Growth Mindset: Growth Beyond School

While being in school I have really only ever focused on the part of my growth actually relating to school. I haven't taken the time to think about how I am growing as a person outside of the classroom. I have gone from an eighteen year old with culture shock to a twenty two year old man in the blink of an eye. I have grown in my faith to God, and in my maturity over the past four years. Now, as far as I've come, I also realize that I have a looong way to go. I don't believe we can ever really stop growing as a person if we work at it. I think this growth is what we call wisdom. The only way to achieve this wisdom is through the passing of time. This way we can look back to what we once were and see the progress which we have made.

Scrabble Progress
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Growth Mindset: Thinking is Part of Doing

"Thinking is part of doing." Source

While I don't believe this is necessarily always true, unfortunately, I believe that most good things happen when they are well thought out. You are much more likely to succeed if you have a plan for whatever you are going to do, rather than flying by the seat of your pants.

Week 8 Growth Mindset

Throughout this class thus far, I have mainly focused on doing exactly what I can to get by. I admit, that's the entirely wrong way to go about it, and as I find myself doing more I can tell I am enjoying the class that much more. It's true that what you get is in direct correlation to what you put into most things in life.

I have always been one to try new things. I don't like staying in my comfort zone for too long, and will normally go out of my way to meet new people, see new places/things. Sometimes that comes with a cost, but for the most part it has led to positive experiences in my life. 

One of my weaknesses is my ability to take criticism. Like many I can sometimes get defensive of my actions or work and be reluctant to make the changes suggested, especially if they are suggested in a way I don't appreciate. I could definitely work on my openness to criticism for the rest of the semester. I believe that would help me far beyond the classroom.

Archer    
Source: Relatably

Growth Mindset

Prior to this post I had never heard of Carol Dweck or her Growth Mindset. To me, it seemed to be just an optimistic outlook on things at its roots. Not to oversimplify, but she mentions looking at challenges as an opportunity to grow in ways that you normally would not in your comfort zone. I think that really requires optimism. I believe that I move up and down the fixed-growth mindset spectrum with each of my classes. In the classes that I wholeheartedly enjoy I will look at a challenge as an opportunity to learn a lot more about something I am interested in. However, if it is in a class which I do not enjoy as much I will sometimes look at a challenge as an inconvenience. I would really like to try and apply a growth mindset for all of my classes this semester. I believe if I take a more optimistic view on classes from Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy to Native American Philosophy I'll enjoy my work and the classes a lot more. Who knows, I may even do better work in these classes.

By Laura Gibbs. Inspired by Bob Dylan's Forever Young. Source:Growth Mindset Memes