TEACHERS’ AID
CULTIVATING A GROWTH MINDSET By Michelle Despault
At the start of the new year, my husband and I were discussing how we could integrate more exercise into our daily lives. He suggested 10 minutes of yoga each night before bed. Typically, I would hem and haw and come up with about a million excuses as to why this just would not work, but to my own surprise I said, “Sure!” We went on to start a nightly yoga routine that I have not only kept up, but actually look forward to each night. This is absolutely shocking to me! Here is why.
Fixed mindset We have a fixed mindset when we believe that things are a certain way and they cannot change. We assume that our character, intelligence, and creativity are predetermined and finite. We fail a test and tell ourselves it is because we are just not smart enough. We make a mistake in a dance recital and lament our lack of talent. We burn the lasagna in the oven and believe it is because we are not a good cook.
First, I intensely dislike yoga. I have never seen its point. I am a high-intensity kind of gal. I love lifting heavy weights, doing cross-fit workout-of-the-day, and spin class. Basically anything that makes me sweat through every inch of clothing, and pushes me physically to the point where I can barely walk home after my workout. Yoga is the antithesis of exercise to me.
If you think about it, there are probably several areas in your life where you have a fixed mindset. A few of my greatest hits are: I am not good at math, I am not a morning person, I could never run a marathon, and I will never fit back into my wedding dress. The problem with a fixed mindset is that there is no opportunity for re-interpretation, and thus no opportunity for growth. If you do not believe you are smart enough, you are not likely to invest more time in studying, because what would be the point? You have already
Second, I cannot stand working out at home. Over the years I have had numerous great ideas for home workouts that were meant to save time and money, only to abandon them within a few days. I recognized long ago that I thrive off the energy of other people at the gym or in a class; it pushes me to push myself. Lastly, I do not have a spare 10 minutes in my day just waiting for me to find something to do with them. I used to work out consistently before I had my son, but since returning to work it has been a struggle to prioritize exercise given all the other demands of my life. I had long since given up believing I could ever make it work until my son goes off to college. So this is big, dare I even say revolutionary, for me. There is no struggle or complaining. No looking for excuses to get out of it. Why? What is different now? It is not the activity, or the circumstances surrounding my decision. It is not the “what” I am doing, “how,” or with “whom.” The answer is me. I am different. I am open to considering an opportunity in a way that, even one month ago, I was not. I shifted from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, which opened the door for ideas to show up and be seen in new and different ways. I created a condition in which I could say yes to something and actually enjoy it.
16 CATHOLIC TEACHER | FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
