Becoming is better than being

Test scores and measures of achievement tell you where a student is, but they don't tell you where a student could end up.

In a growth mindset, challenges are exciting rather than threatening. So rather than thinking, oh, I'm going to reveal my weaknesses, you say, wow, here's a chance to grow.

This is hard. This is fun.

Just because some people can do something with little or no training, it doesn't mean that others can't do it (and sometimes do it even better) with training.

Don't judge. Teach. It's a learning process.

Why waste time proving over and over how great you are, when you could be getting better? Why hide deficiencies instead of overcoming them? Why look for friends or partners who will just shore up your self-esteem instead of ones who will also challenge you to grow? And why seek out the tried and true, instead of experiences that will stretch you? The passion for stretching yourself and sticking to it, even (or especially) when it’s not going well, is the hallmark of the growth mindset. This is the mindset that allows people to thrive during some of the most challenging times in their lives.