When my son was 6–7 years old, his school moved him ahead in Math. This sudden jump left my little one panicked, questioning his ability to grasp concepts that appeared beyond his age.

Concerned, I hurried to his school and requested them not to upgrade him. However, the principal argued that my son had met all the requirements for his grade and that not moving him forward would result in boredom and a lack of stimulation.

This dilemma gave me sleepless nights because watching their child’s pain, no matter how small, is the most daunting thing for a parent. Luckily, a solution began to form in my head. When my son complained the following day, I told him, “I’ll teach you Algebra.”

“But you said you aren’t good at Math,” my son pondered aloud, yet he agreed to cooperate.

The Lousy Math Teacher

Sitting down with my son and his Math book, I told him:

You are human, but God lives in you. Still, you don’t know that God lives in you. So, God is the unknown variable. Sanatana Dharma calls it Om, and Algebra calls it X.

My son started giggling. “What about Y in Algebra?” He questioned.

Maintaining a serious demeanor, I responded, “Everyone needs a friend. X can’t be alone. Hence, we also have to find Y.”

He burst out laughing. Since that day, for the longest, every algebraic problem became a source of amusement for him.

“Mom! You are such a lousy Math teacher,” he commented at times.

Meanwhile, I thought — Son, I wasn’t teaching you Math. You have well-trained teachers for that. I was helping you develop a learning mindset. That way, you can relax and learn Math without fear or worry.

The Power of a Learning Mindset

According to scientific studies, those who have a learning or growth mindset are better prepared to face life’s challenges.

Because everything in life is just another learning experience, they view failure merely as the tuition they pay for success.

As a result, they acquire grit, resilience, and inner strength, all of which are the foundation of success.

How do we cultivate this mindset?

Here are five ways to develop this learning or growth mindset based on the concepts of Sanatana Dharma:

1. Embrace Karma Yoga

Our expectation of results is the root cause of stress. If we can train our minds to work without complaining, we can gradually overcome resistance. Eventually, this fosters action without worry about the results.

Applying Karma Yoga to developing a growth mindset involves focusing on the process rather than fixating on outcomes.

Embrace challenges as opportunities for learning and progress, and remember that your choices, regardless of the immediate outcome, contribute to your spiritual and worldly evolution.

2. Continuous Learning

If I learned and adopted one valuable lesson from my father, it would be his unwavering eagerness to learn. Taking it forward, for years now, I have ensured not to sleep without learning something new each day.

This practice of continuous learning has become a cherished habit, ensuring that every day concludes with the joy of learning and a dedication to a lifelong growth mindset.

3. Be Vulnerable

Over the last decade, I have seen a lot — hatred, jealousy, judgments, and whatnot. The only thing that makes me smile and keep walking is my ability to take all the stones thrown at me as constructive feedback worth pondering rather than a personal attack.

This ability to handle feedback comes from having the courage to be vulnerable. I don’t ever consider myself or even remotely strive to be perfect. I just know that I’m beautiful, but I have a lot to learn as well.

Make Learning Fun

Over and above everything else, the most crucial factor for developing a growth mindset is infusing fun into every learning. Enjoyment reduces stress, whether studying, cleaning, writing, or any other task.

For example, I find cooking to be the most boring task on this planet. So much so that my husband has promised me, he will take over the kitchen once he retires. Of course, the cheeky man also added that he never plans to retire! So this means I’m trapped with this job indefinitely.

Rather than cribbing, I kept learning and finding new methods to make healthy food my family enjoyed in less time. Not only has my time in the kitchen been reduced to 30–40 minutes a day, but I’ve also grown to love experimenting with new cooking methods.

What’s holding you back?

In summary, developing a learning or growth mindset demands the courage to work sans complaints, prioritize the learning process against the outcomes, accept vulnerability to derive wisdom from criticism, and, most importantly, everything fun!

So, what’s holding you back? Commit yourself to learning something new today before you hit the sack. The path to spectacular success awaits those ready to traverse this transformative journey of continuous learning.

What are you going to learn today?

Love,
Sri Devi Om