On Growth Mindset 🌳

And why failing is a good indicator of success

Me, as a child

When I was 11, I was labeled as “gifted”.

This should have been a great indicator of a successful life (at least with achieving educational goals), right?

So… the opposite has actually happened. I failed most educational endeavors.

I was constantly afraid to make mistakes or to put effort into studying because that would prove I am not as smart as I was “supposed to be”.

This had a detrimental (negative) effect on my learning skills and achievements because I was avoiding facing hardship.

Only years later, I finally realized what was the underlying belief that held me back.

It was that my intelligence, like most other traits, is innate and unchangeable.

Today, I see myself, and the rest of us, as much more malleable and able to change.

This change in perception helped me to embrace my mistakes, more often than not, because these mistakes are the way to move forward.

I am also much more willing to take risks because I know failing will not prove I am not good enough, it will just show me how to get better.

The inspiration for this post came from the book “Mindset”, written by Dr. Carol S. Dweck.

Thanks to Rein Op ‘t Land, a growth mindset guru, for the amazing recommendation.