You might have heard the word ‘growth mindset’ thrown around at school by your teachers or maybe you’ve heard your parents mention it.
But what exactly is a growth mindset?
Simply put – there’s two different kinds of mindsets: ‘fixed mindsets’ and ‘growth mindsets’.
Fixed mindsets are when we believe that our character, intelligence and creative ability are the results of genetics, and can’t change in any meaningful way.
On the flip side, growth mindsets take the belief that intelligence can grow and be strengthened with effort.
With a growth mindset – if you don’t know how to do something, you believe that you are still capable of achieving what you want to do so long as you put in the time and effort to get there.
When you’re young – especially in your teens through your mid 20s – your brain is still growing, and as such, having a growth mindset is a far more effective way to think. When you push yourself to learn new things (even if they feel hard or beyond your ability), you’re turning on parts of your brain that haven’t been on before.
So what are some ways to help grow your brain and feed into a healthy growth mindset?
Here’s one to try: start making ‘to do’ lists.
While it may not sound that impressive – the results definitely are.
By having a to-do list clearly visible in your life (maybe it’s on your phone, or written up and stuck on the fridge or a wall in your room), this will lay a solid foundation for growing your brain in a number of ways.
While you’re making your list, why not use a bit of colour or images too and make it more exciting to look at (try using emojis if you’ve done it on your phone ? ).
Keeping a to-do list can help with: