Watching Lewis Hamilton recently speaking so openly about his doubts this season, someone who for me embodied the growth mindset¹ so fully, really struck me.
It reminded me of something important: this mindset isn’t something you achieve once and then tick off the list. It’s not a fixed trait. It needs to be maintained + sharpened + protected, especially during hard times.
And right now, I’m in one of these seasons. but what’s different this time: I’m also a new parent.
You are a dad now
Becoming the father of a beautiful baby boy has changed how I think. While he is still in that magical phase of smiling, discovering his hands, and drooling with pride, I keep asking myself: How do I raise him to become someone who faces life’s inevitable challenges with courage, resilience, and curiosity?
Discussing this, my wife and I landed on a simple but powerful truth: Kids mostly copy their parents. Not our advices. Not our lectures. Just… us.
Even though he’s too young to understand any of what I’m going through, the way I show up today could quietly shape the way Nolan will one day face his own challenges.
That idea alone changes how I want to move through this moment.
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In engineering, the growth mindset is core to how we build. You test. You fail. You learn. You try again. It is iteration ] not instant success [ that gets us there.
Nothing is finite.
Nothing is failure if you’re still learning.
Everything is fuel.
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So yes, this post is a reminder to myself, But maybe it’s one you needed too. Whatever you're going through, how you respond today might shape more than just your own path. It might be the blueprint someone else follows one day.
- In her book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Carol Dweck breaks down the difference between a fixed mindset (believing our abilities are static) and a growth mindset (believing we can develop through effort, learning, and persistence).