We are told that intelligence is a statistic, that we are either smart or maybe not so much. Therefore, we feel like we're on this sprint to look smart by taking shortcuts and easy passes. So, we tend to avoid challenges, give up easily, and see effort as useless. When it comes to peers, we often ignore their useful negative feedback and feel threatened by their successes. As a result, we let up early and achieve less than our full potential. We view the world as natural occurrences that must happen and can't happen any other way. Now, what if we viewed the world a little differently?
Rather than being fixated on our reasoning and judgment in such a rush, we could start focusing more on our desire to learn with progression. We can embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and see effort as a path to mastery. We can think of our peers as helpful by learning from their criticism and finding lessons and inspiration from their successes. As a result, we broaden our horizons and reach higher levels of achievement. Instead of viewing the world in a deterministic manner, we can envision a greater sense of free will that is influenced by no one other than our independent character. This is what psychologists call: a growth mindset.
I'm sure you've scored a lower grade than you were expecting on an exam. Maybe really low, maybe even failing. How did you handle it? Did you tell yourself, "I'm so bad at this," "This subject isn't my thing," "He/she is so smart. I'm not like that," "This is just too hard"? We've all told ourselves some of these phrases through habit after we come across failure, but we don't have to give in so easily. Failure isn't fatal. It's an opportunity to revise our strategies. We can tell ourselves:
"What am I missing?"
"I'm going to train my brain in this subject"
"I'm going to figure out how he/she does it!"
"This may take some time and effort."
We must start believing that even though we weren't born with a talent in a subject we may be struggling in, we have the ability to develop skills through dedication and hard work.
We don't necessarily have to fail a test to obtain a growth mindset. Maybe you've been getting average scores on your recent exams or maybe even great scores. You've probably said:
"It's good enough."
"I made some mistakes."
"I can't make this any better."
"I'm a pro at this."
There's nothing wrong with being satisfied with results, but a growth mindset is an evolution. We could instead say, "Is this really my best work?," "Mistakes help me to learn better," "I can always improve, so I'll keep trying," or "I'm on the right track!" The great news is, we can all obtain a growth mindset and accomplish so much in life.
Having a growth mindset doesn't just improve engagement and performance in an academic environment, but can also help you follow your life dreams. Now, that might sound silly, but using effective strategies, setting goals, and using your time productively will motivate you to reach heights you've been looking up to. The climb is a learning experience. Learning about yourself, your desire, and from the people around you. Once you're up there and take a look down at that beautiful view, you can see how much you've grown and the dedication doesn't stop there. As you look up, there's another height waiting for you. With your courage, spirit, and strength of character, you keep climbing. This is grit and the power of a growth mindset.
