①Does life sometimes seem to be full of impossible problems? How many times, for example, do you find yourself saying things like "I really don't understand this Maths problem", or "I can't get into the school team"? Well, maybe it's time to introduce yourself to the power of "yet". By adding this simple word, you can change everything. "I really don't understand this Maths problem yet." "I can't get into the school team yet." Suddenly, the impossible becomes possible. You can imagine those things happening.
②I read about a school that has changed the way it marks its students' exams. The school find out that the old pass/ fail system wasn't helping students' motivation(积极性). If you passed, then great, but those students who didn't pass often felt like failures. So now students who don't pass the exams will not see a big red F on their papers; they see a "Not yet" instead. That way the students feel that they are on a journey. They haven't reached the end, but they know that they are going the right way.
③This kind of thinking is part of what experts call "having a growth mindset". People with a growth mindset don't concentrate on failure. They aren't worried by not getting things right the first time and are happy to keep trying until they do. They enjoy the challenge and believe they can change. In contrast, people who just focus on the failure have what the experts call "a fixed mindset". These people are always worried about failure and are happy to give up when things don't go right. They don't think that they are able to change. Clearly, it is better to have a growth mindset than a fixed mindset.
④But don't worry if you think that you have a fixed mindset. ____. Remember that it all starts with questioning the things you believe about yourself. Stop believing that you can't or you haven't and realize that you just can't or haven't yet. Once you start doing this, you'll wonder why you didn't do it before. It's one small but very powerful word.
