Insight: Why We Are Less Self-Aware Than We Think—and What to Do About It

by Tasha Eurich

APPENDIX M Do You Have a Learn-Well or Do-Well Mindset? As you read in chapter 5, when faced with a challenging task, seeing it as an opportunity for learning (a “learn-well” mindset”) rather than performance (a “do-well” mindset) can stop us from ruminating in the face of failure—and at the same time help us improve our performance. To see which mindset you gravitate toward, read the statements below and circle the ones that apply to you. When making your selections, try to look at how you’re actually behaving, rather than how you wish to behave. I like it when my colleagues know how well I’m doing on a project. I am willing to select challenging work assignments that will help me improve my skills. I’d be more likely to choose to work on a project I know I can do well than experiment with a new project. I often look for ways to improve my knowledge. I tend to avoid situations where I might not perform well. I like to set challenging goals I might not meet versus easy goals I know I can surpass. When others are trying to solve a problem, I enjoy it when I already know the answer. I prefer to work in environments with extremely high expectations. If you found yourself circling more odd-numbered questions, you’re more likely to have a do-well mindset, and if you circled more even-numbered ones, you probably have a learn-well one.