

5. Make your DREAMS happen.

6. I can and I will.

7. DREAM BIG.

8. Mistakes help us learn.

9. You belong right where you are.

10. You become what you believe.

11. All things are difficult before they are easy.

12. Be yourself always.

13. Embrace imperfection.

14. You are enough.

15. You will never regret being KIND.

16. Today is THE DAY.

17. You can always BEGIN AGAIN.

18. Think HAPPY THOUGHTS.

Pin to Pinterest for Later

19. Believe in yourself.

20. Just don’t quit.

21. We become what we think about.

22. Enjoy your journey.

23. Smile. Laugh. Love.

24. Listen to your spirit.

25. You are stronger than you think.

happy female teenagers holds two thought bubbles with mindset quotes

26. Good things take time.

27. Have courage and be brave.

28. Let me try it another way.

29. I’m on the right track.

30. I’m just getting started!

31. Is this my BEST work?

32. I will improve with practice.

33. I get a little better everyday!

34. Success doesn’t happen overnight.

35. Never stop learning.

36. I am in control of my emotions.

37. I deserve to be HAPPY.

38. Stand up for what you believe in.

39. Today I am going to be my BEST self.

40. I like myself for who I am.

41. I am grateful for all I have in my life.

42. I am open and ready to be positive.

43. Challenges make me better.

44. I’ll try a different way!

45. What can I learn from this situation?

46. It’s okay to not know, but it’s not okay to not try.

47. You only fail if you give up.

48. Everything you don’t know is something you can learn.

49. Mistakes are proof that you are TRYING.

50. I can overcome challenges with EFFORT.

happy young woman with headphones listening to music with dream big words

51. I can train my brain.

52. Self-reflection will help me SUCCEED.

53. Be your own kind of BEAUTIFUL.

54. You are KIND…. you are SMART…. you are BEAUTIFUL.

55. Believe you CAN and you’re halfway there!

56. You don’t have to be PERFECT to be AMAZING.

57. Exercise your brain by thinking hard.

58. Try new things.

59. See mistakes as ways to LEARN.

60. Make the effort and push yourself. You can do it!

61. I always persevere. Even when I’m frustrated.

62. My effort and attitude determine EVERYTHING.

63. I’ll just laugh this off and start over!

64. Always be HUMBLE and KIND.

65. Tomorrow is a NEW DAY!

66. Be like a duck. Shake it off.

67. You have made it through all the worst days of your life.

68. I may not be there yet but I’m on the right track!

69. Worrying about my mistakes is a waste of my time.

70. Treat everyday like it’s an adventure!

71. Dream higher than the stars.

72. Plant KINDNESS wherever you go.

73. I’m not wrong. I just need to revisit my opinions.

74. I refuse to give up on myself.

75. I know I’m on the right path.

white letters spell positive on a peach background with flowers at the top and bottom of the image

Mindset Quotes with Attribution

76. It’s not that I’m so smart. It’s just that I stay with it longer. ~ Albert Einstein

77. I haven’t failed. I’ve just found ten thousand ways that don’t work. ~ Thomas Edison

78. To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. ~ Joseph Chilton Pearce

79. If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake. ~ Frank Wilczek

80. I am not afraid of storms for I am learning to sail my ship. ~ Louisa May Alcott

81. The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem. ~ Captain Jack Sparrow

82. Whether you think you CAN or think you CAN’T, you are RIGHT. ~ Henry Ford

83. Just because you haven’t found your talent yet, doesn’t mean you don’t have one. ~ Kermit the Frog

84. We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them. ~ Albert Einstein

85. It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop. ~ Confucius

86. Rule your mind or it will rule you. ~ Buddha

87. The best way to gain self-confidence is to do what you’re afraid to do. ~ Swati Sharma

growth mindset quote on a cloud of peach coral and gold watercolors

88. I am still a work in progress and hope to always be. ~ Lupita Nyong’o

89. We cannot become what we want by remaining who we are. ~ Max Dupree

90. I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. ~ Vincent Van Gogh

91. There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in a different direction. ~ Oprah

92. Everything I need is already within me. ~ Louise Hay

93. Sometimes you win, sometimes you LEARN. ~ John C Maxwell

94. Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try. ~ John F Kennedy

95. It’s not about being the best. It’s about being better than you were yesterday. ~ Jigoro Kano

96. It’s kind of fun to do the impossible! ~ Walt Disney

97. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. ~ Kelly Clarkson

florals in shades of pink with a mindset quote

98. We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light. ~ Mary Dunbar

99. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain. ~ Vivian Greene

100. Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you. ~ Bethany Hamilton

101. Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss it you will land among the stars. ~ Les Brown

Final Thoughts

Number 101 is the quote I had in my email signature block for many years before I retired. It’s always been one of my favorite mindset quotes.

As you can see, there are phrase and quotes that use child-friendly language and others that will be more meaningful to adults. But either way, they all have significant meaning and application to developing a growth mindset.

Mindset is simply a way of thinking.

Are you someone who believes you have limited potential?

Or are you someone who believes there are ways to accomplish great things?

Do you tend to be a positive person? Or a negative person?

It is all connected to MINDSET and has the potential to shape our lives in so many ways.

post it notes scatters about with a lightbult cutout and change your mindset note

I named this article Growth Mindset Phrases to Ponder because even the most positive people sometimes need reminders when things get tough.

We can all use some time to ponder the meaning of these valuable words whether we just need a reminder, or whether we are seeking to develop an improved growth mindset.

I believe in you! You should believe in you, too!

For additional reading, you may enjoy these related articles that speak to mindset:

I Challenge You To Be a Difference Maker

Celebrate Life Every Day

Intentional Ways to Improve Your Happiness

If you found value in this article, please share it with others who may need the encouragement and support.

Thanks for reading! You got this!

Love to ALL! ~Susan

101 Growth Mindset Phrases to Ponder: Do You Believe in a Growth Mindset? Why or Why Not?

If you found value in my words, please consider sharing it on your socials by clicking the buttons below. Thank you for your continued support! It means so much to me!

4 Comments

    1. What an excellent idea! I learned about Growth Mindset and Carol Dweck when I was still teaching in the classroom. You could get some high-level thinking out of your students! Thanks for visiting Sassy Sister Stuff!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *