Developing a Growth Mindset Worksheet (Free PDF Download)

Developing a Growth Mindset Worksheet example

Download the worksheet (PDF)

What is the Developing a Growth Mindset worksheet?

The Developing a Growth Mindset worksheet is a one-page handout rather than an exercise. It sets the growth and fixed positions side by side, then gives four tips: Embrace Challenges, Learn from Criticism, Set Realistic Goals and Use Positive Language. Each tip carries two concrete lines under it.

How to use the Developing a Growth Mindset worksheet

Hand this out as homework after a session where a client has treated a setback as proof of a fixed limit. Ask them to mark which side of the Growth Mindset and Fixed Mindset pair matched their self-talk that week. Then work through the Tips for Developing a Growth Mindset one at a time, since four at once produces agreement without change. Your clients can bring back one written example of criticism they reframed.

Developing a Growth Mindset Worksheet Download – What’s Included

The download is one printable page. It opens with a short definition of a growth mindset, then a two-column contrast: abilities developed through effort and practice against abilities treated as static. Below that sit the four tips, each with two supporting lines, including breaking big goals into smaller steps and replacing negative self-talk with positive language.

Based on Carol Dweck’s mindset research. Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

Frequently asked questions

What are the four steps to developing a growth mindset?

The sheet lists four: Embrace Challenges, Learn from Criticism, Set Realistic Goals and Use Positive Language. Each is paired with something to do, such as breaking a large goal into smaller steps or replacing negative self-talk. They are habits rather than stages, so there is no fixed order to follow.

What is the difference between a growth and a fixed mindset?

On the sheet a growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be developed through effort and practice. A fixed mindset holds that abilities are static and cannot be changed. The distinction matters in session because it shapes what a client does after a setback.

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Your Author

Tracy Collins, LCP

Tracy Collins is a licensed clinical psychologist with over six years of direct clinical experience in outpatient and telehealth settings. She specializes in cognitive behavioral therapy, structured treatment planning, and measurable therapy outcomes. Tracy has extensive experience writing SOAP and DAP notes, developing insurance-compliant treatment plans, and aligning documentation with ICD-10 and DSM-5-TR diagnostic criteria. Her clinical approach integrates cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, behavioral activation, exposure-based interventions, and mindfulness-based strategies to create structured and outcome-driven therapy plans. At Mentalyc, Tracy supports therapists by creating educational resources that simplify documentation workflows and improve treatment plan defensibility during audits.