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Helping Struggling Students Build a Growth Mindset
The struggle is a part of life. It is inescapable, no matter what you do. But we can change our perspective, to look at struggles and problems in an optimistic manner. A shift in the view can totally turn the tables and help us perceive problematic situations differently, thus reducing the mental pressure. Students also fall prey to such situations. There comes a time in everybody’s life when one is not sure of how to come out of it? Students while preparing themselves for various exams, feel low in due course of time. Reasons can be anything, sometimes it is peer pressure, sometimes it is the unpredictable future, what it might reveal for them, sometimes it is for no reason that they start to worry, overthink. In such situations, they can build a growth mindset to keep themselves motivated and optimistic.
What is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is one in which things can be accomplished, through hard work, promising strategies, and dedication. If you have a growth mindset, you will believe in getting things done, not through entitlements, but with your inputs encapsulating a positive attitude. People with a growth mindset are less likely to fall prey to comparison and jealousy between individuals. They tend to drink from different cups. A cup of commitment, persistence, and dedication. Unlike fixed mindset people, who believe their talents are inherent gifts, they believe to develop skills with their hard work and persistence. They worry less about what others have to say and utilize their energy in learning new skills. Growth mindset practice more to hone the talents they wish to develop. They do not think of competing with others but with themselves. A growth mindset is a student attitude one should have. Never say no to knowledge, be the student of life. People with this mindset never stop learning. The corporate sector is extremely fond of this mindset because to evolve, one needs to learn. They need learners more than an inherent talented squad. Students get a huge perspective shift. For example, they don’t see failures as the ultimate life-ending issue, they rather take lessons from them, and move ahead to not repeat the mistakes they did earlier.
What is the need to develop a Growth Mindset?
Having a growth mindset is significant because it will help you to overcome obstacles while learning something new. When you learn something new, you are likely to fail at it initially, so you may get discouraged and leave it after some time. If you have a growth mindset, then you are more likely to have patience. You are ready to face failures and persevere at the task at hand. You will readily accept the challenges to come. You will look at obstacles as an opportunity to bring out the best in you. You will not worry about what society has to say about you. Your first competent will be you. The best part of a growth mindset is that it can be developed. A growth mindset is an attitude, a mindset, people need to adopt, especially the younger generation. By altering the way you think, you can drastically shift the way you learn. Realizing that your intelligence and abilities can be expanded, allows you to explore, experience, and attain more in life. You can develop a growth mindset.
How to Develop a Growth Mindset?
- Start perceiving your obstacles as opportunities. Change the narrative, it is not the obstacles that you counter in your life, it is the massive pool of opportunities that you get to make the best version of yourself. Do not dread challenges, face them, and explore your potential. You’ll see a drastic change in your energy levels. You will feel positive and prepared for whatever is to come. You’ll learn and grow.
- Review your day. See what was that that you failed at, and learn from it. Failures are teachers. Failure is not a dead-end, it is the new beginning. Learn from it and execute your learnings when you get another opportunity.
- Do not seek other people’s authorization. When we do so, our goals change. We are no more on the path to grow and learn but to appease others. Be aware of such complications. There’s a thin line separating this dilemma. Pause, and reflect on your thoughts, are you doing something to learn or to appease those who have no say in this. You will be surprised to see the results in some time. You’ll be at peace with yourself thus, better and faster your growth.
- Learn to enjoy the success of others. Rather than feeling jealous of someone’s achievements, learn from them and celebrate them along. The curiosity about what made them so successful will help you form a pious bond with them.
- Reward actions and not traits. When you achieve something, think of the hard work and dedication you put into it. Don’t think you’re talented right from the start or you’ve inherited traits that made you who you are.
- Understand that some things are beyond achievements, this will help you to develop realistic goals and will help you to accomplish them.
- Know how you speak and act. Recognizing your actions is extremely important when you want to develop a growth mindset. It will help you to place your next step on the right path. For example, if someone has won a prize, say that “you’ve put in a lot of effort to achieve it.” And not, “I knew you’re going to win, you’re extremely talented.” You can see the difference, in the first sentence, efforts are appreciated, in the second sentence, it is the entitlement that is being awarded, which is fatal for a person who wants to develop a growth mindset.
- Acknowledge your weaknesses. If you cannot address your imperfections, how in the world are you going to work on them? To work on something, you first need to address it.
- Fall in love with the process and not the results.
Mindsets can be developed. Nobody is born talented, people hone their skills, and then the talent emerges on the surface.
Also read: How to Better Memorize Things
Frequently Asked Questions
Que 1: Even if I fail at something constantly, does that mean that there still is room for development?
Ans: Yes, there is. First, accept the failures, address them, and try to review why is it happening. Is it because you’re repeating the same mistake over and over again or you’re too depressed about being called a failure by society? You’ve failed at something multiple times, which means that you’ve learned a lot from it. Take lessons and start from the beginning.
Que2: Does valuing my time and saying no to someone or something mean that I am being rude to others? And is being rude to others at the cost of my interests mean that I have a fixed mindset?
Ans: Valuing your time is necessary. Saying no to other people doesn’t mean you have a wrong opinion of them or you have a fixed mindset, it just means that you have priorities above them all. At some point in your life, you will need to learn to say no to others and remember, you don’t have to appease others. You have to focus on your learnings.
Que3: What is a fixed mindset?
Ans: A fixed mindset is a finite set of thoughts, that believe that their talents are inherited, they are born with fixed intelligence. They do not believe in improving on any of them. It’s just the opposite of a growth mindset.
