There is arguably nothing more frustrating for parents and pupils than seeing a young person not reach their potential due to them choosing actively to not put much effort in. This self-sabotaging behaviour can hinder their learning, development and performance. In more traditional settings, this may simply be labelled as “laziness”, something within a child that they alone need to change. If we are going to help children give their all, we need to consider what might lie behind their reluctance to do so, however. So, why might children shy away from working really hard and trying their best?

1. They believe that effort is pointless 
If a child believes that they are as ‘smart’ as they can be, they may not put as much effort into their learning, as they already feel “successful”. Similarly, if a child deems that they are unintelligent, they may not put in much effort as they believe they are doomed to fail, so there is no point trying.
If we are going to combat this faulty thinking, it is important for children to understand that the brain is not a fixed entity – nor is it of a fixed capacity. We can actually grow the number and strength of connection in the brain. This is what learning is at at a biological level. Helping young people understand that where they start doesn’t have to be where they finish is incredibly powerful. It can lead to them not putting themselves in boxes (i.e., “I am not a maths person”). As a result, it may motivate them to put in more effort.

2. They feel that effort is just too risky
Some children perceive that effort is risky, in the sense that if they do try hard and fail, they can feel vulnerable to the judgement of others. Whereas if they don’t put any effort in and then fail, they can use the excuse that they weren’t trying anyway. Even as adults, a fear of failure and what other will think about us if we do can hold us back. By actively disengaging, however, they will essentially fail by default. 
If we are to overcome this thinking, we need to make the process as psychologically safe as possible to help children view making mistakes and not being successful as central to the learning process. If we start a task knowing we are going to be successful, it is not going to be exciting or stimulating, or result in significant learning. Mistakes, if learnt from, offer a vehicle for improvement. Instead of seeing them as something to avoid, they are to be embraced. We also need to encourage pupils to focus on the process of learning, rather than just the outcome. 

3. They believe that being smart should be effortless
Another misconception is that pupils confuse intelligence with speed or ease. This means that, in their mind, the only people who try hard are the ones that really need to because they are not ‘clever’. Only people who aren’t capable need to try, right? As they don’t want others to see them as not being smart, they therefore actively make a performance of not trying hard. 

If intelligence can be developed, then effort, as well as learning from our mistakes, is probably our best bet for how to do so. One way to navigate this is to talk about how learning should be challenging. The most effective learning takes place when we are thinking hard. This is when learning is also at its most enjoyable and rewarding. 

Hence, if we are to help operate at the edge of their comfort zone more often, we may well need to move past the usual, “Just try harder” mantra and consider why children are reluctant to give their all. Only then can we support them best to meet their potential. 

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