 | | | | About the Author Rachel Cook has been a Product Development Specialist at Great Kids® since 2017. Her passion for helping strengthen families is prevalent in her curriculum content creation. Before joining Great Kids, she worked as a home visitor with Kentucky HANDS. She lives in Berea, Kentucky, with her husband and new baby, where she loves writing and exploring nature. Contact Rachel at rcook@greatkidsinc.net. |
When I think of March, I think of spring. Since childhood, I’ve awaited the newness of this season. Unfortunately, spring isn’t a smooth transition for me and many others. In Kentucky, this time of year is defined by warm, sunny days followed by freezing flurries. It’s quite a vicious and frustrating game that mother nature likes to play with us Kentuckians. Spring is like flipping a coin with two sides, warm or cold. Despite this season’s unpredictability, I always excitedly await the vibrant spring blooms to burst from their bulbs and the faded brown hills to turn to their luscious green. I LOVE the changes that spring gifts us and that it reminds me I can enjoy change.
Our world is dynamic; it never stops changing. And even for those, like me, who enjoy routine and predictability, change ALWAYS catches up with us too. We dive into a new relationship, go back to school, start a new career, move to a new place, become a parent, and the list goes on for miles.
Life is all about change, and with change comes learning. Some experts even refer to us as lifelong learners.3
I must confess; embracing that I’m a lifelong learner wasn’t always a concept I understood. I credit my first college history class as being my ah-ha moment with lifelong learning. Let’s just say when I got my first test back, the giant red letter smeared across the written essay wasn’t what I expected. However, after having a full-blown meltdown at 18, I committed to what I now know experts call a growth mindset.
You might have heard this term before. It boils down to acknowledging that we’re lifelong learners who can always grow knowledge and skills.1,2
This mindset is still new to me as I learned to manage it in my young adult years. To be honest, I often have a fixed mindset temporarily in a moment of panic before recognizing I can learn and grow.
Fixed mindsets prevent us from recognizing that we can indeed do great things. However, growth mindsets invite us on a learning journey.
Having this mindset doesn’t mean we won’t have setbacks and challenges. It does mean that when we’re confronted with an obstacle or difficult task, we keep pushing. We accept the challenge and an opportunity to learn.1,2
It’s a commitment, but I promise it’s worth it. A growth mindset (with tons of loving support) led me through that history class and across a stage, receiving a degree. As a result, I’ve had the privilege of advocating for children and families ever since. I know copious learning still awaits me on my journey, but with that growth mindset (I’m still growing every day), I accept the challenge. Where will your growth mindset take you? The world is waiting for your learning!
References
Acton Academy Columbus | Private School | Dublin. (2021, December 13). Carol Dweck – Growth mindset – The power of Yet – Ted Talk [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxa2r8kpWcg
Dweck, C. (2016). Mindest: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books.
Siegel, D. J., & Bryson, T. P. (2021). The power of showing up: How parental presence shapes who our kids become and their brains get wired. Ballantine Books.
