3 Fast Truths

• Your first thought is often fear. Your second thought can be choice.
• Growth thinking turns “I can’t” into “I can’t yet.”
• Small learning beats big perfection.

Follow These Experts

• @jamesclear – Practical habit + identity tips that support growth thinking
• @drjulie – Simple tools for self-talk and reframing

Swap the Story, Keep the Truth

Negative thinking often uses extreme words: always, never, everyone, nobody. It turns one moment into a full identity: “I failed, so I’m a failure.” Growth thinking keeps the truth (“That was hard / I messed up”) but changes the story to something useful: “What can I learn? What’s my next step?”

This shift helps because your brain moves from threat mode to problem-solving mode. You feel calmer, and you do better.

Do This Now

• Step 1: Catch the negative sentence (10 seconds).
• Say: “I’m thinking ____.”
• Example: “I’m thinking I’m not smart.”
• Step 2: Circle the extreme word (10 seconds).
• Is it always/never? Is it a label like lazy/stupid/bad?
• Step 3: Add “yet” or “right now” (15 seconds).

Flip it to:

• “I’m not getting it yet.”
• “I’m struggling right now.”
• Step 4: Ask one growth question (15 seconds).

Choose one:

• “What’s one small thing I can try next?”
• “What would help me practice this?”
• “Who can help me understand?”
• Step 5: Take a 2-minute learning action (2 minutes).

Examples:

• Watch 2 minutes of a lesson or reread one page
• Do 1 practice question
• Write 3 bullet points
• Ask a friend/teacher one clear question
• Fix one small part of your work

Key Takeaways

• Growth thinking is not fake positivity—it’s useful thinking.
• Replace labels with “yet” and “right now.”
• Ask one growth question to shift into problem-solving.
• Do a tiny learning action to build confidence.