In this post, you will find the best collection of growth mindset quotes.
If you want to cultivate a growth mindset, you need to change your thinking from “I can’t” to “I can.”
It starts with positive self-talk, which births positive action and forward motion.
If you need a little help in that department, I’ve collected 55 growth mindset quotes to get you started on the right track.
What Is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is about appreciating effort rather than resenting failure. It’s the belief that you can achieve whatever you set your mind to through hard work, learning, and persistence.
A growth mindset encourages you to aim high while gracefully accepting any and all progress made—even if you didn’t quite hit your goal.
Mindset truly is everything. It’s the difference between do and don’t, can and can’t.
Unhealthy mindsets whisper, “I can’t do this.” A growth mindset declares, “I believe I can, so I will.”
A growth mindset isn’t always easy to come by. Like anything else in life, it must be practiced in order to achieve it.
That’s where inspirational quotes for a growth mindset come in handy.
My Favorite Growth Mindset Quotes
That Foster a Motivated Mind
Think of these growth mindset quotes for adults as a treasure box of inspiration, motivation, and encouragement that you can pull from anytime you need to up your drive.
1. “It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.” – Roy T. Bennett
Comfort zones are constraining. They limit you to what you already know. Little can be done unless you step beyond what’s comfortable into the glorious unknown.
2. “We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” – Rick Warren
This is a crucial point for a growth mindset. We all have a past, which is important for learning and growth. But we can’t allow ourselves to be a prisoner of it.
3. “Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”– Napoleon Hill
Don’t give up on a goal if you don’t achieve it on your first attempt. Press forward and try again, even if you have to struggle through it.
Struggle isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s certainly not the enemy. We all face challenges, and it’s only by struggling through them and coming out the other side victorious, that we grow in both strength and resilience.
4. “Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.” – Steve Maraboli
This is another quote that speaks to having a growth mindset.
If you focus on controlling what you do instead of envying others for what they do, you’ll make far greater progress in life.
5. “Out of your vulnerabilities will come your strength.” – Sigmund Freud
This short growth mindset quote may be small but it packs a powerful punch.
It highlights the fact that we all have weaknesses. Instead of focusing on perfection, celebrate your vulnerabilities for what they are—opportunities to grow bolder and stronger.
6. “When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter, say thank you and grow.” – Shauna Niequist
Sometimes life is good. Other times, not so much. That’s okay because it’s the cycle of life. Just as the world transitions through seasons, so do we.
We need to appreciate the good and grow from the bad.
7. “Every problem is a gift – without problems, we would not grow.” – Anthony Robbins
Positive thinking and growth mindset go hand in hand. The positive thinker sees every problem as an opportunity instead of an obstacle.
Obviously, this doesn’t come naturally. It’s something we need to intentionally pursue. Growth mindset slogans like this one can help us cultivate that positive mindset we crave.
(***I also encourage you to sign up for my e-mail group where we talk positivity weekly!)
8. “Anger makes you smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you are.”– Cherie Carter-Scott
When someone hurts me, I try to remember all the times in my past when I’ve needed forgiveness. If I want others to graciously grant me the forgiveness I seek, I need to freely forgive.
Staying angry only hurts you.
9. “The mind is just like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it gets and the more it can expand.” – Idowu Koyenikan
If you’re looking for a good growth mindset quote for students, this is it.
It paints a beautiful picture of the mind, and it’s natural design for growth. A strong mindset is just as important for students as it is for adults. The earlier it’s developed, the better!
10. “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” – Benjamin Franklin
This timeless advice is excellent for mental fitness and growth. Fight against your flaws, ever improving them, and grow in peace with others.
If you do those two things continually, you’ll find yourself a better person than you were ever before.
11. “Find out what a person fears most, and that is where he will develop next.” – C.G. Jung
We grow by overcoming obstacles. We experience exponential growth when we overcome those obstacles that are blanketed in fear.
Don’t be afraid to face your fears!
12. “Don’t let your habits become handcuffs” – Elizabeth Berg
Some growth mindset messages hit where it hurts, and this is one of them. I’m a creature of habit. How often do we allow habits to halt forward motion?
Don’t get me wrong. Some habits help us become more efficient and improve our performance. That said, we need to be willing to let go of any habits that restrain us.
13. “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor E. Frankl
If you can train yourself to respond instead of react, you place yourself in a position of poise and control, even under extreme circumstances.
14. “Every flower blooms at a different pace.” – Suzy Kassem
Try not to compare your growth to someone else’s. They are on a different path than you.
Comparison is truly the thief of joy. Instead, compare yourself today with who and where you were yesterday (or last year). Track your progress using your own mile markers.
15. “People are like dirt. They can either nourish you and help you grow as a person, or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.” – Plato
People can significantly impact your growth. Surrounding yourself with the right people is imperative to growth.
Choose wisely who you spend time with.
16. “Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.” – Benjamin Franklin
A growth mindset promotes success. The stagnant and complacent person doesn’t see the success they crave. If you aren’t growing, are you really living?
17. “When every situation which life can offer is turned to the profit of spiritual growth, no situation can really be a bad one.” – Paul Brunton
It’s easy to focus only on the physical – what we can see, touch, and hear. Because of its unseen nature, spiritual growth is often overlooked, but it is actually the catalyst behind every other form of growth.
18. “The only time you truly become an adult is when you finally forgive your parents for being just as flawed as everyone else.”– Douglas Kennedy
Sometimes, a fixed mindset comes from how we were raised. In such cases, the key to transitioning into a growth mindset often lies in letting go of the past.
It’s healthy as an adult to let go of old grudges.
19. “The greatest thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Let’s not be so focused on our current state that we lose sight of where we’re going. You may not have arrived at your desired destination, and that’s okay.
Find joy in the journey, keeping your eyes on the prize.
20. “Mistakes are the growing pains of wisdom.” – William Jordan
This powerful growth mindset quote highlights the fallacy of failure. So often, we equate mistakes with failure, but that’s simply not true.
Mistakes can be launchpads for growth. Learning from them is an essential part of success.
21. “We become aware of the void as we fill it.” – Antonio Porchia
Sometimes, we don’t know what’s missing from our lives until we find it. If you feel like something is missing, pursue something better even if you don’t know exactly what that looks like.
That said, remember that “things” don’t satisfy. Pursue love, joy, peace.
22. “Where we fall are the stepping-stones for our journey.” – Lolly Daskal
When you fall, you didn’t fail. Just get back up and try again. Faltering here and there means you’re moving, and moving is essential to growth.
23. “Growth and comfort do not coexist.” – Ginni Rometty
This is one of my all-time favorite powerful mindset quotes. It reminds us that growth can (and probably should) be uncomfortable.
24. “Ambition is the germ from which all growth of nobleness proceeds.” – Oscar Wilde
I love the phrasing Oscar Wilde used here. It reminds me of a seed and how it contains a plant within it. It just needs to be rooted, nurtured, and tended to.
If you allow ambition to take root in your life, it can birth all the features of success.
25. “Chaos in the world brings uneasiness, but it also allows the opportunity for creativity and growth.” – Tom Barrett
I’m sensing a theme here. Are you? Simply put, if you’re comfortable, you’re probably not growing (or going anywhere).
26. “If I can’t stay where I am, and I can’t, then I will put all that I can into the going.” – Jeanette Winterson
This quote highlights the difference between a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset. The fixed mindset is perfectly happy with staying put.
A growth mindset recognizes that you can’t stay where you are and still get to where you want to go.
27. “The finest steel has to go through the hottest fire.” – Richard M. Nixon
If you’re looking for some moving grit and growth mindset quotes, go ahead and add this one to your list.
The refiner’s fire is a necessary step in purifying the end product. If you view every bump in the road in this light, you’ll see how every obstacle can be used for good.
28. “If you’re capable of despising your own behavior, you might just love yourself.”– Criss Jami
Be honest about your short-comings. Accept them, and commit to improving where needed. When you accept yourself as you are—with all the bumps and bruises—you’ll love yourself enough to grow.
29. “You will never be entirely comfortable. This is the truth behind the champion – he is always fighting something. To do otherwise is to settle.” – Julien Smith
To grow, you have to deal with uncomfortable experiences. Don’t settle for comfort if it’s found somewhere you don’t want to be.
30. “If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we aren’t really living.” – Anatole France
This famous growth mindset quote should be a staple in everyone’s mindset-in-the-making toolbox. I’ve heard it said that if you’re not growing, you’re dying. Growth is life. Savor growth, and you’ll make the most of life.
31. “Growth is painful. Change is painful. But nothing is as painful as staying stuck somewhere you don’t belong.” – Mandy Hale
There may be negative feelings associated with growth, but it’s temporary and often necessary.
When you feel tempted to back down in the face of adversity, think about the consequences of not pushing through. More than likely, the consequence of complacency is far worse than the pain of progress.
32. “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” – Harvey S. Firestone
If you want to be a leader in life, you have to invest not only in your own growth but in those around you as well. Growth is always a mark of success.
33. “Without growth, there is no strength.” – Aristotle
The grandest trees have the largest root systems. Their strength below the surface is directly connected to the growth above it.
34. “We find comfort among those who agree with us – growth among those who don’t.” – Frank A. Clark
Growth comes easier when you surround yourself with people who challenge your beliefs. I don’t mean those who antagonize you. I’m referring to people who challenge you to go beyond what you believe you can.
35. “We should never discourage growth, for without change, something sleeps inside us and seldom awakens.” – Frank A. Clark
None of us are born perfect, neither will we die perfect. That said, we should always strive to change for the better. A stagnant stance in life breeds laziness, which is counterproductive to growth.
35. “Every challenge, every adversity, contains within it the seeds of opportunity and growth.”– Roy Bennett
Here’s another favorite motivational quote on having a growth mindset. The word “challenge” in our culture has become synonymous with “problem.” But that doesn’t have to be the case.
When you view challenges as stimulants that press you forward, you’ll naturally have a better mindset geared toward growth.
36. “Acceptance makes an incredible fertile soil for the seeds of change.” – Steve Maraboli
I’m afraid we spend far too much time fighting against ourselves when situations aren’t ideal.
Accepting your situation doesn’t mean you have to be “stuck” in it. Accept it for what it is, and if it’s not ideal, use that acceptance to motivate change.
37. Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict.” – William Ellery Channing
Difficulties rouse our inner strength. You don’t know what you’re made of until you face a challenge that reveals your character.
38. “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.” – Helen Keller
Think of trials and suffering as pruning. Like a fruit tree that must be pruned to bear more fruit, we must be pruned of our faults to bear fruit in our own lives.
39. “Difficulties strengthen the mind, as labor does the body.” – Seneca the Younger
You know that feeling after a long day of hard work? You might be tired and sore, but it also feels good to have been productive. Difficulties offer an opportunity to exercise the mind just as we would the body.
They may leave you a little drained, but your mindset is stronger for it.
40. “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” – John F. Kennedy
The best growth mindset quotes are the ones that challenge us to break the mold we put ourselves in. This quote by Kennedy nails it.
To conform is to sacrifice liberty.
41. “Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.” – Morihei Ueshiba
I like that Ueshiba includes the term “spiritually.” We so often overlook the spiritual side of growth. In reality, if we’re not growing spiritually, any growth in the physical realm is for nought.
42. “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Khalil Gibran
Scars sure tell a story, don’t they? They display experience and overcoming. Don’t shy away from your scars. Let them serve as reminders of how far you’ve come.
43. “I think that everything happens to you for a reason. The hard times that you go through build character, making you a much stronger person.” – Rita Mero
The hard times we endure do not come to us by chance. As such, we should take advantage of them and glean every lesson they’re meant to deliver.
44. “Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.” – Oprah Winfrey
Enough said.
45. “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.” – Abraham Maslow
Growth is only possible when we overcome our fears. It’s important to remember it’s not a one-time thing.
Just as the choice to love must be made day in and day out, the choice to move forward is made by placing one foot in front of the other, day after day.
46. “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
Great strength comes from facing a trial you felt would destroy you only to discover that it made you better.
47. “Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
I admit, some growth mindset quotes from celebrities can be a tad cheesy, but I love this one.
Many people think that winning makes you a strong person, but in reality, it’s the struggle that scored the win that makes you stronger.
48. “If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?”– Rumi
Rumi probably didn’t intend for this to be a funny growth mindset quote, but I chuckled a bit. I can see myself furiously scrubbing a toothpaste smear off my bathroom mirror.
It’s irritating, but I love the clean shine that results from it. The issues that we face in life are the same way – irritating but productive (if we allow them to be).
49. “Happiness is neither virtue nor pleasure nor this thing nor that but simply growth; we are happy when we are growing.” – William Butler Yeats
Growth is the route to happiness. Have you ever woken one morning to find new growth on a houseplant or a flower out in the garden? It makes you smile, doesn’t it?
That’s because growth is reflective of life.
50. “Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” – Albert Einstein
Our growth shouldn’t end in primary school. I hope I’m still learning new things when I’m 90, Lord willing.
We will never learn all there is to know in this life. If you ever reach a point where you feel you “know it all,” be careful. That’s a recipe for disaster.
51. “Pain doesn’t last. And when it’s gone, we have something to show for it. Growth.” – Kamal Ravikant
If you are pursuing a growth mindset, and need simple words of encouragement, I encourage you to save this little motto.
You will inevitably face pain, whether physical or emotional. Just remember that it’s temporary.
52. “Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” – Joseph Joubert
Have you ever given something a place of authority in your life that didn’t deserve to be there? Some authority and some boundaries are good. But be careful of submitting your will to an unworthy master.
By the way, that “master” isn’t necessarily a person. It can be negative thinking, a fixed mindset, self-talk, and more.
53. “The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places.” – Ernest Hemingway
Have you ever felt broken? It’s okay to feel that. We all have at some point, but don’t stay there.
Pick yourself back up and move forward. Broken stems can still heal and produce the most exquisite flowers.
54. “Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time.” – Rabindranath Tagore
I wanted to include this one because kids can benefit from growth mindset quotes, too. Children need to grow and make their own mistakes. It’s important to recognize them as individuals with a unique purpose to live out.
55. “I try to be like a forest: revitalizing and constantly growing.” – Forest Whitaker
Have you ever walked through the woods? Vibrant growth is all around with sights and sounds of life around every corner. To be like a forest is to be ever-growing and ever-changing into something better.
Want More Inspirational Quotes?
We all need a pick-me-up from time to time. That’s why I love gathering collections of quotes on all sorts of topics.
Try these:
- Thinking of You Quotes
- Living in the Moment Quotes
- Uplifting Infertility Quotes
- Inspirational Quotes for Journaling
- Motivational Quotes for Your Vision Board
- Encouraging Quotes for When You Feel Down
I hope you enjoyed these positive growth mindset quotes!
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