The Power of “Yet”
- Mr Smyth
- May 16
- 3 min read
A lot of students believe ability is fixed.
They think:
“I’m just bad at Maths”
“I’m not smart enough”
“Other people just get it”
“I’ll never be good at this”
But growth mindset students think differently.
They understand that outcomes, confidence and ability can change over time through:
effort
practice
patience
repetition
and learning from mistakes
Just because you struggle with something now does not mean you’ll struggle forever.
Most successful students were not born confident.They became confident after struggling, learning and improving over time.
The keyword is:
yet.
Key Problems
1. Students treat struggle as proof they’re incapable
A lot of students believe: “If this feels difficult, I must not be good at it.”
But struggle is not proof you can’t do something.
Usually, struggle is proof that your brain is learning something new.
2. Students compare their beginning to someone else’s middle
You see another student answering questions quickly and think: “They’re naturally good at Maths.”
What you don’t see is:
the practice
the mistakes
the revision
the confusion they went through first
Everyone struggles before they improve.
3. Absolute thoughts shut your brain down
Thoughts like:
“I can’t do this”
“I’m terrible at Maths”
“I’ll never pass”
don’t just describe your situation.
They train your brain to stop trying.
Your brain listens to the words you repeat.
Action 1: Add the Word “Yet”
Every time you catch yourself saying:
“I can’t do this”
“I don’t understand”
“I’m bad at Maths”
add the word:
yet.
Examples:
“I can’t do algebra… yet.”
“I don’t understand fractions… yet.”
“I’m not confident in Maths… yet.”
This small word changes your brain from:
permanent failure
to:
temporary progress.
Action 2: Replace Shutdown Thoughts With Better Questions
Instead of saying:
“I’m just bad at this subject”
ask:
“What do I need to do differently?”
“Which part don’t I understand yet?”
“What’s the next small step?”
Good students are not people who never struggle.
They are people who keep searching for solutions instead of shutting down.
Action 3: Understand What Happens When You Push Through Difficulty
Every time you struggle with a difficult topic and continue trying, your brain adapts and becomes stronger.
This is how learning works.
Confidence is not built before hard work.
Confidence is built because of hard work.
The next time something feels difficult:
pause
breathe
slow down
and stay with the problem a little longer than usual
That moment of difficulty is often where growth starts happening.
Action 4: Catch → Reframe → Respond
When you notice a negative thought:
Step 1:
Catch the thought.
Step 2:
Reframe it using words like:
“yet”
“right now”
“for the moment”
Step 3:
Ask:“What’s the next step I can take?”
This keeps your brain moving forward instead of shutting down.
Action 5: Celebrate Effort, Not Just Results
A lot of students only feel proud when they get something right.
But growth mindset students also celebrate:
trying again
asking questions
practising consistently
staying calm during difficulty
not giving up
Those behaviours are what eventually create the result.
Small improvements repeated over time become massive progress.
You are not stuck.
You are learning.
And just because you can’t do something today does not mean you’ll never be able to do it.
You just can’t do it…
yet 😊
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