Can We Change Our Mindset?
Can we change our mindset? The answer to that question is YES! I have to warn you though, it is much easier said than done! We as individuals are brought up in many different ways and we have all gone through many different experiences. We have all had happy times, sad times, and struggled through difficult times. With this being said, we have all developed our own mindset and they can waiver in and out of two different modes. Fixed Mindset or Growth Mindset. In a fixed mindset you may find yourself in a state of "I have never been able to do", "I will never be able to be good at", or "Oh well, I wasn't born with those skills", mentality. You are fixed in your ways of thinking. In a growth mindset we find ourselves thinking in the complete opposite! You will begin hearing and thinking in a more positive and healthy way. You will find yourself in the state of "I have never been able to do that, but I am open to working on it", "I have never been good at that, but I can always get better", "I can always try, try, try again until I complete my goals".
Like I said before, easier said than done! It is a HARD thing to accomplish! Through research, reading, and attending conferences I am able to notice these mindsets in myself and my students much easier than before. It has been a true eye opener to me in all aspects of my life including all of my roles as a father, husband, friend, teacher, coach, and as an individual. Even knowing this information I still struggle to accomplish it 100% of the time due to my past experiences. To be honest, I'm not sure I can ever achieve a growth mindset 100% but I am surely going to try:)
In all of my classes this year I am implementing strategies and talking with students about being positive and breaking out of their comfort zone! Create your best, most positive you, that you have ever seen! If you ever have any questions on this I would be happy to speak to you or your student and share all of the resources I have come across in this journey. If you are interested in learning about Growth Mindset on your own, you are able to check out some of the amazing work done by Dr. Hal Urban, Brian J. Grasso, Carol Dweck, or Trevor Ragan and Train Ugly.