For my last growth mindset exercise, I read Scientist finds Secret to Thriving by the University of Portsmouth . They say that "it appears to come down to an individual experiencing a sense of development, of getting better at something, and succeeding at mastering something." It goes on to say "In the simplest terms, what underpins it is feeling good about life and yourself and being good at something." I think this is extremely insightful, since most of the times I feel the best about myself, it's because I've achieved something or developed one of my skills further. The article also highlights that, while this has been previously studied, it normally is studied in specific contexts. For example, what makes babies thrive may not be the same factors that make employees thrive. These researchers laid out a list of factors that are not necessary or exhaustive, but a combination of which may help an individual select aspects of their life to focus on in or...
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This week I decided to read about feedback by reading How to Mentor a Perfectionist by W. Brad Johnson and David G. Smith . As a recovering perfectionist who both is mentored and mentors, the headline of this really pulled me in. The article covered really good points about how to manage your own perfectionism and how to identify their harmful perfectionistic traits without closing off the relationship. I think particularly the points about sharing your own missteps and using humor thoughtfully were really helpful. I'm definitely going to think more on how to encourage my mentees to embrace imperfection, and how I can help support them in that. I also need to look at my own life and see where I can embrace that same principle as well. (Image source: The Dangers of Perfectionism )
( Moon cat ) I chose this one because I like how inspirational it is! I would consider myself a very creative person and sometimes I think it's beneficial to remind ourselves where thinking outside of the box can get us. ( Meandering kitten ) I chose this one because I think it's easy to fill our time up with things that are "important" or serves some sort of defined purpose, when oftentimes the breaks and detours are what we need most. ( You can do it ) Honestly, I just thought this one was really cute.
The challenge I decided to do was learning from other students by going through and reading quotes from previous students. 1. "G.R.O.W. - Go Rip Open Windows. Sometimes in order to grow, you have to seek out opportunities. You have to force the window open." I really like this one. I hear all the time to take advantage of open doors and open windows, or that when one door closes another opens. But I think it's important to realize that doors don't open by themselves - and if someone else isn't opening it for you, you have to. Rather than waiting for the opportunity you want, go get it. 2. "Create a community. I feel like growth mindset is the best way to create an all-inclusive community of learning and to avoid disenfranchisement of individuals who may feel inadequate." I think community is the best way to encourage failure and growth. When you have a group of people trying the same challenges as you, you feel encouraged to be more reckless bec...
Although I didn’t know this approach by name, I’m familiar with the growth mindset. I went to a competitive high school and was a straight-A student. I worked hard for those grades, but I was taking shortcuts along the way that prevented effective learning just to ensure I got the grade I needed. However, my younger sister has special needs and was diagnosed with an immune disorder when she entered high school. One year, she missed over 100 days of school as a result. In response, her teachers and my parents began using the growth mindset: encouraging the process over the outcome. Before, she was struggling to keep her grades when faced with this situation to the point where she no longer wanted to learn. After incorporating this approach , my sister felt more capable and was happier. Seeing this unfold convinced me to use elements of the growth mindset in my own life, and doing so has allowed me to care more about how I'm developing as a person and less about my GPA. It's been...