Signposts saying, "Think Bigger."

Red "Lesson 5" Header.

While having tips, tricks, and techniques is valuable in terms of discovering your motivation and avoiding procrastination, there is still more to be done in changing the way you think about schoolwork and your relationship to it.

Often, we see students whose biggest obstacle to staying motivated is an intrinsic belief in their own ability. They doggedly think of themselves as "not good at" math or chemistry or English, and they insist that it is talent or aptitude, rather than effort, that makes the difference in their success. We challenge you to free yourself of this belief. It is based on an outmoded way of thinking about intelligence and intellectualism, and it hurts all of us by reducing our infinite capacities for learning, development, and growth into something we can't change or control. We call this way of thinking a fixed mindset: the idea that our capacity for learning and attaining excellence is fixed, and nothing we do can improve or change it.

Ask anyone who has ever learned a new skill, and they will tell you that this is false!

Choose instead to embrace a growth mindset: the idea that every reading, every homework, every assignment is an opportunity for you to grow and gain new knowledge, and that you have an endless aptitude to learn more and become better at multiple tasks. You will find yourself seeing homework not as burdensome, repetitive tasks to be completed, but as outlets for you to practice particular skills into mastery!

Take this quiz to gauge whether you operate from a growth mindset or a fixed mindset, and learn more about how to challenge your thinking to embrace intellectual possibility rather than hopelessness!

Mindset: Test Your Mindset

Strategies for Boosting Motivation, Positive Emotions, and Learning