Growth Mindset

I've heard of the "growth mindset" before in the abstract but I'd never done any reading (or watching) about it. Like all ideas, it has its limitations and can be taken too far. Like all attitude-based "reforms," it's not a cure-all for every educational or personal ill. However, I think that there is a lot to be said for how our attitudes affect our ability to overcome challenges. Perceived ability can translate into better performance. But I especially like what Dr. Dweck had to say about how we perceive challenges. It is easy for me to become discouraged if I'm not immediately good at something. Throughout college, I have grown more in that regard, and I now think more positively about activities that challenge me. A big part of that came through studying for the LSAT. The LSAT has an Analytical Reasoning section commonly referred to just as "logic games." Needless to say, it's a pretty difficult exam. But the logic games portion always stumped me more than most. At first, I felt extremely discouraged that the games didn't come naturally to me. This made practicing difficult. But then I began to see the section as a huge opportunity for me to improve and gain points on the test. This simple switch of mindset made studying feel worthwhile. Hours and hours of practice later and not only had my scores improved but the logic games became my favorite part of the test. I'm definitely interested in learning more about the growth mindset throughout this semester. I know I have more to learn in this area, and I'm sure it would be worth the pay off.

Image source: "How a Growth Mindset Coaching Culture Keeps Performance Levels High," https://www.integritysolutions.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Growth-mindset-e1554396986388.png