Mindset is, without a doubt, one of the most impactful parts of our lives. It will dictate your future word for word if you let it. Therefore, controlling it and learning to slip into your best mode of mindset that allows you to be your boldest, best self is very, very important.

Math is an example of where the importance of mindset can be used to measure success rates in students. A growth mindset is essential when it comes to math. Since many students don’t generally consider math to be their favorite subject in school, they tend to get fixed in a negative mindset and begin to believe that they are bad, and that math has no applicable values when it comes to the real world. By doing this, they destroy any hope of getting better and developing a passion for the subject. Even if you have been let down by previous math teachers, or poor grades, don’t let that shouldn’t stop you from working to get better. Carol Dweck, a psychologist known for her work in the mindset trait, introduced the idea of a “growth” and “fixed” mindset, two relatively simple ideas that sent waves through the science community.

The truth of the matter is that you can pour your blood, sweat, and tears into a project, but it will never succeed if you don’t have that underlying belief in yourself. That is where mindset comes in.

A tip that is often given to parents in regards to raising children is to always praise the process, and not the child’s talents or abilities. This will lead to the belief that hard work will always have good results, thus instilling a good work ethic or a “growth” mindset from an early age.

This concept is often compared to the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. Even though the tortoise was much slower and smaller than the Hare, it believed in itself enough to keep going to try and finish the race. Meanwhile, the Hare was so fixated on its abilities that it took a nap and ended up losing the race entirely.

You could say that this story demonstrates a good example of a growth mindset in the tortoise and a fixed mindset for the Hare.

For many students, it can be hard to grow out of a fixed mindset. With a bad record of grades peeping into every academic conversation and a dwindling confidence (caused by bad, past teachers) one can just take the high road and procrastinate, which can develop into a bad habit.

One important thing to remember in order to change that is to work hard on in your classes and try to develop a passion for it even though you may not normally enjoy that subject. That doesn’t mean that you have to work in that field as an adult. It just means that you are trying (key word: trying) to make the learning process more fun and interesting.

As Amy Cuddy, a Harvard professor and bestselling author, known best for simple yet revolutionary TED Talk proved that your physical stance can also impact mindset as well. In her TED talk, she revealed power poses” which she believed could change people’s lives. Her speech exploded throughout the internet, with millions of views on YouTube, many viewers commenting on how Cuddy’s short presentation had changed their lives.

In fact mindset happens to be one of the secrets for success in prominent people you see today. Overall, mindset is a make or break when it comes to success in individuals and can dramatically impact the course of people’s lives.