Understanding Growth Mindset: A Definition

Designing a Purpose focused life is based on a “structure with process”change frame and GROWTH MINDSET learning tools . Until you learn the strategies of SWP and Growth Mindset personal change, growth and self-development living will be difficult and seem like an up hill battle and unobtainable goal. Yet once understood and practiced living a life in a state of growth, learning and mindfulness will become a daily habit and a positive path for living a life of meaning and purpose.

In her ground breaking research and book, Mindset, Carol Dweck presents “growth mindset” as the most essential element for learning, success and happiness in life.  A growth mindset is a belief and perspective on life in which we find motivation for tackling challenges by understanding how our brain grows and new skills develop rather than giving up after failures or setbacks.

“Who we become is what we learn from making the effort and using proven strategies to grow and develop our brain and new skills”Mark W, Hardwick,Ph.D.

Growth Mindset and Neuroplasticity Effect

 

Daily Quote: ” Along with encouraging a growth mindset, helping students understand that their brain can actually grow and become stronger can also boost their confidence and improve learning. Research shows us that the brain is plastic: with focus and practice, the brain can change, it can grow new cells, and we can strengthen neurologic pathways ” Carol Dweck 

In his studies of neuroplasticity, Norman Doidge observed the “Monday effect.” He noticed that the plasticity mechanisms being used by the participants on Mondays versus Fridays were markedly different. While the changes on Friday had more to do with strengthening neuron pathways, the changes on Monday had more do with the formation of new ones that took longer to form, but were more permanent.

Put simply, having a well-rested brain won’t necessarily help you learn things quicker, but it will help you make more permanent changes! Getting enough sleep, meditating and not being too hard on yourself can make a huge difference.

 

Ways to Use language to inspire Growth Mindset Development

“You have to apply yourself each day to becoming a little better. By becoming a little better each and every day, over a period of time, you will become a lot better.” – John Wooden

 

Do you think you are a “growth minded” communicator? Truly growth minded people do not wait for challenges or rewards to find them; instead, they bring positivism and effort to whatever situation they find themselves confronting. They understand that their words are the best tools they have to shape other people’s perception of them and make their life more exciting and engaging.

Check out these 6  proven ways that parents, teachers and managers might use in daily interactions to encourage more growth minded thinking and behavior.

1. “I am really excited to see you are…”
A huge part of love in the family or workplace is making sure that the unique moments of connection are recognized and acknowledge. This statement is one of the simplest ways to let someone know that you are aware of the new approach or effort they are making to do a better job in handling challenges and obstacles in trying to complete their tasks and assigned duties.

2. “Seeing and interacting with you always makes me try and be more open to new ideas and to try new ways of doing things .”
This ups the ante of the previous statement–it is presenting the same positive message while implying that the person you are talking to always holds the power to make you feel positive. For the person you are talking to, they will feel grateful, appreciative and happy, and you will feel happy for putting a smile on someone’s face.
3.  “I was really impressed when you…”
Focus on specific process and achievements of the person. Instead of just making your friend feel good by praising them, this approach offers proof to them that they are a hard-working achiever.
4. “I know you’re capable of more. You are moving in the right direction yet we are not there yet. 
Everyone needs a challenge or push sometimes, especially if they are “stuck” or having a tough time. Part of a loving relationship is communicating to that they are on the right road to achieve their full potential. Saying this can help remind others how awesome they really are. If saying this pushes them to achieve more, they will remember your comment and feel inspired and grateful.
5. “I’d like to hear what you think about…”
If you want to open people-up to more learning and effort it is important for you to involve them in developing strategies for more learning. This approach shows that you respect their input and you value their opinions However, many people don’t want to share their opinions because they don’t want to seem “stupid” or judged as not being as “smart” as they have been told they are. relevant to you.
6. “Tell me more about the strategy you used to arrive at this conclusion .”
This statement is both kind and reassuring; many people worry that they have been talking for too long and that no one is listening or interested. This tells them that you are still listening, and that you value what they are saying to you.

Self- Coaching Challenge: Over the next 24 hours try using one of these “growth mindset” communication methods and see how they work with in developing a more positive interaction. Remember growth minded coaches or teachers bring effort to whatever situation they find themselves confronting. They understand that their words are the best tools they have to shape other people’s experiences and make their brains more open to learning.

FLOW Basics and Relationship to Mindset

Daily Quote: “Contrary to what we usually believe, moments like these, the best moments in our lives, are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times—although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them. The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something that we make happen. For a child, it could be placing with trembling fingers the last blockon a tower she has built, higher than any she has built so far; for a swimmer, it could be trying to beat his own record; for a violinist, mastering an intricate musical passage. For each person there are thousands of opportunities, challenges to expand ourselves…The task is to learn how to enjoy everyday life without diminishing other people’s chances to enjoy theirs.”
― Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

What is FLOW?

“A state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it.”  – Csikszentmihalyi, 1990

Here are some of the characteristics that comprise THE FLOW EXPERIENCE according to Csikszentmihalyi’s.

Characteristics of flow:

• Complete focus on the task at hand
• Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback
• Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down of time)
• The experience is intrinsically rewarding, has an end itself
• Effortlessness and ease
• There is a balance between challenge and skills
• Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination
• There is a feeling of control over the task

Who experiences flow?

Interestingly, a capacity to experience flow can differ according to personality. Studies suggest that those with ‘’autotelic personalities’’ tend to experience more flow.

A person with an ‘’autotelic personality’’ tends to do things for their own sake rather than chasing some distant external goal or dream. This type of personality is distinguished by certain meta-skills such as high interest in life, persistence, and helping others.

It can be speculated that negative and critical individuals are more prone to anxiety and being self-centered, which are conditions that can block the state of FLOW. In contrast, servant leaders, responsible, considerate and realistic individuals are more likely to spend time on mastering challenging tasks, which are characteristics important for creating the flow experience.

What happens in the brain?

The state of flow has been rarely investigated from a neuropsychological perspective but is a growing interest. According to Dietrich, it has been associated with decreased activity in the prefrontal cortex.

The prefrontal cortex is an area responsible for higher cognitive functions such as self-reflective consciousness, memory, temporal integration, and working memory. It’s an area that’s responsible for our conscious and explicit mind state.

However, in a state of flow, this area is believed to temporarily down-regulate; a process called transient hypofrontality. This temporary inactivation of the prefrontal area may trigger the feeling of distortion of time, loss of self-consciousness, and loss of inner-critic.

Moreover, the inhibition of the prefrontal lobe may enable the implicit mind to take over, resulting in more brain areas to communicate freely and engage in a creative process. In other research, it’s also hypothesized that the flow state is related to the brain’s dopamine reward circuitry since curiosity is highly amplified.

Self-Renewal and Growth Mindset and Learning

KEY TO THE NEW SCIENCE OF “GROWTH MINDSET” REFLECTIONS ON LEARNING AND FAILURE

The cost of our ever-growing desire to be comfortable and certain about life’s uncomfortable questions (the fixed or closed mindset position) like –How do we grow through failure and mistakes? Is nature stronger than nurture? Are our abilities and IQ fixed and pre-determine by our genes?

Quote: John Gardner in his thought provoking and insightful paper on the Road to Self-Renewal highlights the power of failure in discouraging learning and experimentation in life :

” We build our own prisons and serve as our own jail keepers, but I’ve concluded that our parents and the society at large have a hand in building our prisons. They create roles for us – and self-images – that hold us captive for a long time. The individual who is intent on self-renewal will have to deal with ghosts of the past – the memory of earlier failures, the remnants of childhood dramas and rebellions, accumulated grievances and resentments that have long outlived their cause. Sometimes people cling to the ghosts with something almost approaching pleasure, but the hampering effect on growth is inescapable. As Jim Whitaker, who climbed Mount Everest, said, “You never conquer the mountain. You only conquer yourself.” …”We pay a heavy price for our fear of failure. It is a powerful obstacle to growth. It assures the progressive narrowing of the personality and prevents exploration and experimentation. There is no learning without some difficulty and fumbling. If you want to keep on learning, you must keep on risking failure — all your life. It’s as simple as that…. And see how little the failures discourage him. With each year that passes he will be less blithe about failure. By adolescence the willingness of young people to risk failure has diminished greatly. And all too often parents push them further along that road by instilling fear, by punishing failure or by making success seem too precious”.

Self-Coaching Challenge: If you want to learn more don’t miss Gardner’s classic book entitled Self-Renewal: The Individual and Innovative Society.This tiny book is one of my favorite go to books on explaining change and the power of self-awareness.

Self-Awareness and Growth Mindset

Capture a specific incident below­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ from the workplace where love or respect was not shown to you-_________________________________________________________________________________________________________­__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Section 1

Self-Understanding and Awareness

“Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don’t know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!”

Anne Frank

Self-knowledge: Once your mind is open, calm and clear, you can create a level of self-knowledge or self-awareness that improves slowly over time (small dose learning), and motivates ongoing personal development and learning. This continuous learning and growth process evolves into self-mastery. You know about yourself enough that you can master your thinking, emotions and behavior.

 

Growth Mindset News–Brain Exercise Breakthrough shows promise on Delaying Dementia

Insightful and hopeful study on this-brain-exercise-puts-off-dementia. Dr. Jerri Edwards has investigated the ability of a new computer based training exercise on improving our brains ability to process information. See the complete article in the WSJ link below.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/this-brain-exercise-puts-off-dementia-1469469493

If you are older than fifty might be worthwhile to investigate this positive cognitive training program.

Growth Mindset and Neuroplasticity Effect

Daily Quote: 

“Among other things, neuroplasticity means that emotions such as happiness and compassion can be cultivated in much the same way that a person can learn through repetition to play golf and basketball or master a musical instrument, and that such practice changes the activity and physical aspects of specific brain areas.”
― Andrew Weil, Spontaneous Healing

Key Information: The keys to building new habits is through brain training and learning the following:

1. self efficacy -belief in your ability and skills to learn and take constructive action to accomplish your goals.

2. Understanding Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, which refers to the brain’s ability to CHANGE throughout life.

The human brain has the amazing ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections between brain cells (neurons).Discovery of methods and new ways to do things by learning the benefits of facing challenges, efforting and deliberative practice (small dose learning on step at a time).

The good news is that practicing these new behaviors over and over again changes our brain structure because it is not fixed but flexible and always capable of changing. So the take away is that you always have the power to change yourself: No matter how old you are belief, deliberate practice, as well as effort and rest can result in successful brain changes through what is called neuroplasticity.

Let’s look at what brain researchers have discovered when it comes to neuroplasticity. One of their key findings is that neural pathways (paths that connect different areas of the brain and nervous system) can not only be created at will, but can also eliminate unwanted connections through effort and drill and practice instructional strategies involves repetition of specific skills.Every time we learn something new or have a novel idea, a new pathway is created. The more we use this new pathway (through practice and repetition), the firmer and more ingrained it becomes; likewise, the less we use it, the weaker it becomes, until it is eventually forgotten.

Summary:

Neuroplasticity Effect:  Our brains can be thought of as malleable substance like plastic or muscle— they are constantly being changed by our day-to-day experiences. In scientific terms, the effect of neuroplasticity refers to the “rewiring” of the brain structure by interactions between neurons that transmit information in the brain, and the alterations that occur at synapses with constant use.

So if you think you can’t change the way you think and act you are mistaken. To learn more from the following sources —

Book “The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science,” by Norman Doidge describes numerous examples of functional changes in the brain structures.

http://www.lifehack.org/395242/entrepreneurial-success-starts-with-training-your-brain?ref=mail&mtype=daily_newsletter&mid=20160609_customized&uid=86053&email=mwhardwick44%40gmail.com&action=click

Daily Reflection: Growth Mindset In Times of Change

View at Medium.com

“In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” Eric Hoffer, Longshoreman and author 

Breaking through old habits, failure and personal change requires courage, resilience and action. Courage to see a brighter future. Resilience to snap back and recover from disappointments and failures and action to start doing what comes naturally through discovery and effort to produce the results you envision.

What does courage, resiliency and constructive action look like? According to many scholars on Change Management you need to have the following elements in your tool set:

1. Flexibility, resilience and growth—FRG Critical Leadership Elements…

View at Medium.com

View at Medium.com

See more at my published post on Medium

 

 

 

Mind Maker Effect

Mind Maker Effect-Fundamental Learning Methods for changing the ability to improve our mindset and performance by taking on challenges for learning.

“Mindset change is not about picking up a few pointers here and there. It’s about seeing things in a new way. When people…change to a growth mindset, they change from a judge-and-be-judged framework to a learn-and-help-learn framework. Their commitment is to growth, and growth take plenty of time, effort, and mutual support.”
― Carol S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Case Study on Challenging the Development of Performance (High School Band project)

Congratulations to Julie Verret, music teacher at Fiske Elementary and elementary band leader for all of the Wellesley, MA School District, recently reported to Mindset Works how she used the concept of malleable brain to teach students about “ learning how to learning” using Growth Mindset methods and strategies. She eloquently describes the process of how a Growth Mindset helped her band students tackle a challenging piece of music. Julie applied the malleable mind concept to her music students because of multi-year, school-wide Growth Mindset initiative led by the principal. Verret introduced the idea that a musician’s brain can grow with effort and practice. To put this concept into action, Julie and her 4th and 5th grade students worked on a piece of music that would typically be played at the middle school level.

Here is an excerpt from her Growth Mindset project: “When they received the piece, some were excited to have such an awesome challenge,” Julie wrote. “Others thought [it] was going to be impossible.” Although her students reacted to the challenge in different ways, Julie and her class developed a number of strategies to help achieve their goal. Using the growth mindset as a foundation, the group aligned to tackle the task together, with help from the following this set of learning strategies and performance tips:

• Learn to take-on challenges rather saying this activity is to hard for us
• Isolate the tricky bits in the music that can trip them up
• Practice slowly and carefully so you don’t learn it wrong.
• Take a moment to learn from mistakes by marking missed notes and rhythms.

• Use a Plus-One Small dose learning strategy by not trying to tackle the “whole piece at one time”; instead, work on 8 measures at a time.
• To get everyone on the same page and set a standard for getting a learning session going she used a metronome every time when they began a new learning activity.
• Learn to take a “time-out” by stepping away from playing for a few minutes if you stumble or get frustrated. (Managing Emotions technique from EQ            research)
• Actively listen to the musical piece (modeling) and pay attention and be attuned to follow their part when playing.

” Julie’s class followed these strategies together, and every student worked to master the challenging piece. According to Julie: “They now cheer when I ask them to take it out so we can work on it. Not one child felt it was beyond their abilities because they used the strategies.” And so, the band played on”!

See more at  MindsetWorksNewsletter: