Brian Johnson (Heroic +1) explains how adding the single word "yet" to statements about current inability or failure cultivates a growth mindset and increases grit. He cites Seth Godin’s phrasing (“It’s not working yet”) and Carol Dweck’s research (via Caroline Adams Miller) showing that "yet" makes children more persistent, creative, and hopeful. Johnson offers personal illustration (his daughter Eleanor) and practical advice: focus on the practice, follow your protocol, and return to sustained action—because often you only need more time and cycles: it’s not working yet.
Chapters
Hi, this is Brian. Welcome back to another heroic plus one. Today we're going to wrap up our little tour through some of Seth Godin's wisdom from his great book, the Practice. As you may recall, we started by reminding ourselves of the ultimate practice. Remember, the magic is that there is no magic. Then we talked about practice, confidence and building streaks as we reminded ourselves to D W y SY WD before we looked at the difference between talent and skill and talked about the best reason to say no Hint. Have a bigger yes. Now it's time to talk about the power of one little word. It has three letters. It might just be the most powerful word we can possibly add to any statement as we develop a new skill. That word is yet. Seth tells us, and I quote, I slipped in a parenthetical earlier. It's not working yet. That's the only reassurance you need. There's a practice. The practice is proven and you've embraced it. Now all that's needed is more. More time, more cycles, more bravery, more process, more of you. Much more of you. More idiosyncrasy, more genre, more seeing, more generosity, more learning. And it's not working yet. End quote. It's not working yet. This is another huge idea that helps catalyze our grit via a growth mindset. In fact, here's how Caroline Adams Miller puts it in her great book Getting Grit. Check out those notes. She says, and I quote, carol Dweck has gone one step further in her research and discovered that that the use of a simple word yet can create greater persistence when facing challenges. If you tell a child that they didn't answer the math questions correctly, yet that one word opens their minds to the idea that they can eventually solve the problems. She found that not only did the children become grittier, they also became zestful, creative and hopeful when yet opened up their eyes to the possibility of a different limitless future. If yet can change mindset, imagine how many other words and phrases can unlock resilience and stick to itiveness. Now this is also a huge part of how we're striving to parent our kids. In fact, as I was thinking about Emerson and his chess as part of that last idea, I also thought of our five year old daughter Eleanor. One of the things she loves to add to the end of any statement that includes something she can't do is the beautiful word yet. I can't do that math problem yet. I can't read yet. I can't do a pull up yet. I can't fill in the blank yet. If there's a magic word for cultivating the growth mindset in every aspect of our lives, that word is it. Don't feel as energized as you'd like, or as productive or as connected. Perfect. Focus on the practice. Get clarity on your protocol. Know who you are and what you do when you're at your best. Then show up. Work the protocol over and over and over again. Remember, we just need more time, more cycles, more bravery. More process. More of you. Much more of you. It's not working yet. This is pretty much exactly what we talk about in our plus one called go zero for 12 lately. Who cares? Work your protocol hero and another plus one called Dorfman and Stutz on action, action and more action. Check those out again. If you're not feeling as energized or productive or connected as you'd like, add the word yet and get back to work.
