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Writer's pictureEnnis Johnson Jr.

Sabotage your Inhibitors- A Growth Mindset Plan

Updated: Dec 11, 2021

Update: One of the main focuses of my innovation plan is gamification as a central part of the plan. In that method stands the theory of the 4 freedoms of play. In this theory, students are allowed the following:

  • The freedom to fail

  • The freedom to experiment

  • The freedom to assume different identities

  • The freedom of effort

As my innovation plan further develops, I notice that this theory is much like ingredients to building a healthy growth mindset. The thing about the experience of playing any sort of game and the pressure you feel to either complete it or get it correct is non-threatening or concerning. That pressure comes from intrinsic motivation. You continue playing to try to win or you harness the belief that you can reach the next level as you try different strategies. There is no harm in failure because you can simply try again. There is no harm in trying to experiment or exploring a different way of winning because….if you fail....you can simply try again. There is no true self-doubt as you take on the perspective of the character or “item” that you are controlling. That character can take the punishment without it hurting your ego or confidence too much. You can move at your own pace so you can challenge yourself without the need to keep up with someone else unless you are ready or you have built up the confidence to do so. This is the power of yet being manifested organically. As education evolves, I believe this method can really help to shape and innovate education in such a way to exponentially prepare our students to truly be future-ready across all social and economic foundations.


The Growth Mindset is an important philosophy to harness as it can instill a great sense of self-awareness. It displays the power that the mind can truly exhibit as its abilities are endless. It can release the inhibitors that cause us to limit our own capabilities and allows us to reach heights previously inconceivable. Our capacity to learn grows as that can become our most powerful attribute.


Most times we battle with personal “demons” that limit our ability to grow. These “demons” or inhibitors come in many forms but I find that it all lies within my own self. I tend to not like to give any credit to the resulting action taking place (such as self-doubt) but more so the weakness that it stems from. For example, I may doubt that I can learn how to cook or clean because I’m spoiled by my wife, or I may not “have time” to learn how to organize my email inbox. Therefore beyond doubt, my Inhibitors stem from time management, procrastination, lack of motivation, or disorganization. The deeper I can reach the better I can grow. The mindset becomes fixed to feed the energy of the inhibitor which drains the capacity for growth. This is simply how I interpret this concept.

Carol Dweck’s 4-step process is as follows:

  1. Learn to hear your fixed mindset “voice.”

  2. Recognize that you have a choice.

  3. Talkback to it with a growth mindset voice.

  4. Take the growth mindset action.

Although this may be great advice to follow, as stated above I believe it is much deeper than a surface-level voice and choice dialogue. I say that with the utmost respect. I think it is important to actually “sabotage your inhibitors” first so that you can set yourself up to enter into that 4-step process.


Below is my plan for developing a growth mindset by sabotaging my inhibitors.


References

Dweck, C. S. (2017). Mindset (Updated ed.). Robinson.


Tolle, E. (2004). The Power of Now. Namaste Publishing.



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