Life is full of choices—some obvious, others subtle. When we face failure, disappointment, or frustration, many of us instinctively retreat, lash out, or lose hope. But there is one powerful, often overlooked choice that can open the door to resilience, possibility, and growth: the choice to believe that our current emotions do not define our future potential. This may sound simple, but it’s revolutionary. It’s the choice to separate how we feel in any moment from what is still possible. It’s the spark that ignites a growth mindset step forward.
We’ve all been there. We studied hard, but the exam results were underwhelming. We poured effort into a project at work, only to have it fall flat or go unnoticed. A friend, a colleague, or a mentor failed to show up for us when we needed them most. Disappointment wraps itself around us like a heavy coat. In those moments, our emotions feel like facts: I’m not good enough. I’m not meant to succeed. Things never go my way. And so, a bad moment gets mistaken for a bad path, and we begin to believe our fate is sealed.
But here is the truth that cracks that belief wide open: we can feel discouraged, and still be growing. We can feel like giving up, and still choose to move forward. We can choose to say, “This is just one moment, not the story of who I am.” That choice, small and quiet as it may be, can shift the entire course of our lives.
As leaders, this means modeling emotional honesty without being ruled by it. A team may fail to meet a target, or a strategy might flop. As leader, we might feel frustrated, embarrassed, or even betrayed. But instead of reacting from that emotion, the growth mindset leader chooses to ask: What can we learn? How can this make us stronger? This choice turns a failed plan into a launch-pad for innovation. It also gives permission to others to take risks without fear of permanent failure.
As learners, the path is often tangled with self-doubt. A poor grade or a confusing instructions can feel like a sign that we’re not smart enough or that learning just isn’t for us. The key growth mindset move here is to separate that feeling from our identity. We may feel stuck now, but we can choose to say, “I’m not there yet.” That one word, yet, re-frames failure as part of our progress, not the end of it.
As workers, especially in toxic environments of high pressure or low recognition, it’s easy to feel like our worth is tied to immediate outcomes. Maybe our performance review wasn’t what we hoped for. Maybe we’re overlooked for promotion. A fixed mindset whispers, “This is it. I’ve hit my ceiling.” But the choice to keep learning, to take initiative, and to build skills, even when it doesn’t feel good, keeps our future open. Growth often happens in our background, not in the spotlight.
We’ve long believed that our mood reflects our fate: when we feel hopeful, we think things will go well; when we feel low, we assume we’re on the wrong path. But growth mindset teaches us something radically different: feelings are data, not destiny. We can feel disheartened and still take the next step. We can feel disappointed and still believe in possibility. The choice is not to pretend we feel great when we don’t. The choice is to act in the direction of growth, even when it’s hard.
In the end, the most powerful choice we may not have considered is the choice to trust our potential over our present emotions. This single shift can keep us moving forward when every part of us wants to give up. That’s not just a mindset. That’s a movement. And it begins with one choice we can make today in spite of hardships or handicaps.