According to research on achievement and success by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, most people embrace – whether consciously or not – one of two mental perspectives where talent is concerned:

Fixed mindset: The belief that intelligence, ability and talent are inborn and relatively fixed.

Someone with a fixed mindset might think, "Numbers have never been my thing... so I probably shouldn't try to start a business."

Growth mindset: The belief that intelligence, ability and talent can be learned and improved with effort.

Someone with a growth mindset might think, you're likely to think things like, "I didn't do well in math in school, but with a little time and effort I can understand the financial side of running a business."

Clearly, embracing a growth mindset is advantageous.

Assume you are what you are, and you can't change what you are – that you aren't smart, or aren't talented, or aren't a natural leader, etc. – and when the going gets tough and you start to struggle, you almost immediately feel overwhelmed and even helpless, because what you "are" just isn't good enough.

So you stop trying. (Or you never started trying in the first place, because you assumed that you're just not cut out for whatever you imagined achieving.)

But here's the thing. While fixed and growth mindset are usually considered as opposites – you possess either one or the other – fixed and growth mindset are separate mindsets.

You can have both.

In fact, you want to have both.

Take someone like Mark Cuban. When asked about his best investments, here's what he said:

Some of the best investments I ever made were investing in myself, first and foremost. When you're first starting, you may or may not have a job. You don't have any money. You're at a complete uncertainty about your career. 

What I learned early on is that if I put in the effort, I can learn almost anything. It may take me a long time, but by putting in the effort I taught myself technology, I taught myself to program ... it was time-consuming – painfully so – but that investment in myself has paid dividends for the rest of my life. 

I learned that learning truly is a skill ... and that by continuing to learn to this day, I can compete and get ahead of most people, because the reality is most people don't put in the time to learn ... and that's always given me a competitive advantage.

Cuban believes effort leads to outcomes. He sees mistakes and failures as an opportunity to improve. He sees persistence as the key to reaching difficult goals.

Cuban clearly has a growth mindset.

But he also tosses in a dash of fixed mindset. He believes he possesses the natural talent required to function at an elite level. He believes he can "learn almost anything". Cuban's belief in himself? Whether innately, through experience or simply by choice – because you can simply choose to believe in yourself – it's fixed.

Cuban believes he's the kind of person who can succeed... and then he works to turn belief into reality.

That's true for every elite performer in any pursuit. A fixed mindset helps you overcome feelings of self-doubt: That you aren't smart enough, adaptable enough or dedicated enough to achieve what you hope to achieve. 

A fixed mindset helps you be willing to take risks, since you believe your innate ability will help you overcome any challenges.

And then a growth mindset helps put in the effort required to overcome temporary failure, learn from your mistakes, stay the course, and eventually reach your goal.

A growth mindset is a good thing.

But so is a fixed mindset, especially when it means you possess an unshakeable belief in yourself.

So don't see fixed and growth mindset as an "or". See the two mindsets as "and".

Because you'll be much more likely to succeed... when you embrace a bit of both.

Inc