January 2025: New Year, New Mindset

As we reach February, research data has shown that more and more New Year’s Resolutions tend to fall by the wayside. Often, these resolutions are drastic changes or fairly ambitious goals that are difficult to maintain. But what if a New Year’s Resolution could be small and incredibly rewarding? That is the power of a growth mindset. 

A “mindset” refers to our subconscious beliefs about ourselves, especially about our intelligence and capacity to improve. A growth mindset means recognizing that setbacks and failures don’t define your intelligence and learning abilities. Essentially, it is reminding yourself that no outcome, especially a negative one, can define you as an individual. 

Being aware of your mindset and internal monologue (the things you say to yourself, without realizing it) is powerful. A great place to start when trying to foster a growth mindset is listening. When you encounter an obstacle, what do you say to yourself? And how might that impact how you proceed? 

Nurturing a growth mindset has numerous benefits because it functions as a sort of “chain reaction”. Those who have a growth mindset have a desire to learn, therefore increasing their willingness to take on challenges, embody persistence, and continue putting in effort. Most individuals with a growth mindset also take criticism as constructive and continue striving for improvement. Ultimately, the combination of these traits leads to an ability to learn from and appreciate others, while finding more success. That’s not to suggest that maintaining such an outlook is easy, but with effort, it is attainable. 

Overall, maintaining a growth mindset remains my personal philosophy for tackling challenges of any size. I hope that you find value in it, too. 

Interested in learning more? 

MindsetWorks: Growth Mindsets 

Until next time, 

Cheers,

Anoushka Majumder

Vice President and Curriculum Director of English, VTO