Learning something new can feel challenging as we can feel ineffective and of course, make mistakes - that’s a normal part of the learning process.  It’s through sticking with it that we gradually build our capability, confidence and resilience, and find pleasure and fulfilment in our expanding our horizons. 

The psychologist Carol Dweck and her colleagues found that the mindset we adopt towards learning something new has a significant effect on how much we persist in our efforts and therefore how much we learn – at whatever age or stage we are [7]. If we expect ourselves to ‘get it all right the first time’ or even the second, third or fourth time, we can feel embarrassed, ashamed or annoyed when we mess up and so we give up. That’s known as having a fixed mindset towards what we are trying. Whereas when we adopt a ‘growth mindset’ we recognise that mistakes and struggles are a part of the process of learning something new, we are much more likely to keep trying and improve. So, for example, instead of saying to our self “I’m no good at this”, we can add a “yet” to the end of that sentence: “I’m no good at this…yet”. That simple change can make all the difference. Try it!

Activity: Next time you are frustrated trying to do or learn something new – try repeating to yourself “I’m learning so I’m not good at this…YET, but I can improve”. See what you notice. 
 

Curiosity is associated with happiness and fulfilment. Curious people may even live longer! It’s a foundation for learning, keeping our mind engaged and active and helping us explore new ideas, places or activities. It can lead us to find our interests, hobbies and passions and help us understand and connect with others [10]. It’s fuel for creative thinking too! 

Cultivating our curiosity can help us think and act more flexibly and stretch our familiar boundaries, which can boost our resilience. It is often easy and comfortable to stick to what we know and our human brain likes certainty - that way it knows what to do and what’s safe. So when we try something new, it’s natural to be wary or for it to feel scary, uncomfortable or both [11].

With curiosity, you can start small. Perhaps get curious about a new type of food, try a different route for a journey you make regularly, or listen to a different news or music channel. We may not always like what we’re trying at first – but we can use curiosity to help us. Asking what, why, how, where and who are good words to kick-start being curious! 

For example, if it’s a new food – How is it made or grown? Where does it originate from? How is it usually served or eaten? How would you describe the smell, texture and taste? What does it remind you of? There are also apps we can use to help us explore the world around us – such as to identify plants, bird sounds or the stars in the sky. 

It can often help (and can be a creative exercise) to approach something new with playful ‘fresh eyes’ for example asking yourself ‘How would a child look at or approach this?’ Or ‘What would someone from a different culture (or even planet) see?’. 

Activity: Try noticing something new. On a journey you take regularly – perhaps to work, college or to the shops – find three things which spark your interest that you haven't noticed before. What can you find to be curious about these?