Our mindset is not a trait - it's a skill.

Learning how to change our mindsets is one of the highest-leverage things we can learn.

Mindset is not a trait - it's a skill.

Start with a frame: mindfulness 2.0 = being curiously present with a willingness to challenge assumptions. That phrase is the bridge between awareness and action: curiosity notices what’s happening; the willingness to challenge turns observation into change.

Marilee Adams’ Change Your Questions, Change Your Life gives a practical lever for that shift. Her “Question Thinking” differentiates A-questions (judging, blaming) from B-questions (curious, solution-focused) and shows how choosing better questions produces clearer thinking, improved relationships, and better decisions. Intentionally shifting from A → B questions is a repeatable skill for reframing problems and generating choice. Barnes & Noble+1

Why this matters scientifically: mindfulness-style attention improves cognitive flexibility and executive functioning — the very capacities you need to notice assumptions and switch frames. Recent meta-analyses show small-to-moderate gains in cognitive function from mindfulness training. That boost makes it easier to hold uncertainty and ask better questions. PMC+1

At the same time, “mindset” interventions (e.g., growth vs fixed) show mixed academic outcomes: robust theory, but variable effect sizes in practice. The takeaway isn’t to pledge to a single mantra — it’s to build the meta-skill Adams teaches: notice the question you’re asking, test it, and choose a better one. That process is more reliable than slogans because it trains thinking, not belief. PMC+1

Practical micro-practice (use daily, 5 minutes each):

1. Pause and label: “What question am I asking right now?” (A or B).

2. Reframe to a B-question: “What’s useful to learn here?” or “What options do I have?”

3. Experiment: pick one small action that tests the new question.

4. Reflect: what changed in your choices or mood?

Why leaders care: teams that consistently use B-questions report faster problem solving and less blame culture. It’s the difference between defensiveness and curiosity — the engine of learning and innovation. Adams’ framework gives coaches and managers a practical vocabulary and map to scale this skill across conversations. SoBrief+1

Final nudge: pair mindfulness 2.0 (curious presence + challenge assumptions) with Adams’ Question Thinking and you get a repeatable loop for resilience, creativity, and clearer decisions. That loop is not magic — it’s practice. And practice is how we change our minds, and then our lives.