Rethinking Rewards – The Power of Yet

I was born in 1980 and grew up in the nineties. My friends and I, now in our 40ties, often make jokes about Millennial’s and how they are so delicate compared to when we grew up. For example, in a sports event there is no winner or loser. No one keeps score and we reward participation. Even though I am sure many adults in and around my age group are keeping score in their head.

The video below by Carol Dweck made me re-evaluate how I look at situations. When I went to school you passed or failed, and it was disastrous to me or my peers if we failed because that was it, the end. Failing made you think that I would never be good at this subject so why try it at all? Although I disagree with rewards for participation, I can get behind what professor Dweck says about the power of not yet. Watch below:

Not Yet… Gives the student, whether it is a child or an adult, a reason to continue to work towards a goal. You are not there yet, but you’re on your way. You did not fail. You just need a little more practice and you can achieve whatever it is that you are trying to achieve. Do not let something challenging control what you can and cannot do. Take ownership of the challenge and continue. Find a way to persevere. It reminds me of a buddist quote that I have stuck on my cubicle wall at work:

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I created the image above. One thing that the power of “Yet” teaches is resiliance in addition to a Growth Mindset.

Never Stop Learning