Blog

Success is not all about doing – it’s also about being. Strengths such as focus, self-confidence, optimism, grit, resilience, and mental toughness all have very important parts to play in delivering success at the 11Plus exam. There are few things that we can learn from sports.

Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” It’s about the personal qualities which underlie how powerfully we deal with challenges. These are now known as personal strengths.

Successful individuals know that not only do they have to have all the skills and knowledge they need, but that they also have to mentally cope with whatever is thrown at them. We have to create a ‘can-do’ mindset and a ‘bring it on!’ attitude.

As a parent and a tutor, we should develop child’s confidence in their skills and knowledge. Of course strengths and confidence can be developed.

The above is based on my notes taken during a webinar (2019) on 11Plus Success by Dr Alan Beggs, Olympic Sport Psychologist