Lesson 8 - Motivation / Achieving Goals
Self-Awareness | Motivation & Achieving Goals
Dream Big! Kids Can Do Amazing Things | Citizen Kid by DisneyIf you have extra time . . . |
Trouble downloading? Here are the direct YouTube links . . . If you have extra time . . . |
Quotes:
- "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." - Tim Notke
- "Your talent determines what you can do. Your motivation determines how much you are willing to do. Your attitude determines how well you do it." - Lou Holtz
Questions for Discussion and/or Journaling:
- How do your parents and/or teachers praise you? Do they tell you how "smart" and "talented" you are? Or do they focus on how hard you work?
- How do you praise others?
- When do you feel smart and/or talented? When you're doing something flawlessly or when you/re learning something new?
- How can you make striving, stretching, and struggling into something that makes you feel smart and/or talented?
- Think of times other people outdid you and you just assumed they were smarter or more talented. Now, consider the idea that they just used better strategies, taught themselves more, practiced harder, and worked their way through obstacles. You can do that too, if you want to.
- How do you respond to "constructive criticism"? Remember that constructive criticism is feedback that helps you (and others) understand how to fix something. It's not feedback that labels something as deficient. Use the constructive feedback to improve, even if you believe you've already done your best work.
25 Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset
- Acknowledge ad embrace imperfections. Hiding from your weaknesses means you'll neer overcome them.
- View challenges as opportunities. Having a growth mindset means relishing opportunities for self-improvement.
- Try different learning tactics. There's no one-size-fits-all model for learning. What work for one person may not work for you. (Learn about learning strategies.)
- Follow the research on brain plasticity. The brain isn't fixed; the mind shouldn't be either.
- Replace the word "failing" with the word "learning." When you make a mistake or fall short of a goal, you haven't failed; you've learned.
- Stop seeking approval. When you prioritize approval over learning, you sacrifice your own potential for growth.
- Value the process over the end result. Intelligent people enjoy the learning process, and don't mind when it continues beyond an expected time frame.
- Cultivate a sense of purpose. Research shows that students with a growth mindset have a greater sense of purpose.
- Celebrate growth with others. If you truly appreciate growth, you'll want to share your progress with others.
- Emphasize growth over speed. Learning fast isn't the same as learning well, and learning well sometimes requires allowing time for mistakes.
- Reward actions, not traits. Tell others when they're doing something smart, no just being smart.
- Redefine "genius." The myth's been busted: genius requires hard work, not talent alone.
- Portray criticism as positive. You don't have to use that hackneyed term "constructive criticism" but you do have to believe in the concept.
- Disassociate improvement from failure. Stop assuming that "room for improvement" translates into failure." has become one of her favorite phases.
- Provide regular opportunities for reflection. Reflect on your learning every day.
- Place effort before talent. Hard work should always be rewarded before inherent skill.
- Highlight the relationship between learning and "brain training." The brain is like a muscle that needs to be worked out, just like the body.
- Cultivate grit.
- Abandon the image. "Naturally smart" sounds just about as believable as "spontaneous generation." You won't achieve the image if you're not ready for the work.
- Use the word "yet." Carol Dweck says "not yet" has become one of her favorite phrases.
- Learn from other peoples' mistakes. It's not always wise to compare yourself to others, but it is important to realize that humans share the same weaknesses.
- Make a new goal for every goal accomplished. You'll never be done learning. Just because your midterm exam is over doesn't mean you should stop being interested in a subject. Growth-minded people know how to constantly create new goals to keep themselves stimulated.
- Take risks in the company of others. Stop trying to save face all the time and just let yourself goof up now and then. It will make it easier to take risks in the future.
- Think realistically about time and effort. It takes time to learn.
- Take ownership over your attitude. Once you develop a growth mindset, own it. Acknowledge yourself as someone who possesses a growth mentality and be proud to let it guide you throughout your educational career.