The Power of Yet - Using a Growth Mindset to Help

Are you familiar with the power of yet? The word “yet” is a magic word. It can change the whole meaning of a sentence or phrase. It can change a negative into a positive. It can create comfort or anxiety, and make you feel good or terrible. There aren’t many words that can do that.

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The Power of Yet and a Growth Mindset

How does it relate to cultivating your growth mindset? If you’ll recall, our self-talk -our thoughts -are our way of programming our minds. What we say to ourselves makes a big difference in how we feel, what we think, and how likely we are to reach our goals.

For example, if we tell ourselves “I can’t do this,” we probably won’t even try. Our minds are very good at finding evidence to support what we believe. So, if we believe we can’t do something, our minds will find all sorts of reasons why that’s true.

But if we tell ourselves “I can’t do this…YET,” it changes everything. It opens up the possibility that we might be able to do it in the future. And when we believe that, our minds will start looking for evidence to support that belief. We’ll start trying new things, and we’ll be more likely to find success.

The power of yet is a powerful tool for helping us cultivate our growth mindset. It allows us to keep trying, even when we feel like we’ve failed. It helps us to see mistakes as learning opportunities, rather than evidence that we’re not good enough.

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Growth and Change Through Your Words

When we use the power of yet, we open up the possibility for growth and change. We give ourselves permission to keep learning and growing. And that is the key to success in any area of life.

This is where using that tiny word “yet” comes in. It can change the meaning of your self-talk and help reprogram your brain. Let’s say you want to do something. It could be a task you want to accomplish, a trip you want to take, or something completely different.

It doesn’t matter what is. Whatever it is, it’s not possible right now. So, you tell yourself “I can’t do that.” That’s a negative. It’s a closed book. You can’t do it. End of story. Bye-bye now. Figure something else out.

But what happens if you add the word “yet” to the end of that sentence? “I can’t do that yet.”

The whole meaning has changed. It’s gone from something you can’t do at all to something that you might be able to do one day.

Maybe you need to practice the skill, save some money, or take some intermediate steps, but you might be able to do it. The word “yet” moves whatever it is from the realm of the impossible to the possible, and makes your brain sit up and take notice.

That’s one powerful word! Used regularly, it will reprogram your brain to believe things are possible that you once never dreamed of. Try it and watch it change your life. Read more on the Power of Mindset.

Limiting Beliefs and the Power of Yet

If you’re having trouble improving your mindset and using the power of yet, part of the problem might be limiting beliefs that are holding you back. A limiting belief is a false belief about yourself, other people, or the world around you. These beliefs develop in childhood and have to be overcome as adults in order to grow.

Why does your brain develop these beliefs? Quite simply, it does so to keep you safe. Your conscious mind isn’t developed until adulthood, which means your unconscious mind is in charge, and it can’t reason or rationalize. It only makes simple rules -good, bad, yes, no, this but not that -that are all designed to keep you safe and meet your basic needs.

I Can’t Do It Limiting Beliefs

There are an infinite number of limiting beliefs out there. A common one is “I can’t do X.” Whatever X is, you tried to do it or something like it as a child and got hurt, physically or emotionally, so your brain created the limiting belief that you can’t do it. It sounds silly, and it is -to an adult. It’s a serious matter to a child, and your unconscious mind never progresses beyond that stage.

If a limiting belief is hampering your mindset, you’re going to have to overcome it to move forward. The first step is identifying the limiting belief. You need to put it into words. This may be easier said than done. Do you think you can’t do something? Are you afraid of success (or failure)? Figure out what it is and write it down.

How to Embrace Positive Self-Talk

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Next, figure out what benefits you’re getting from continuing to hold the belief. Your brain thinks it’s keeping you safe. Safe from what? Write these down. Thank the belief for its help in protecting you.

Ask yourself if the belief is true. Are you always unlikeable? Are you always bad with money? Is every other person out to hurt you emotionally? Of course not. Now, what is the emotion underlying this limiting belief? It’s often fear but can also be shame or embarrassment.

The next step is to determine what will happen if you continue to hold this belief. There are negative consequences to all limiting beliefs. Will you never get the promotion? Be single forever? Finally, reframe the limiting belief into something positive and turn it into an affirmation. Continue trying whatever you’re stuck on while repeating the affirmation using the power of yet. Don’t give up. Overcoming your limiting beliefs is hard but you can do it by working on developing a growth mindset.

Examples of the Power of Yet

Here are several sentences or goals that can help you overcome your limiting beliefs. The first one is a negative thought and the second one includes the power of yet:

I can’t do this. I can’t do this…YET.

I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know how to do that…YET.

I do not make friends easily. I do not make friends easily…YET.

I don’t understand this. I don’t understand this…YET.

I can’t change. I can’t change…YET.

I’m not smart enough. I’m not smart enough…YET.

I never have enough time. I never have enough time…YET.

I’m not good enough. I’m not good enough…YET.

I don’t have enough money. I don’t have enough money…YET.

As you can see, adding the word “yet” to the end of these sentences changes everything. It’s a game-changer. It allows us to keep trying, even when we feel like we’ve failed. It helps us to see mistakes as learning opportunities, rather than evidence that we’re not good enough.

The power of yet is a simple tool, but it’s a powerful one. Use it often, and watch it change your life.