Happy Morning, Dear Universe!
It’s another sunny, bright day here. The vibrant spring blossoms have mostly passed, leaving a spectrum of rich, full greens.
I went out kayaking on the CT River again yesterday. I had some moments of cruising and ease, which was nice – the reward of practice and experience. I also had a stretch with a stiff cross-wind and choppy water – that was new and different, I’ll say, and a little unsettling – even so, I appreciate having now added that to my catalog of experience.
I was having a discussion with my wife this morning, about how we develop and grow. I think, by the way, that she and I could one day write an interesting book on the subject, interweaving my coaching perspective working with adults with her knowledge and vast experience teaching fourth- and fifth-graders. I’m always struck by the parallels in strategies, goals, and outcomes when promoting development and growth in an environment of kindness, self-awareness, and community.
So, this morning we were discussing a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset. Here’s my lay-person’s definition of each.
Fixed mindset is a philosophy where a student is taught something with a set modality or approach, and if s/he doesn’t understand and acquire the skill through that instruction, it is understood that the student is incapable, for any number of reasons, of ever acquiring that skill. This has led us to labeling people as mechanically-inclined, or not; technologically-savvy, or not; mathematically-capable or not; a reader, or not.
Growth mindset, on the other hand, is sort of defined by the two words – “Not Yet.” This philosophy purports that, with the correct approach, which taps into the student’s interests, motivations, and inclinations, any student, through practice, effort, and focus, can gain the basics of any skill.
I mentioned the parallels I can see between my coaching and Joy’s experience in the classroom. Fixed vs. growth mindset is a prime example. Joy has again and again helped kids who were labeled “low-level” get excited about reading, writing, and mathematics. She has invited and challenged them to think critically, about themselves and the community around them. She creates and holds a classroom community that is safe and kind, fair and respectful. She models, honors, and expects supportive, encouraging behavior.
In my coaching, I often see fixed vs. growth mindset as the crux of the situation, when someone wants change in her/his life, but only sees roadblocks and walls in the way. It’s easy to believe that things are what they are because it is inevitable and out of our control; because it’s “supposed to” be that way.
We don’t like to acknowledge that things are the way they are because of the choices we’ve made. And, while that can be uncomfortable to accept, that ultimately opens the door to create change now.
When we believe the model of a growth mindset – not that we are incapable of learning something new, but that it’s simply that we’ve “Not Yet” learned it – we become trailblazers, explorers, adventurers, and innovators.
We feed our curiosity. We explore our creativity. We dare to express our essential nature. And, by boldly stepping through the doorway of “Not Yet,” we honor our spirit, we reveal our truest heart, and we lift and carry others along toward fullness and Purpose.
And now, a Prompt:
Make a list of twenty “I can’t” statements.
On a new sheet, rewrite each as “I don’t yet know…” and finish the sentence with a turtle step you can do toward realization. For example: “I can’t ride a horse” becomes “I don’t yet know how to ride a horse, but I can do an internet search for nearby places that offer horse-riding lessons.”
“Not Yet” makes me tingle, Dear Guides. There’s magic in those two words! Thank you!
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