Building a growth mindset
Emil and his friends were very resourceful, solving the problem at hand and working in a team to catch the thief.
But it is quite normal to be left with discouraging feelings when faced with a problem. Unlike a fixed mindset, a growth mindset is a belief that we (and our brain) are capable of developing and learning skills through hard work, time and effort. A growth mindset views challenges and setbacks with a lens, different to the traditional way of praising natural born talent. A little change in narrative is a first step to a growth mindset. Here are some examples of how to rephrase our thinking when faced with a roadblock.
Instead of saying, “I am not good at this.” Try asking yourself, “Am I missing something here? Have I put enough effort?”
Instead of saying, “I give up.” Try asking yourself, “What other ways have I not tried to tackle this problem?”
Instead of saying, “This is too hard.” Try saying, “This might take a bit longer than I thought but we will get there.”
Instead of saying, “I will never be smart like my friends.” Try saying, “I will learn how to do this or I can learn from my friends who already know how to do this.”
Instead of saying, “This is not good enough.” Try asking yourself, “Is this my best work?”
Instead of worrying about the mistake you have made, try reflecting on your mistakes and remind yourself, “Mistakes help me to learn.”
And finally, don’t underestimate the power of yet. Remind yourself:
I am not good at this, yet.
It does not make sense, yet.
I don’t understand this, yet.
I can’t do this, yet.
