Growth Mindset: How Thinking Like Eileen Gu Leads to Greatness
- Professor Puddlewick
- Feb 19
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 27
"Do you see these as two silvers gained or two goals lost?"
That's the question a reporter asked Eileen Gu after she won her silver medal in the big air event at the Olympics. It wasn't her first Olympic medal - it was her fifth. The question had an edge to it, like maybe silver wasn't good enough.
Her response? Absolute gold.
"I'm the most decorated female free skier in history. I think that's an answer in and of itself. Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else's expectations rise... I'm showcasing my best skiing. I'm doing things that quite literally have never been done before. And so I think that is more than good enough."
This is what a growth mindset looks like in action. And it's exactly the kind of thinking that separates people who crumble under pressure from people who rise to greatness.
What's Really Going On: The Two Types of Mindset
Psychologist Carol Dweck spent decades researching why some people thrive when facing challenges while others give up. She discovered two fundamentally different ways people think about their abilities (Dweck, 2006).
Fixed Mindset
People with a fixed mindset believe their talents and intelligence are set in stone. You're either naturally good at something or you're not. When they face setbacks, they see it as proof of their limitations.
Fixed mindset thinking sounds like:
"I'm just not a maths person."
"I failed, so I must be stupid."
"If I have to try hard, it means I'm not talented."
"Other people's success makes me feel threatened."
Growth Mindset
People with a growth mindset believe abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. They see challenges as opportunities to improve. Setbacks are just feedback, not failure.
Growth mindset thinking sounds like:
"I'm not good at this yet, but I can learn."
"This is hard, which means my brain is growing."
"Mistakes help me improve."
"Other people's success shows me what's possible."
Notice how Eileen didn't define herself by what colour medal she won. She focused on what she accomplished: making history, doing things never done before, and showcasing her best work. That's pure growth mindset.
Try This: Building Your Own Growth Mindset
1. Catch your fixed mindset voice
Start noticing when your brain defaults to fixed mindset language. When you think "I can't do this" or "I'm just not good at that," pause. You've just spotted your fixed mindset.
Then add one powerful word: yet.
"I'm not good at public speaking yet."
"I haven't figured out this chemistry problem yet."
"My essay skills aren't strong yet."
That tiny word changes everything. It opens the door to possibility.
2. Reframe failure as feedback
Eileen didn't see her silver medals as failures - she saw them as evidence of her incredible achievements. You can do the same with your setbacks.
When something doesn't go as planned, ask yourself:
What did I learn from this experience?
What would I do differently next time?
What skills did I develop, even if the outcome wasn't perfect?
Is there something valuable in this setback?
3. Celebrate effort, not just outcomes
Research shows that when we praise effort rather than talent, people develop stronger growth mindsets (Mueller & Dweck, 1998). Do this for yourself, too.
Instead of: "I'm so smart, I aced that test!"
Try: "I'm proud of how much I studied and the strategies I used."
Instead of: "I'm just naturally bad at sport."
Try: "I've been working on my fitness and I can already run further than last month."
4. Study how others overcame obstacles
Eileen's response is powerful because she put her achievement in context. She acknowledged how hard it is to win five Olympic medals, how expectations rise, and how she's doing things never done before.
Look for stories of people who struggled before succeeding:
J.K. Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers before Harry Potter was accepted
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team
Einstein didn't speak until he was four and was considered slow as a child
These stories remind us that struggle is part of the path to greatness, not evidence you're on the wrong path.
5. Set process goals, not just outcome goals
Outcome goals are about results: "Get an A in English." Process goals are about what you'll do: "Read for 20 minutes every night and review my notes before class."
Process goals are growth mindset gold because they're within your control. Eileen focused on "showcasing my best skiing" and "doing things that have never been done before" - both process-focused achievements.
Real-Life Examples: Growth Mindset at School
In class:
Your teacher returns a maths test and you got 60%. Fixed mindset says: "I'm terrible at maths." Growth mindset says: "OK, which questions did I get wrong? What do I need to practice? Can I meet with the teacher to understand where I went wrong?"
With friends:
Your best mate makes the debating team and you don't. Fixed mindset thinks: "They're naturally better than me." Growth mindset thinks: "What did they do to prepare that I could learn from? How can I improve for next time?"
In sport:
You're the slowest runner in PE. Fixed mindset says: "I'm just not athletic." Growth mindset says: "If I train consistently, I'll get faster. Let me focus on beating my own time, not everyone else's."
Why Growth Mindset Leads to Greatness
Here's the thing: Eileen Gu didn't become the most decorated female free skier in history because she was born with some magical talent no one else has. She got there because she embraced challenge, worked incredibly hard, learned from setbacks, and refused to let other people's expectations define her success.
Growth mindset doesn't guarantee you'll win Olympic medals (let's be real). But it does guarantee you'll:
Bounce back from setbacks faster
Keep trying when things get hard
Learn more and improve more consistently
Feel less threatened by others' success
Enjoy the process, not just the outcome
Reach higher levels of achievement over time
And honestly? That sounds like greatness to me.
Quick Recap
Growth mindset believes abilities can be developed through effort and learning, while fixed mindset believes talents are set in stone.
Eileen Gu's response to criticism is a masterclass in growth mindset - focusing on personal achievement and progress rather than external expectations.
You can build a growth mindset by using the word "yet," reframing failure as feedback, celebrating effort, and setting process goals.
Vocabulary
Exponentially – Increasing at a very fast and accelerating rate.
Showcasing – Presenting something in a way that highlights its strengths.
Crumble – To lose confidence or control under pressure.
Thrive – To grow, succeed, or do well.
Fundamentally – In a basic or essential way.
Setback – A difficulty or failure that slows progress.
Reframe – To think about something in a different, more helpful way.
Embrace – To accept something willingly, even if it is challenging.
Discussion
Understanding the Situation
Why do you think the reporter asked Eileen Gu whether she saw her medals as “two silvers gained or two goals lost”?
How might that question have made her feel?
What made her response powerful?
Fixed vs Growth Mindset
In your own words, what is the difference between fixed mindset and growth mindset?
Which mindset focuses more on effort and learning?
Why can a fixed mindset make pressure feel heavier?
How did Eileen’s response show growth mindset thinking?
Self-Talk & “Yet”
What does adding the word “yet” change about a sentence?
Turn this fixed mindset thought into a growth mindset one:
“I’m bad at maths.”
“I can’t speak in front of people.”
“I’m not athletic.”
What is one “yet” statement you could apply to your life right now?
Failure & Feedback
Why do many people see setbacks as proof they’re not good enough?
What is the difference between failure and feedback?
Think of a recent setback — what could you learn from it?
Process vs Outcome Goals
What is the difference between a process goal and an outcome goal?
Why are process goals more within your control?
What is one process goal you could set this week for school, sport, or music?
Handling Expectations
Why do expectations increase as someone becomes more successful?
How can focusing on other people’s expectations hurt your mindset?
What would it look like to define success by your own progress instead?
Personal Reflection
When have you felt discouraged because you didn’t get the result you wanted?
Did you react with fixed mindset or growth mindset thinking?
What would you say to a friend who feels like silver isn’t “good enough”?
What is one area of your life where you want to develop more grit?
References
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
Dweck, C. S. (2010). Mind-sets and equitable education. Principal Leadership, 10(5), 26-29.
Blackwell, L. S., Trzesniewski, K. H., & Dweck, C. S. (2007). Implicit theories of intelligence predict achievement across an adolescent transition: A longitudinal study and an intervention. Child Development, 78(1), 246-263.
Mueller, C. M., & Dweck, C. S. (1998). Praise for intelligence can undermine children's motivation and performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75(1), 33-52.
Yeager, D. S., & Dweck, C. S. (2012). Mindsets that promote resilience: When students believe that personal characteristics can be developed. Educational Psychologist, 47(4), 302-314.
Claro, S., Paunesku, D., & Dweck, C. S. (2016). Growth mindset tempers the effects of poverty on academic achievement. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(31), 8664-8668.
Yeager, D. S., Hanselman, P., Walton, G. M., et al. (2019). A national experiment reveals where a growth mindset improves achievement. Nature, 573(7774), 364-369.
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