The Power in a Positive Mindset

If you believe, you can achieve.

I’m sure we’ve heard this phrase before, but what is the truth behind this idea? The benefits of positivity and keeping an open mindset are ideas that have been encouraged and studied for decades. Keeping a positive mindset has been known to correlate with happiness, success, health and many other factors. 

Carol Dweck, a researcher at Stanford University, coined the concept of a “growth mindset.” This is a mindset in which we believe in our ability to grow and improve with hard work. A growth mindset requires us to use uplifting phrases such as:

• I can do this! 

• I will get better at this

•  I’m going to work hard to get through this

Positive mindset IS our super power!

The opposite of this would be a fixed mindset, where a person does not believe they will be able to accomplish something.  Someone with a fixed mindset might say

• I can’t do this

• I can’t try that

• I will never be good at this

Studies show that stress and negativity can have an impact on our mind, attitude and even our health - so why wouldn’t the opposite be true? Well, it is! Positive thinking is powerful. It has been proven to lead to greater happiness, success, and can even improve a person’s health. 

So how does all this work with learning? Neuroscience has demonstrated that our brains are flexible through a concept called Neuroplasticity. This means that our brains can change over time. This work by our brains forming connections (or synapses) each time we learn and practice new information. Our mindset while in the process of learning and practice plays a huge role in this. Research demonstrates that if we approach learning with a growth mindset, this can lead to higher achievements on the task at hand. We are also more likely to pursue the task for longer even in the face of a challenge. Have you ever walked into a test and thought, “Oh man I’m going to fail this!” Well, you’re more likely to fail than if you walked in and thought, “I’m just going to try my hardest to do the best I can.” 

For some time, it was thought that a person either had a growth or fixed mindset. This thinking is starting to change as we recognize that people approach different tasks with a specific mindset. Take a second to think about your own mindset - what tasks do you approach with a growth mindset? A fixed mindset?

It’s important that we message to our children and students that they should approach tasks with an open mind and try to believe in themselves. Everyone has the power to learn and grow with the right mindset and the right attitude.