"I'm Just Not a Math Person": How to Dismantle This Myth in 15 Minutes a Day

It’s one of the most common and damaging phrases you can say about yourself: “I’m just not a math person.” We say it to excuse ourselves from calculating a tip, to explain our career choices, or to justify a lifelong anxiety around numbers. It feels like a fundamental truth, an innate trait we were either born with or without. But the truth is, the idea of a “math person” is a complete myth. And it’s a myth you can begin to dismantle in just 15 minutes a day.

The Fixed Mindset vs. The Growth Mindset

The phrase “I’m not a math person” is a classic example of what Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck calls a “fixed mindset.” It’s the belief that our intelligence and abilities are static, unchangeable traits. The opposite is a “growth mindset”—the understanding that our abilities can be developed and strengthened through dedication and hard work. No one is born a “language person”; we become one by speaking, reading, and writing. Mathematical ability works the exact same way. It isn't a gift; it's a skill.

This limiting belief is often built by negative experiences. Maybe it was a timed test in school that caused panic, a teacher who prized one specific method of solving a problem, or the cultural idea that math is only for geniuses. These experiences can lead us to believe that if we don’t “get it” instantly, we never will.

How to Rebuild Your Identity, One Puzzle at a Time

You can’t just decide to have a growth mindset; you have to prove it to yourself through action. This is where a daily, low-pressure practice with a tool like Matiks becomes transformative. Its entire design is engineered to challenge the foundations of the “math person” myth.

First, the daily 15-minute commitment reinforces the core principle of the growth mindset: ability is built through consistent effort. It’s not about spending six hours cramming; it's about showing up regularly. This small, manageable habit proves that practice, not innate talent, is the engine of progress.

Second, Matiks puzzles are about logic and creative problem-solving, not just speed. The high-pressure, timed environment that creates math anxiety is gone. Instead, you have the space to think, to try different approaches, and to see a problem from multiple angles. This teaches you that math is a creative field, not just a race to one right answer.

Finally, the adaptive difficulty of the puzzles ensures you are building a chain of success. You are consistently challenged but rarely overwhelmed. Each solved puzzle, no matter how simple, serves as a piece of evidence that contradicts the old myth. It’s a small, tangible win that says, “See? You can do this.”

You don’t have to magically become a “math person” overnight. In fact, you should discard the label entirely. Instead, become a person who simply spends a few minutes each day engaging their brain with interesting problems. Through that consistent action, you’ll find that the skills, the confidence, and a new, more empowered identity will naturally follow.