GROWTH HACK – Problem VS Solution Based Mindset.

This one is probably up there with one of the most important shifts that you can make in your mindset early on your academic growth journey. When I started university I certainly was in the problems camp, looking for every possible reason as to why I couldn’t understand the content of my course or why the f&%k I should even bother carrying on….problem after problem rose to the surface.

Interestingly there is an actual reason for this that is inherent within all of us. As human beings we are all seeking comfort. Even more so now in a world that has never been more comfortable for many of us! Your prehistoric brain is constantly working against you, looking for that easy way out. Hence why…when it comes to doing something pretty damn hard (like university) your brain will automatically find all the the reasons why you should give up because there are way too many problems to overcome.

So…now that you know a little of the science behind why our subconscious is constantly trying to do us over, lets talk about how you can shift this mindset and take back full control of your academic destiny.

The opposite to the problem mindset is the solution mindset. Typically what the solution mindset will offer you is the following;

• An attitude that focuses on how to solve the problem.
• Resilience in the face of any challenges.
• A sense of greater capability.
• Improved creativity.

And those are just to name a few.

Just take another look back at that list and think about how beneficial those few points could be to your future success and fulfilment. Each one of those will help you significantly in achieving higher grades while lowering stress and improving your wellbeing. I for one certainly struggled with mental health at the beginning of my university journey which was partly attributed to the fact that I saw everything as a problem! It was only when I changed to a solution based mindset more consistently that things turned around for me…and they turned around fast.

This is one of the key reasons for how I (Nathan) went from being your bang average student barely scraping through, to walking out of university with a first class honours degree.

So if you are part of the Semester community and are using our planner you will hopefully be in the early stages of creating your new solutions based mindset. Much like all new habits it will take some time so we challenge you to continue this positive mindset change and we can assure you from our own experience as students it’ll truly transform your studies and personal life.

If you want to know a little more about how to create the alpha of all solution based mindsets, below are a few of our favourite posts and content that will help you…

https://sustainablebrands.com/read/leadership/why-a-solutions-focused-mindset-is-essential-for-creating-a-sustainable-future

https://www.nexalearning.com/blog/the-importance-of-having-a-solutions-mindset-at-work

https://www.routledge.com/blog/article/how-a-solution-focused-mindset-can-help-teachers-and-students

As always if you found this useful, please share with your academic community and give them the benefits of wellbeing and personal growth too! It is only with you that we can make the Semester community larger and create positive change for future students.

#LetsGrowTogether 🎯