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

Part I: Myth of Being Born Smart.”It’s not people who start out the Smartest…Who End Up the Smartest”

” It is not people who start out the smartest who end up the smartest…Research shows that whether you are low-income or not, mindset is a bigger predictor of success than IQ or other talents possessed at birth, and how students gain great academic skills and persevere in the face of challenges and failure is what I call a ” Growth Mindset.” Dr. Carol Dweck  

” One critical element of Growth Mindset is Being Present in the moment. This concept is defined as the ability to be completely in the “here and now” and being open and flexible enough to learn new ways to handle challenges, expectations, opportunities, unexpected crisis and conflicts.  Use mindfulness to stay in the “here and now” moment” Being Present by Mark W. Hardwick, Ph.D. 

When learning something new be sure to be attentive and focused to the task at hand, to learn how to make this happen learn to be more aware of your surroundings and relax your brain and body through meditation practices such as focusing on your breathing by taking a deep breath clearing your mind and smiling.

How to foster a growth and learning mindset. One thing that might be keeping you back from learning new things is the belief that you can’t learn new things. But recent neuroscience and psychology research have shown this to be false. Our brains remain plastic and malleable well into old age, and it’s possible to create new connections among neurons and learn new things even if you’re 80 years old and beyond. To become an effective lifelong learner you need to adopt a mindset that is in line with how our brains really work. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck discovered that people have one of two “mindsets” – fixed or growth. Individuals with a fixed mindset believe that their intelligence and talents are fixed at birth. They don’t think they can improve with work and effort. Folks with a growth mindset believe that they can improve themselves through being open to learning, accepting failures as a challenge and finding new strategies for learning and self-improvement.

You want to foster a growth mindset. How do you do that? Here are a few things Dweck suggests:

• Reading research that shows growth and improvement is possible
• Developing your resiliency to learn how to bounce back from failures and deal with suffering in life
• Trying new and difficult tasks to stimulate growth and learning
• Accept obstacles and failure as opportuniies for learning
• Listening to feedback and gathering more knowledge and experience to do better
• Finding role models. Observing, reading about and extracting lessons from others and then setting your course for growing and development.
• Being more attuned and present in the “here and now” moment through development of mindfulness and observation practices.

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEING PRESENT Most Critical Factor in Developing a Growth Mindset…by Mark W. Hardwick, Ph.D.

One critical element of Growth Mindset is Being Present in the moment. This concept is defined as the ability to be completely in the “here and now” and being open and flexible enough to learn new ways to handle challenges, expectations, opportunities, unexpected crisis and conflicts.  Don’t miss this 60 minutes show on Anderson Cooper’s exploration of mindfulness. He talks extensively and attends a retreat with Jon Kabat-Zinn, who has written 10 books on mindfulness and led nearly a hundred retreats, describes meditation as a mental workout. The essence of being present is to just be present. Here is how he express what mindfulness is: Take a deep breath and just focus on your breathing “in for 5 seconds then out for 5 seconds” your  mind wanders away from the breath and then you gently and non-judgmentally just bring it back. Use mindfulness to stay in the “here and now” moment.

 

When learning something new be sure to be attentive and focused to the task at hand, to help in doing this be aware of your surroundings and relaxed your brain and body through mindfulness by taking a deep breath clearing your mind and smiling.

Self- Coaching Challenge: Are you committed to learn more about Mindfulness and Being Present? If so create and plan for exploration and learning this week. Good Luck with finding more relaxtion and calm in your life. Coach Mark

Socratic Method and Growth Mindset Development

Quote: “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel…I can’t not teach anybody anything, I can only make them think …question everything.”   Socrates 

Challenging others with powerful questions and opening up their curiosity and critical thinking abilities has a long tradition going back to the Socratic method of teaching.  Socratic Method is named for the classical Greek philosopher Socrates. It is a form of inquiry and discussion he used to stimulate discussions between individuals. The method is based on asking and answering questions that engage others into deeper thinking about issues and to illuminate new ideas.

• “Socratic questioning is disciplined questioning that can be used to pursue thought in many directions and for many purposes, including: to explore complex ideas, to get to the truth of things, to open up issues and problems, to uncover assumptions, to analyze concepts, to distinguish what we know from what we don’t know, to follow out logical implications of thought or to control the discussion. The key to distinguishing Socratic questioning from questioning per se is that Socratic questioning is systematic, disciplined, and focuses on fundamental concepts, principles, theories, issues or problems”. wikipedia.org·
• Socrates believed that knowledge and awareness were an intrinsic part of each learner. Thus, in exercising the craft of discover and dialogue a skilled educator or coach must reach into learners’ hidden levels of knowing and awareness in order to help them reach new levels of thinking through thoughtfully developed questions.
• Examples of the type of questions used to stimulate a Socratic discussion are asked below. They are designed to clarify, probe assumptions and enhance critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is the process we use to reflect on, access and judge the assumptions underlying our own and others ideas and actions.

R.W. Paul’s six types of Socratic questionR.W. Paul’s six types of Socratic questionR.W. Paul’s six types of Socratic questions applied to brain development discussion:

 

1. Questions for clarification:	Why do you say that? How does this relate to our discussion about learning? Are you going to include reference to the brain as a muscle that can be developed?
2. Questions that probe assumptions:	What could someone assume instead of the brain being malleable How can you verify or disapprove that assumption? Why are neglecting the idea of fixed or innate talent and including only information about brain plasticity?
3. Questions that probe reasons and evidence:	What would be an example of plasticity of brain functions? What is….analogous to? What do you think happens in the brain to cause plasticity …? Why:? What are the reasons neurologists changed their earlier assumptions about brain development?
4. Questions about alternative viewpoints and perspectives:	What would be an alternative? What is another way to look at the development of brains? Would you explain why it is necessary or beneficial, and who benefits from the “growth theory” for brains? Why is this best theory? What are the strengths and weaknesses of Growth vs. Fixed theories of brain development? How are growth …and fixed…similar? What is a counterargument for plasticity? With all the new and ongoing research and evidence for brain plasticity what do you think is next?
5. Questions that probe implications and consequences:	What generalizations can you make? What are the consequences of that assumption? What are you implying? How does…affect…? How does…tie in with what we learned before? “How would our results be affected if we neglected the research  on brain development ?
6. Questions about the question:	What was the point of this question? Why do you think I asked this question? How does…apply to everyday life? “Why do you think brain plasticity is important scientific discovery?”

Research says: Perseverance and Grit key Success Factors for Growth Mindset

” All success is a matter of attitude, mindset and most importantly implementation. All implementation is a matter of commitment, grit, effort and execution.” Duckworth 

What are grit and the effects of it on short-term motivation? It means having the ability to separate short-term losses or failure by taking the time to stop what you are doing, reflect on the lesson you learned and experiment with new approaches that might work better to reach the long-term goal. The method used by effective leaders is to stop, reflect on what is working or not, think about a different strategy or tactic to try next, set a new goal, and go for it. If that Plan B  doesn’t work be flexible enough to try something else, always committed to the big picture.  This is grit. It’s the “perseverance and passion for long-term goals” (Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007, p.1087). 

Grit Model shows us how we may experience our life as one of discovery, growth and development. There are four types of  Mental Models :

• The Futureist: Live for the future (no pain, no gain)
• Present Here and Now: Live for the now, focus on present task and draw from past experience and lessons learned to accomplish present interactions and tasks. Seek out learning from the moment and try to make present moment memorable despite effort needed to achieve success. (be aware of  balance between pleasure, effort, and suffering to learn new behavior and habits)
• Fixed or stuck: Live in the past, give up on happiness for the future. Be fixed in your beliefs no matter what the evidence says about issues.
• Grower: Focus on the journey and the destination while working to change your abilities and improve your “quality of life” based on awareness, understanding and development of your emotional and thinking muscles, identifying and improving weaknesses by learning new behaviors and establishing healthy and positive living habits.
• http://healthyhappyhumanbeings.com/happiness-from-the-inside-out/

 

WHAT DO PARENTS NEED TO KNOW OR DO TO MOTIVATE THEIR CHILDREN TO BE MORE CONFIDENT?

 

What do parents need to know and do to motivate their children?  

Success or failure in almost anything starts from within. Once your kids start believing in themselves, they create a domino effect of positive outcomes.  Let’s look at some successful and not so successful ways to motivate your kids and teach them how to be more confident and independent.

One way I have seen used is the “nice to me” technique.The reason why being too “nice” to your kids doesn’t work in trying to motivate them to do better in playing with other kids or school is because you’re usually trying to do one of two things:

1. Either you’re being nice in an attempt to make them like you so they’ll perform…
2. Maybe you’re trying to get their approval.

The problem is that most kids don’t get motivated to study or learn new things or go to the wall to do their best at school based on sweat talk or how “nice” a parent or teacher is. Their motivation motivation and success or failure like so many things comes from within. Internal motivation can become a habit when people believe they can change themselves and overcome their doubts or fears through practice and support. External motivation (rewards) can work for short term change or compliance in the present situation, but doesn’t have the staying power of internal belief and motivation. Most of us do these things based on our belief system about how smart we think we are and how confident and mentally tough they are from the inside out.

When an your child has self-efficacy (belief) and is confident, they are motivated too take on risks and challenges in life. They will study and practice harder and go for it – simply because they believe they can over come obstacles and that their ability or brain can grow over time with the right effort and strategy for learning.

Otherwise, they are going to hang back in new and challenging situations and hedge their bets, and no amount of “nice-ness”, encouragement or rewards is going to change their more or convince them to try and risk failure.

Also, the less confidence your athlete has, the more he needs an independent leader to model confidence for him.  If he perceives you as looking for his approval, the more annoyed he’ll get – and be even less likely to follow your advice or demands in a motivated way.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting that you need to treat your child harshly to get results. It’s perfectly okay to be pleasant and good company to your sons and daughters. As a matter of fact creating a comfortable home environment where they feel loved and safe is critical for their development.  

What I am pointing out is that often our “nice-ness” as parents is really a trick many parents use in attempt to get our kids to do what we want. Of course, this seldom works, because your kids aren’t motivated because of your nice-ness (or lack of it).

They are de-motivated because they don’t know how their brain can grow with exercise and proper effort and usage. They need to learn that effort and use of the right tools for learning are based on practice and perseverance when the going gets difficult or tough.    

They may APPEAR AND SAY THEY DO NOT CARE, but actually I think they care TOO much – so at the first sign of risk of potential embarrassment, failure or insecurity, they stop trying (freeze or flight response) in order to protect themselves.

For example, in approaching new situations or people they hide behind you and cling to your coat or slacks…What to do and say… Hey, its okay I am a little scared and fearful too but lets go and observe (modeling) what they are doing and see if it is fun and if so will they let us join in (belonging) 

Take Away. If you want to learn more tips on how to encourage your child’s motivation and increase their “grit” for overcoming fear and taking on challenges consult the Parent’s Growth Mindset toolkit at the following https://www.mindsetkit.org/. You can learn how to support and help help your child to eliminate their fears and build deep mental toughness mindset, so they are naturally motivated and confident about handling new and difficult situations.

 

What can Parents Do increase the Adoption of Growth Mindset ?

Quotes to Inspire you:

If parents want to give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach their children to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. Carol Dweck

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

You’re in charge of your mind. You can help it grow by using it in the right way. ..Vowing, even intense vowing, is often useless. The next day comes and the next day goes. What works is making a vivid, concrete plan…What did you learn today? What mistake did you make that taught you something? What did you try hard at today? What can I learn from this? What will I do next time I’m in this situation? Carol Dweck on asking questions that encourage the  growth mindset way.

It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer. Albert Einstein

• Realize the brain can change and grow with actions that reinforce effort, learning from feedback and seeing failure as an opportunity and challenge for trying harder and using different strategies for learning the material being presented. The brain changes and develops throughout life – a process called neuroplasticity.
• Certain experiences cause new connections in the brain to form or strengthen, making the brain smarter by literally rewiring it. For example, New research with London taxi drivers revealed that drivers give their brain quite a workout they navigate the complicated streets of London. These types of strenuous workouts have a significant an impact on the brain. The part of the brain responsible for spatial awareness is bigger in taxi drivers compared to other Londoners. And the longer a person has been a taxi driver, the bigger their hippocampus which is the part of the brain responsible for spatial memory and navigating winding roads and unmarked streets. As scientists learn more and more about the brain, they are discovering that it changes and develops throughout life, a process called neural plasticity. The cells in the brain, called neurons, are each connected to thousands of other neurons. The strength, number, and location of these connections affect how the brain works.
• These brain connections change all the time, as the result of our experiences. Certain of our experiences cause new connections to form or strengthen, making the brain smarter by literally rewiring it.
• Take away is that working hard on something challenging can cause anatomical changes in the brain. Thus spending years studying your special vocation from root cannels for dentist or leave structures for a botanist is a way to increase your brain effectiveness.

When you really think about it, the fact that our brains change in response to our actions shouldn’t be so surprising. After all, our bodies are in general quite good at adapting to the demands that we place on them. In the same way that our muscles get stronger when we push their capacities, so too do our brains get smarter when we push their capacities. Children who understand that the brain can get smarter, kids who have developed a growth mindset, do better in school because they have an empowering perspective on learning.  They focus on improvement and see effort as a way to build those abilities.

For more checkout these sources:

https://www.mindsetkit.org/growth-mindset-parents

https://www.mindsetkit.org/

Good News on Growth Mindset and Musical Practice

Good News on Growth Mindset: Research on Music and brain development
We know that research on the Growth Mindset has shown many benefits of deliberative practice, efforting and believing in your ability to get better on many tasks and improve IQ scores . Now we have evidence that any musical practice can have positive effects on the brain. The researchers found that musical practice developed the frontal cortex in positive ways. Lead researcher Dr. Hudziak and colleagues published their findings in the Journal of the Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Hudziak reported encouraging news about the development and growth of the brain when children practice any musical instrument he said: “it accelerated cortical organization in attention skill, anxiety management and emotional control.” Dr. Hudziak
“I wanted to look at positive things, what we believe benefits child development,” Hudziak said. “What I was surprised by was the emotional regulatory regions. Everyone in our culture knows if I lift 5-pound, 10-pound, 15-pound weights, my biceps will get bigger. The same is true for the brain. We shouldn’t be surprised we can train the brain.”
This report will be encouraging for all of us to try and play a musical instrument in order to improve our brain function.
Self-Coaching Challenge: What musical instrument would you like to learn how to play? If you have identify an instrument, then when are you going to get started on practicing it so your brain can be nourished and grow.

Source: Full article published by Washington Post 1.7.2015