Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to form or strengthen new pathways in response to a new learning experience or action. Understanding the principles of neuroplasticity opens your mind to possibility. It helps you to realize that your brain is not ‘fixed’, and that you have the ability to strengthen neural pathways through practice, therefore the learning possibilities are endless.
You can benefit from understanding these principles, as once you realize your brain is malleable, it opens up your mind to the fact that anything is possible. You are not fixed to one way of being or thinking, and it is possible to create new neural pathways through practice. ‘Practice makes permanent’.
Knowing that you have the ability to change your brain through study and reflection is a powerful tool. Linking a new idea to a concept you already know is a good way to strengthen your neural pathways and neuroplasticity, as you are essentially just adding to an existing pathway in your brain. This is similar to the idea that a good way to form new habits is to tag a new habit onto the end of an existing habit or action you already do (if you want to know more about his, check out BJ Fogg’s book ‘Tiny Habits’).
Check out Dr. Lara Boyd’s TED talk ‘After watching this, your brain will not be the same’ below to learn more about Neuroplasticity:
A Growth Mindset is the idea that any skill or talent can be developed through practice, and that really anything is possible if you put your mind to it.
Typically we view mistakes as failures and feel bad about having made a mistake, however adopting a Growth Mindset allows you to recognize that you made a mistake, and that you can most definitely learn from it. You can reflect on what went wrong, and how you can improve on this, all the while not being hard on yourself for making a mistake. This is all part of learning and growing, and letting go of the need to be right 100% of the time.
I believe having a Growth Mindset is an extremely valuable tool not only in learning new information, but also in life in general. It helps you to be okay with not knowing concepts and being open and receptive to new ideas and ways of thinking. It also gives you the freedom to change your opinion on something, once you learn more about it, rather than going through life with the same opinion on topics such as politics or social justice issues that you heard your parents talking about when you were a child!
Something that surprised me in the exploration was the notion that you can have a growth mindset in some areas of your life and still have a fixed mindset in other areas. For example, you may be someone who is really goal-driven and motivated at work, but you tell yourself things like “I’m just not a tidy person” or “I’m not someone who is good at working out” at home. It is good to recognise in what areas of your life you might be holding on to a fixed mindset, and then work to develop a growth mindset in that area. If you can do it in one area of your life, you can apply it to all areas of your life.
I will use the power of a Growth Mindset in my learning journey by reminding myself that it is okay to not know something, and it is possible for me to learn and understand something that I may currently be struggling with. Anything can be learned, and it is within my capabilities to do so.
Check out the TED talk ‘The power of believing that you can improve’ by Carol Dweck for more information on Growth Mindset: