We often view effort as something that people with a deficiency have to apply. People who are seen as gifted do not need to apply effort.

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This is completely false. Everyone must apply effort to develop their gift into a talent. But applying effort is often a scary and bumpy road to take.

 

What if I apply effort and still fail? 

Am I seen as 'less than' because I need to apply effort?

If I have to try, am I no longer gifted in this area?

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Why is effort so terrifying?

Without effort you can always say, "I could have been _______ (fill the blank)" This is a fixed mindset.

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But with effort and a growth mindset, failure is not a measure of yourself, it is an important part of your journey. Often AG Class children do not like to risk effort when they are unsure if they can succeed or if they are afraid of the challenge being asked of them. 

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People who show giftedness often receive lots of praise for that gift. They then begin to associate that gift with who they are and it begins to become a part of who they see themselves to be. We often think "I'm good at maths" or "I'm good at sport". This means that we have created an ego about who we are. When this gift is tested, it hurts our ego and we often react negatively to that challenge.

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Many people stop trying for fear that they will no longer be seen as 'good' at a particular skill and they connect that with thinking that they are no longer good at the skill or area they first received the praise for. Recognise that everyone needs to apply effort to move to the next skill level - regardless of your gift or non-gift in that area.

 

For learning it is essential that you leave your ego at the door! If you don't risk effort - you will never progress any further than where you are now. Sometimes we need to experience a failure to spark our passion and drive to apply effort to meet our goals. Without effort, your gift will remain exactly as it is today. Any skill needs effort to be developed into a talent. No champion ever became a champion without effort!

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Applying Effort

You never know how good you can be if you don’t apply effort.  It is true that you might fail to match expectations, let alone be a genius.  Remember where those expectations came from. It is better to give it an honest try and fail than not try at all. 

 

All a person can do is keep trying and learning. This is the essence of the growth mindset.

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