A benefit of neuroplasticity is that it gives people the knowledge that there is always a way to learn, and improve. A lot of people give up when confronted with a challenge or obstacle because they believe that their brain is hardwired a certain way, and that they won’t be able to find the solution without having been given assistance. However, neuroplasticity tells us that our minds are made to be reshaped, and to constantly learn and embrace new ways of thinking. This means that we are much more adaptable than most of us believe, allowing us to strengthen our brains physically and mentally, and make it much easier to face new challenges. We never stop learning, and we never stop evolving.
For my own benefit, repetition is a key principle that I will engage with. Repeating new skills and discussing them with others to get a better understanding is how I learn and retain information. I need to be physically using new skills to understand them, instead of just having things explained to me over and over. Also, being able to transfer skills to real life problems. Problem solving is such a crucial skill to have, and being able to adapt and tackle multiple problems is something I hope to gain from this.
For myself, I am always wanting to learn a new skill. I’m in the process of learning a language, and in my free time trying to learn an instrument as well. I’m constantly engaging with new challenges both mental and physical by exercising a lot too, but these are both for fun and for improvement. I like to find a balance of working and improving myself, but also enjoying it at the same time. That way I can feel like I am taking a break from feeling stressed. Also, I ensure I don’t push so hard that I’m exhausted, and try to get plenty of rest when I can.
I found the ten principles of neuroplasticity very useful when looking into this because it makes the topic so easy to grasp. Not only that but it provides the basic steps to take to improve your neuroplasticity in a simple way that anybody could do it.
Growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and the way you think can actually be developed and improved. As opposed to believing that qualities such as intelligence or talent are fixed and are set that way permanently, a growth mindset believes they are just the starting point, and have a chance to grow and develop to become so much greater. It’s like comparing raw talent vs dedication and hard work, where talent can only get you so far, but hard work can bring out much more potential.
Nothing so much has surprised me when looking into all of this, but it does help put in perspective why I have struggled learning some things in school and university in the past. It has helped me know how I can approach this course to ensure I take in as much as I can in the most effective way possible.
I will be using growth mindset to remind myself when I find myself stuck, or confronted with a problem that I feel I cannot solve, that giving up and asking for the answer is not how to get through it. Believing that I can find the answer if I try different methods, and just sticking to it while trying not to stress out too much will be a major assist in this experience. It will also help me learn, and build confidence in the long run not just for this but for my career as well.
Carol Dweck's growth mindest artile was something that caught my attention throughout this section. very useful when looking into this topic. She clearly is passionate about growth mindset and you can tell that in her writing. It made reading about the material much more interesting and engaging.