I have a confession to make.  I have been working toward starting a youth development-focused blog for nearly two years.  That’s right-two whole years!  Do you know what’s been stopping me from making measurable progress?  I’ve been afraid it won’t be good enough (and therefore, that I won’t be good enough)! But today is the the day; today I am celebrating progress (a finished blog post) over continuing to struggle to write a perfect blog!

But yikes, this is scary stuff! Words on a page out where everyone in the world can easily find them seem so permanent, and I feel a little vulnerable doing this!  But today I will be brave enough to share my “good enough” with readers who might benefit some of the things I write about. The ironic thing about my internal struggles with this blog is that at least once a week (probably much more often if I’m being honest), I say to students who are frustrated with a challenging project, “Think about making measurable progress over doing this work perfectly. You may not quite understand it yet, but it will continue to make more sense to you every day.” Yet I have been struggling to heed my own advice!

Remembering to praise progress throughout the learning process is one way to promote a growth mindset-the belief that people can continue to learn, grow, and develop over time. Stanford researcher Carol Dweck recommends additional strategies educators and parents can use to help young people develop a growth mindset. Benefits of a growth mindset include increased motivation and achievement, improved persistence and resilience, and a willingness to embrace challenges.

In short, good things can happen when we persist at things that are hard and scary! Share this message with all of the young people in your life, and remember to praise their progress.  And while you’re at it, take a moment to remind yourself too!