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Showing posts from May, 2017

Growth Mindset vs. Perfectionism

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My 2017 mantra for myself: There's always room for growth. Hi. My name is Ashley. I am a recovering perfectionist. I recently discovered the wisdom of Carol Dweck, a psychologist who has been researching  "growth mindset"  for over 30 years. Some of the big takeaways from her research: Students with a fixed mindset often perceive difficulties as catastrophic. They run from errors. Students with a growth mindset often perceive difficulties as a learning opportunity. They bounce back after setbacks. Telling children they are "smart" encourages a fixed mindset. Praising children for their effort and perseverance encourages a growth mindset. I have had a perfectionistic, fixed mindset for most of my life. I am working on changing that to a growth mindset. I went for a hike today in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Hiking is my me time, my meditation, my church. Last summer I got lost while hiking on an unmarked trail, and my 2-hour hike turned i