Scientists define the main attributes of strong-willed people

Forget the fountain of youth – researchers in Norway believe they have found the recipe for success.

Two professors from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) decided to determine what personality traits are needed to become good at something.

Their study found that those with more willpower also tend to have one important attribute – and that’s a matter of positive thinking.

They had more than 1,500 participants fill out a questionnaire measuring their passion, mind and mindset. Respondents ranged in age from 13 to 77, with an average age of 26.

The researchers were most interested in the participants with the highest and lowest mindset scores. Those with a positive attitude have what researchers call a “growth mindset,” meaning they believe intelligence and skills can be developed through hard work, dedication, and effort—and see setbacks as opportunities to grow. and improved.

A “fixed mindset,” on the other hand, means that you believe that intelligence, talents, and personality are innate and cannot be changed—no matter how hard you try. You tend to avoid challenges, give up when things are difficult, and take constructive criticism as a personal attack.

“We find big differences in passion and determination when we compare the 5% who have the most positive attitude with the 5% who are the most negative,” said Hermundur Sigmundsson, a professor in NTNU’s Department of Psychology.

People who believe they will succeed are much more passionate and have greater willpower than those who don’t, Sigmundsson added.

It is important to learn what drives these positive or negative attitudes. This information can be used to understand how to increase motivation, pursue long-term goals, and sustain effort.

Sigmundsson calls this “getting the feeling I CAN.”

“It could be argued that the growth mindset should be pervasive in our society,” Sigmundsson wrote in the new research, recently published in the journal Acta Psychologica. “Like in schools, in sports, at work and within the walls of the family”.

How to develop a growth mindset

Purdue University has identified 10 ways to ditch a fixed mindset for a growth mindset.

• Become aware – notice what happens when you make a mistake or face an obstacle.
• Learn from others with a growth mindset – get their advice and feedback.
• Write down your goals so you have a better chance of achieving them.
• Prioritize these goals over focusing on your traits and abilities, which is the characteristic behavior of a fixed mindset.
• Accept new challenges – and remind yourself that they are opportunities to grow and learn.
• Change your perspective on failure, which is a chance to learn or discover something new.
• Be patient – progress is not linear. Regressing before progressing is part of the process.
• Celebrate the success of others – and ask them how they achieved it.
• Collect feedback from others – and use it to improve.
• Tell yourself that you may not be good at something yet – you just need more time and practice.