To Raise Successful Kids, Focus On Effort, Not On Talent

Photo credit: Sister Photographer

Research shows that a focus on effort-not on intelligence or ability-is the best way to make sure kids succeed in school and in life. Overemphasizing intellect or talent, which are perceived as innate traits, may cause children to give up and to lose interest in learning and achieving.

On the other hand, focusing on effort produces high achievers in school and in life. The best way to focus on effort is to praise children for effort and persistence rather than for their intelligence.

Kids who are constantly praised for their intelligence often come to think that intelligence is innate and fixed, and thus striving to learn is not as important as being smart. The danger: these kids view challenges as threats to their ego rather than as opportunities to learn and grow.

These kids often give up when they encounter difficulty, while others - those who focus on effort - use challenges to learn and develop. The “smart” kid sees failure as lack of ability, and this causes her to give up, because she’s not as smart as she thought she was. The hard worker, on the other hand, sees failure as lack of effort, and this causes her to work even harder in order to succeed.

The most persistent students do not reflect on their failure. They view mistakes as problems that need to be solved. While the “smart” kids often react defensively to mistakes, the “hard workers” see them as a reason to focus and work even harder than before.

Focusing on hard work instead of on talent gives children the tools to succeed in school, at work, and in their personal lives as adults.

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