The Secret to Being Better at Anything

How to open your life to limitless possibilities

Photo by Tom Haller

I have a secret. It’s not personal; it’s harmless, and I’m willing to share it with you.

The secret is simple…keep an open mind.

The power of having an open mind is known as a growth mindset. A growth mindset can greatly affect your attitude, relationships, and career. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, believes that “no matter what your ability is, effort is what ignites that ability and turns it into accomplishment.”

With a growth mindset, this effort and hard work are the conduits to success.

The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. With a fixed mindset, your ideas are inflexible; you believe your abilities are set and can’t be changed. When criticized, those with fixed mindsets adopt a defensive attitude. It is never their fault.

I stumbled across Carol Dweck’s Mindset in grad school, and her words came back to me when, as a teacher, I witnessed students struggling to understand concepts and new ideas.

How can a fixed mindset prevent you from succeeding?

With a fixed mindset, you won’t achieve your full potential if you think you can’t learn new information or, worse, that you aren’t smart enough. A person with a fixed mindset will blame others for their inadequacies, while those with a growth mindset will look for ways to solve the problem.

Author and mathematician John Mighton believes that the average person is born with the “capacity to do well in any subject.” Mighton’s non-profit, JUMP Math, teaches that learning new concepts starts with your mindset and in how you tackle inconsistencies in learning. At JUMP Math, there is no mindset allowed for those who think they are “bad at math.” Instead, Mighton believes that by keeping a growth mindset you can learn math, or basically, anything.

Achieving a growth mindset is something you can start today. Listed below are 10 techniques to get you started:

1. Stay curious.
2. Problem-solve. Instead of, “I don’t know,” try “How can I make this work?”
3. When criticized, don’t overreact to the criticism, but diagnose it. Is it true?
4. Learn from your mistakes.
5. Don’t place blame on others.
6. Ask for feedback (and be open to hearing it).
7. Try to see yourself as others see you.
8. Embrace failure as a tactic for growth.
9. Practice, practice, practice.
10. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone.

A growth mindset can positively affect how you tackle difficult concepts and situations. It is not necessarily the time you spend mastering a concept, but the consistent dedication you spend. If your mind is open to change, this leads to growth.

Dweck reminds us that our idols aren’t superheroes who were “born different from us.” They are just “ordinary people who made themselves extraordinary” through hard work, persistence, and effort.

The next time you’re feeling stuck, instead of saying, “I can’t,” look for ways where you can. When you start with, “I’m bad at…” you automatically hinder your opportunity for growth. You can change your attitude and your ability to grow with patience and persistence, leading to success, satisfaction, and confidence.

Whether it’s math, writing, or art, it is never too late to master a new skill. All it takes is the right mindset.