We’ve all heard the term fear of failure. And we all know people who won’t take any risks, because they’re afraid of failure. And it does afflict many children. Research has shown that fear of failure can grow out of a fixed mindset. You think you have a certain amount of ability or talent and if you do something too hard or you have to work too hard at something or you make a mistake, that’s going to mean that you’re not smart or talented. That’s where fear of failure comes from – when you think the failure reflects on you as a person. In a growth mindset, a failure isn’t delightful, but it’s information about what you did wrong and what you need to do to succeed in the future. It’s important to know that almost everyone who has achieved great things has failed many, many times. It’s important for that to be put into a framework of learning. I heard about a high school in Chicago that gives the grade “not yet”. Instead of telling students they failed, they get the grade “not yet.” And what that means is that the student is on a trajectory of learning. Failure means, “Oh, you’re zero.” But “not yet’ means, “Oh you could be here and you need to be there.” It’s very hopeful. When you have this idea of learning over time, of “not yet,” you don’t fear the failure.