Hi All,

I am part of the Mindset Works team, where I do a little bit of everything. I'm eager to learn from people all around the world who have found the growth mindset to be a powerful force in their lives. Up until middle school, learning had always been relatively easy for me, effort and persistence weren't required to excel. But, when school did get difficult (6th grade Pre-Algebra), I avoid doing homework and rarely studied for tests.

I was forced to retake Pre-Algebra in 7th grade, despite getting a passing grade and scoring well on my final exam (92%, yes I still remember). At that point I started hating school. I continued through K-12 education, but I played what I refer to as the "points game." I would figure out the minimum number of points I would need in a class in order to pass my classes, and I would put in as just enough effort to pass. In my eyes, this system worked. My parents were satisfied with my "decent" grades and I would go on to graduate high school. Through the "point game," I did a very good job of learning as little as possible.

Not until college did I realize that effort and dedication could result in improved learning and academic success. After reading Dr. Dweck's book, "Mindset," I realized that I had avoided academic challenges for several years because of a fixed mindset.

I look forward to reading about your experiences!