Mindset: Post #8--Changing Mindsets

Changing Mindsets. Here’s the good news: Mindsets can be changed. What you tell people changes their mindsets. Kids told how smart they were did not take on challenges or do anything that would expose their flaws. But, of the kids praised for effort, 90% wanted to take on challenges, regardless of exposure to failure in order to learn. In fact, kids told that they’re smart or intelligent are more likely to lie about their accomplishments or even cheat to sustain their image. Dweck has developed a mindset workshop that treats brain development as muscle building. Kids who learned growth mindset saw their grades shoot up. Simple awareness about growth mindset can change people from giving up to persevering.  The more of a growth mindset you develop, the more people want to work with and help you, especially after you remove the cloak of armor of being special, above the rest. Often, it’s easier to pretend you’re perfect than admit to and work on a flaw. We often opt to avoid anything that makes us feel vulnerable. Talking to kids from a growth mindset helps them not be afraid to experiment, fail, and learn. Talk about effort, experimenting, and tell them that making mistakes is OK, even helpful, because it can change their mindsets over time. Praise effort—not being smart—and watch mindsets change.