Fostering a Growth Mindset

What is a growth mindset?

A growth mindset is our attitude and response to a challenge or a new experience in our lives. Do we believe that our strengths and weaknesses are fixed or can we through hard work and perseverance manage to develop and grow?

For example:

Statement One

A few years ago I found myself working from home and only working a few days a month. Initially my internal monologue was “I have to stay at home and I have nothing to do and no money and my friends all work.”

Versus:

Statement Two

After a few months of aimlessness and unhappiness I reframed this as an opportunity, one that I would miss should I manage to get a full-time job. I rephrased my inner dialogue to “I am currently underemployed. I shall use this time to increase my skills in areas that I would like to work in. I will explore every free or minimal cost class I can take and create action plans for my own self development.”

These two statements are real and they are ones that I have had in the past about the same issue. With statement one the mindset is negative and limiting. By only focusing on what you can’t do your thinking is narrow and there is no excitement or hope. It’s also self-defeating and negative.

Statement two though is a do statement. By looking at what I can do I am able to feel more positive and optimistic about exactly the same situation. Simply repositioning your…