Yet. The three-letter word with the power to shift your mindset.

Disclaimer: This DevLog is intended to help anyone, who is in a similar situation we are in at the moment. Everyone has to make their own decisions. This merely is our own honest view and opinion, based on our experience. We would love to hear from you, what you think about it all. We wish you all the success and fun you deserve with the development and release of your game! eXplore Studio

Try to recall the last time you said, ‘I can’t do this!’ Maybe it was not so long ago… Contrary to what you might think, these words are not exclusive to children, and you might be using them, too, when a problem appears unsolvable, or you are afraid of a challenging situation lying ahead for instance. So, what if you were adding just one tiny little word to the sentence? ‘I can’t do this yet!’ By including ‘yet’ to the sentence, you are telling yourself that it is not the end, and by learning and putting in some effort, you will be successful. ‘I can’t code properly yet.’ ‘I can’t fix this bug yet.’ ‘I can’t find where the problem comes from yet.’ If you adopt a growth mindset that includes the concept of ‘yet’, you allow yourself to shift towards a more resilient, positive perspective, which empowers you to reach your full potential.

The term growth mindset was invented by educational psychologist Carol Dweck and defined as follows: ‘In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work – brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.’ (Carol Dweck, 2015) As opposed to a fixed mindset, where there seems to be little to no room for growth, a growth mindset is the idea that you can improve your intelligence and ability through effort and hard work. It sounds and looks like:

• ‘I can always improve.’
• ‘That was hard, but I kept going.’
• ‘I can always ask for help.’
• ‘Mistakes help me learn.’
• ‘I’ll keep trying.’
• ‘I can’t do it… yet!’
• ‘I see failures or challenges as ways to grow and improve.’
• ‘I like to try new things.’
• ‘I am not afraid of failing.’ *

Moreover, research shows that people with a growth mindset are not only feeling happier but are definitely more confident and resilient when confronted by new challenges. Indeed, they are not afraid to embark on new adventures even if it means taking risks, learning more, and hard work. Failure has no negative meaning and people with a growth mindset see it as another opportunity to acquire more knowledge or new skills.

Therefore, if you find yourself facing some challenging situations, why not try to adopt a growth mindset and add ‘yet’ to your narrative? You have to believe that within you, you have the capabilities to shift your mindset and the resources to succeed. Try it, you are worth it! 🙂

* https://www.andthenwehadkidspodcast.com/blog/building-a-growth-mindset-amp-the-power-of-yet

This is a nice TED talk video on ‘Developing a Growth Mindset’ with Carol Dweck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiiEeMN7vbQ