Deliberately Developmental

Growth Mindset. 

We have all heard of this idea and hopefully embrace it. As I explored this topic as it relates to mindfulness I found a definition that I really like and it encouraged  me to think about my own growth mindset and my own growth.

On the website Awakenedmind.com it says that another term for growth mindset can be deliberately developmental. The article goes on to explain that this means you have a "deliberate set of practices to help you grow as a human." We can apply this concept to ourselves and to whole groups, such as our students.

Harvard experts, Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey study adult development and have found that adults waste 33% of time and energy on managing image at work. This is to say that a 1/3 of our time is spent worrying about the results of what we do and how it looks to others, rather than the process of getting the result. We worry how what we do looks to those around us.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has been quoted saying "We need to move from a know-it-all attitude to a learn it all attitude."

This is growth mindset. This is deliberately developmental. 

One way we can cultivate an environment of growth is to practice mindfulness. Mindfulness helps us train our brains to slow down and tune in. When we learn to pause and reflect we open our brains to the opportunity to grow and develop in positive ways.

Mindfulness helps us teach our brains to be lessen reactive. When we are less reactive we can grow through a situation. We can learn to change an unwanted behavior and strengthen a wanted behavior.

We can utilize mindfulness to less our "quick fix" response and become open to learning a new and possibly more positive way to handle a situation.

On the website Mindfulschools.org we are told that teachers who have a personal mindfulness practice are better equipped to help students through difficult emotions. Teachers (Staff at school) who have a regular mindfulness practice teach their brains to pause and create space for purposeful responses and growth.

When we practice our own mindfulness we show students with our growth how they can grow too. When we learn to pause and create space we can then teach our students to do the same.

Having a growth mindset also makes a safe space for failure. 

Having a growth mindset encourages feeling emotions as they are and pausing to learn a new way to process them.

Having a growth mindset puts the focus on the process not the results.

Mindfulness helps cultivate a growth mindset.

We can be deliberately developmental. 

Please take some time today to enjoy a 5 minute mindful pause. Enjoy the moment and create space to grow.