The Power of YET
- Ralph Cochrane
- Sep 7, 2023
- 1 min read
Do you have a growth mindset? Or are you stuck in the ‘tyranny of now’.
Let me expand (full disclosure - it’s from Carol Dweck’s TED talk - The Power of Yet).
When you tackle any problem, work issue, or business goal - and you happen to fall short - remove the word ‘fail’ from your vocabulary and tell yourself, ‘I haven’t succeeded yet’.
‘Yet’ allows you to see your actions as a learning curve.
Here’s something very interesting.
A study of young students who were presented with a challenging test above their abilities produced two groups.
The first group presented a growth mindset and ‘reacted in a shockingly positive way.’
They said things like, "I love a challenge," or, "I was hoping this would be informative." They understood that their abilities could be developed.
‘But other students felt it was tragic, catastrophic. From their more fixed mindset perspective, their intelligence had been up for judgment, and they failed.’
The second group of children said they would probably cheat the next time instead of studying more if they failed a test. And in study after study, they have run from difficulty.
The secret lies in teaching children that it is the effort and not the outcome they should focus on.
We need to reward them for trying, learning, taking risks, failing is okay, and to keep going through difficult times.
Perseverance rather than gold stars.
The word yet holds unimaginable power, when taught wisely.
Think growth.
Think effort.
Think yet.
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