Some people believe that success depends on natural inclinations, while others claim that hard work is paramount. If a person makes significant efforts to reach a goal, does this mean that one is not talented or smart enough and should choose an easier task? Should everything happen by itself?
In fact, it is impossible to reach full potential until you start trying. Even if you are talented and smart, actions are needed to start motion and stimulate positive changes. Only constant self-development, toil, and passion would help you become a better specialist and person.
This philosophy is called growth mindset. Its advocates emphasize that person’s attitude towards life and thoughts one has at a certain moment of time are much more important than external factors and genes. There is no use in complaining about the hard political situation, bad weather, and other inconvenient circumstances. If you what to change the world, it is worth starting with changing yourself.
Growth mindset is opposite to fixed mindset implying that character traits, health, social status, talents, and intelligence are skills which cannot be changed significantly. It seems that all person’s life journey may be foreseen since childhood, while one’s choices and actions do not matter.
The advocates of growth mindset strive to break this theory and show that we are creators of our fates, and failure is rather the stimulus for self-development than the reason for disappointment and the loss of motivation. Daily efforts shape our personalities, harden us, help to boost intelligence and skills, and acquire correct moral values.
Fixed mindset, on the contrary, affects all life areas negatively, instills the feeling of hopelessness, links failure with poor abilities, and lowers self-esteem. People think much about personal disadvantages and believe that it is impossible to get rid of them, worry about whether their social portrait is accepted or rejected, looks smart or dumb.
But understanding that a mistake is not a death sentence, it is easier to look at things more profoundly, perceive new experience with gratitude, and seek opportunities to improve the situation. Even though each person has basic temperament, aptitudes, and interests, there is still a vast field for self-perfection and progress.
Growth mindset can change your idea of success beyond recognition, help to understand what your life should look like over several years and what should be done to achieve goals set. Natural qualities should be regarded only as a starting point of a long triumphant journey.
This philosophy is especially helpful for students who should constantly improve their skills and knowledge. In order to facilitate young people’s psychological transformation, experts from Pro-Papers.com have outlined 5 useful tips on how to develop growth mindset.
1. Allow yourself to think in a new way
If strict parents or professors were telling that you are lazy and untalented for a long time, it may be uneasy to start thinking positively. Read motivational literature and watch videos of famous coaches to expand horizons and understand that there are no unattainable goals if you are a hardworking and persistent person.
2. Self-analysis
Consider your experience, determine the key strengths and weaknesses, consult relatives, friends, classmates, and professors. Personal considerations and feedback from other people should help you to view your talents and gifts from a new perspective, find new development areas, and plan efficient growth strategies.
3. Be curious
Recall how children treat any new information. They are always excited by the opportunity to make small discoveries and enrich knowledge baggage. In contrast, many adults show indifference, think that they already know everything and there is nothing new in the world to surprise them. Life turns into a gray routine where each new day resembles the previous one.
Growth mindset should help you to see the beauty of life. There are so many interesting things you still do not know. It is time to open your mind for them and reach a new level of self-development. Start from asking questions at lectures, studying each topic with profundity, and attending extracurricular sections.
As mindset changes, students start feeling passion for life, thirst for knowledge, gratitude for all things experienced and people met appreciating challenges as the opportunity to find out something interesting and valuable.
4. Study inspirational examples
If you want to do something but worry whether your attempts would be successful, find success stories of persons who have already overcome this path. You may learn useful tips and strategies, distinguish trends which would help you to move forward, understand which obstacleswait for you and how to bypass them.
5. Love what you do
It is a powerful force which should drag you to a top. Of course, people do not always can devote life to favorite hobbies. If you are forced to do something which seems to be tedious and unpleasant, it is worth seeking positive features in this activity.
For example, many students do not like to write papers, do homework negligently, and get low marks. If you have faced the same problem, imagine that you are a famous writer whose texts would be read by thousands of fans. All they are interested in your work and are going to discuss it. If approaching boring small tasks as great projects and putting your heart in them, academic routine would soon turn into an exciting adventure and start bringing joy.
