Growth Mindset: Types of Mistakes

"Our ability to manage and learn from mistakes is not fixed. We can improve it."

The Four Types of Mistakes:

    Stretch Mistakes: Occur as a result of trying something new, these types of mistakes happen because we are attempting something beyond our current skillset. These mistakes expand our ability to do something new by showing us a new way not to. The Zone of Proximal Development: the zone slightly beyond what we already can do without help. These are GOOD. Reflect, identify, adjust.
 
  Aha! Moment Mistakes: Also positive, yet more difficult to do/anticipate. When you do what you wanted to, but you find out later that it was wrong. The examples given included trying to extinguish fire with alcohol or calling a relative to wish them a happy birthday on the wrong day. Believe me, I am very familiar with this particular mistake, as my Great Aunt Grace's birthday is a day next to mine, but two years ago I thought it was the day after, and called her then (Oct. 24). Unfortunately, and to my eternal embarrassment, her birthday is the 22nd, the day before mine, and I had completely goofed by not calling her then. Fortunately, the reflective component of the Aha! mistake ensured that I haven't mis-remembered Aunt Grace's birthday since. Thus, GOOD.
   
    Sloppy Mistakes: When we do something we already know, but mess up due to a lack of focus. These are not desirable, but can be turned into Aha! moment mistakes when we reflect upon and implement ways to improve (eg. more sleep, less background interference, etc.).
   
    High-Stakes Mistakes: This category is built for the life-threatening mistakes, like being a risk-taking bus driver or the head of a nuclear power plant. Occasionally, however, we can consider performance situations (concerts, auditions, tests, championship games), to be high-stakes as well. I could really relate to this one, as I've been involved in music/athletics/theatre all my life, and had my fair share of experience with stage fright. It can be hard to redeem these mishaps, as only hard work put in before can prevent them before they happen.
 
"We're all fortunate to be able to enjoy growth and learning throughout life, no matter what our current level of ability is. Nobody can ever take that source of fulfillment away from us."

Final points: Not all mistakes are good ones, and learning from them does not just happen automatically. We need to reflect on our own and strive to be more precise in understanding and communication to improve overall learning.

I really appreciated this article because my initial misgiving with the growth mindset theory was that of viewing all mistakes as opportunities to grow. While I appreciate the positivity of that approach, I had difficulty framing some past mistakes in such a happy light. I liked the way this article delineated the different types of mistakes and subsequent desirability/learnability presented by each. I enjoyed the additional insight into growth mindset and will definitely do my best to implement the article's recommendations in the future.

Image Info: A graphical representation of the Four Types of Mistakes.
Source: MindsetWorks.com. Link.

Article: Briceño, Eduardo. Mindset Works. Why Understanding These Four Types of Mistakes Can Help Us Learn. Source: Mindshift. Link.