I’d like to start by saying that most of these concepts are not new. I am quite certain you’ve heard many of them before. So why I am giving you information about things you already know? Because I want to emphasize the importance of actually DOING these things in order to achieve success and happiness.
It is the doing that brings about change, not just knowing about them. We can all know that in order to be at our ideal weight we need to eat well and exercise, but if we don’t actually do it, there will be no change. The same goes with all the concepts below.
As you read through my 12 Growth Mindset Concepts for Young People, consider whether the kids in your care do these things or not. As adults, it is our role to help the children we are responsible for, whether it is at school or at home, to increase the implementation of these concepts. Part of doing that is ensuring that we as the adults are actually role modeling them for the kids. This is probably the most overlooked key to having young people implement these ideas. We as the adults need to do them first!
1. ACT WITH INTEGRITY
Your character is defined by decisions you make when no one is watching. Take accountability for your mistakes. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. Trust your instincts.2. YOU CAN DO MORE THAN YOU THINK
Your future is not defined by what happened in the past. It is defined by how much of a positive attitude you have towards things. The only limits that exist are those we put on ourselves. Push yourself to do more than you think you can – you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve!3. GOOD THINGS TAKE HARD WORK
An amazing piano player doesn’t get the chance to play at Carnegie Hall without a huge amount of hard work and dedication. Championships aren’t won without determination and discipline. Don’t expect success to be handed to you – do the work it takes to create it!4. ASK FOR HELP
The most successful people in the world didn’t achieve their success in isolation. They got help along the way. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The most successful people in the world do it every day!5. ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES
Have you heard the phrase “Think before you speak.”? It is a good reminder that our words and our actions have consequences. Before you make the decision to do something, think about what the result of that action will be to you and the others involved. The consequences are often bigger than we think, so being aware of the impact of your choices before you make them is important. If you aren’t sure….ask for help.6. LIFE IS NOT FAIR
Has your mother ever said to you, “Well, life’s not fair.” I hate to break it to you, but she is right! Sometimes things don’t seem fair at all, but instead of focusing on the unfairness of the situation, think about what you can learn from it. You can also think about how you may have caused that unfairness to happen from your own choices.7. SAY “PLEASE” AND “THANK YOU”
There is no replacement for good old fashioned manners. In this day and age, if you can show others that you have above average manners people notice! It is guaranteed to make you stand out from the crowd.8. BE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU HAVE
Showing gratitude for what you have invites more good things into your life. For example, if a teenager has an incredibly messy room with clothes all over the floor what message does that send to mom and dad? That they don’t respect their belongings. So will mom be more or less likely to take their teenager on a shopping spree? If 16-year old Sally showed gratitude toward her belongings, her mom would definitely be more inclined to buy her more things. This concept works with every aspect of life.9. FOCUS ON THE GOAL, NOT THE OBSTACLES
Obstacles will always present themselves as you are working toward a goal. The trick is to not give them too much attention and to stay focused on what you want to achieve. What you focus on expands, so focusing on all the reasons why you can’t achieve something isn’t going to bring you closer to your dream.Very young children are great at this concept! A 3-year old child will stop at nothing to get what he or she wants. They are very tenacious and keep their attention on that new toy or yummy treat. The fact that mom is a barrier to getting what they want isn’t much of a consideration, which is why they get what they want more ofen than not.10. YOUR LAST INTERACTION WITH SOMEONE IS HOW THEY WILL REMEMBER YOU
It amazes me how many people forget this! You can be a fantastic employee and work for a company for 3 years and do a great job, but then you quit for a better opportunity and give your boss only 5 days notice. What do you think the boss will remember? The 3 years of incredible work? Or the fact that you left them with no replacement during the busiest time of year? Moral – think about your choices and how they will impact your relationships with others.11. YOUR THOUGHTS CREATE YOUR REALITY
If you focus on negative things you get more negativity in your life. If you focus on positive things, you get more of the good stuff! Choose to focus on what you want rather than what you don’t. Your life will either happen to you or you can create your life through positive choices and thoughts.12. WHO YOU SPEND TIME WITH IS WHO YOU BECOME
This is one of my favourites! If you are surrounding yourself with friends who are lazy, unmotivated, and whose only interest is to hang out and have fun, that is who you will become. If you spend time with overachievers, who work hard, have ambition and go for their dreams, you will become more like them.
Whether you are a teacher or a parent I encourage you to go over these 12 Growth Mindset concepts with your kids. Talk through each idea and get the kids to share what they think about each one. Challenge yourself to pick one or two ideas each week for implementation and then share your experiences and results at the end of the week. The positive changes you will see from the action of doing these things can be tremendous. The only limiting factor is you!
The original article was posted April 20th, 2018 by Lisa Phillips on The Artistic Edge Blog: http://theartisticedge.ca/the-game-of-life-12-growth-mindset-concepts/?fbclid=IwAR0cawjFCSzaQ8Td2-BfWNkJLPSzsZX11_DOJWTUQu2CKJoBWAC_eRqG4FM