Prologue / My story:
Ever since I was quite young, I have been looking up to my mother’s side of the family in terms of being open to learning new things. She has been walking my road of education with me my whole life, she taught me the importance of learning and I couldn’t be more grateful for it as knowing how to learn, looking forward to learning and knowing that I am constantly doing so is now is one of my core strengths and something that gives me a reason and meaning.
I have always known this and wanted to share my thoughts on it, so now I can do this in the form of contributing towards the completion of the IDG course. Isn’t that convenient?
Learning is something we do our whole life, regardless of whether we’re currently a student, employed, a parent, a family member or simply existing. I have had plenty of rough patches with my education throughout my life, as I also started struggling with clinical depression in my last years of primary school.
At the time I thought this is it. I thought that I won’t get anywhere in life, my learning is gonna be stunted forever and I will not be able to continue. Although, now, looking back at it, I will gratefully say that I was learning all along: I learned how to best take care of myself, I learned what mental health is and I learned to navigate life when things got difficult. It never truly stopped.
Additionally this helped me realize the truth in what my mother has been telling me ever since I can remember - you learn your whole life. This is something a lot of people know but cannot truly understand in the sense of what happens outside of years of schooling and raising awareness of this in my close family and friends’ circle has been a silent mission of mine for years.
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What is a learning mindset?
By definition, a learning/growth mindset is when someone considers every new experience as an opportunity to learn and grow.
The IDG course guide describes it as follows: “Having a basic mindset of curiosity and a willingness to be vulnerable and embrace change and grow:”
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How do I achieve a learning mindset?
Remember, developing a growth mindset is an ongoing process. Be patient with yourself, stay persistent, and view challenges as opportunities for personal and professional development. This mindset is not just about acquiring specific knowledge. It's rather something that enriches your life, fosters personal development, and helps you to thrive in a fast-moving world.
Learn the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
Learning is a transformative skill and it’s possible to achieve a learning mindset by letting go of beliefs that stunt or hold back curiosity.
Explore to understand, cultivate curiosity.
Learning is quite literally seeking to understand things you didn’t know, understand or perhaps even previously didn’t try or want to understand. Keeping an open mind along the road is what opens the doors to learning.
Celebrate effort, not just the end result.
Effort is a very big part of learning, without it, none would take place. You can never predict the true outcome of things, but the fact that you tried is what matters.
Self-reflect and stay positive.
Reflect on what could be done better and what is done well, use positive self-talk, set new learning goals (break them down into small, manageable steps) and learn from mistakes.
Gracefully accept feedback.
Accepting feedback, negative or positive, is a very important skill in life and especially in leadership positions. Positive feedback is good and it shows you your strengths, negative feedback and constructive criticism give you another chance to learn something more in-depth.
Understand setbacks.
Understanding that setbacks aren’t there to do you harm but rather there to help you grow. Setbacks aren’t a true reflection of your abilities, they are another chance to learn.
Develop a love for learning and do what you truly enjoy.
It goes without saying that doing things that you love is what keeps one happy, so everything you do is ultimately up to you. If you learn against your will, you won’t get much out of it.
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It has very many similar points to my own post, so any credit for any of the points that I might have accidentally mentioned here have to go to Lisa. I’m not going to gatekeep.
I found the post very informative and thoroughly enjoyable, so I highly recommend reading it for any additional information and things I might have missed.
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Discussion:
1) Do you have a learning mindset? How did you cultivate it/what has prompted you to have one?
2) How do you deal with setbacks?
3) What would you tell someone who wants to learn something new but is afraid of setbacks?
