The Lunch ‘n’ Learn webinar on Growing Grit in Teens with Dr. Steve Kurtz
If you missed my presentation with Dr. Steve Kurtz on the the topic of growing grit in teens, here is your opportunity to see a recording. ENJOY!
If you missed my presentation with Dr. Steve Kurtz on the the topic of growing grit in teens, here is your opportunity to see a recording. ENJOY!
People who develop grit from an early age are more persistent and resilient in achieving their goals than people who are not. Dr. Caren Baruch Feldman, a clinical psychologist and expert on grit, provides strategies for coaches, group leaders, and parents on how to help teens grow their grit and set themselves up for success in every aspect of their lives. Her most recent book is The Grit Guide for Teens, a workbook designed to help teens develop perseverance, self-control, and a growth mindset. Overview of Grit My definition of grit is based on Dr. Angela Duckworth’s definition. Dr. Angela [...]
Here are my top ten strategies (secret recipe) based on the latest scientific research in helping people change in general that can be applied to growing your grit.
Being gritty, having self-control in the face of temptations, and rebounding from failure are not easy. However, there are ways that we know from science that makes it easier for us to have stick-to-it-ness. The question is what are some ways that can put you in the driver’s seat as opposed to being driven by your temptations?
It is the second day of the state math test at Harrison Avenue Elementary School in Westchester County, New York. Persee, the perseverant puppy mascot, sits on top of the smart board in a third grade classroom, a reminder to students of the instruction they have been given throughout the school year that “perseverance pays off!” When faced with a challenging question, Persee reminds these third graders to exhibit an optimistic mindset, use flexible strategies in the face of obstacles, and to treat themselves with kindness and compassion. What is happening at Harrison Avenue, the elementary school where I work [...]
It’s 5:00 AM. I stumble out of bed and try to leave my bedroom quietly so I won’t wake my husband. Half asleep and desperately in need of my first cup of coffee, I open my computer and wait for the words to flow. On most days, it is hard work. (By the way, the words for this blog are not coming so quickly either.) Nevertheless, I am up against a deadline for my first book, The Grit Guide for Teens: A Workbook to Help You Build Perseverance, Self-Control, and a Growth Mindset, and it's not going to write itself. [...]
“Other People Matter”- Chris Peterson March 20th was The International Day of Happiness. In celebration, throughout the month of March, I received emails sharing ways to increase my happiness. What struck me was that none of the emails suggested buying a pair of expensive shoes or a box of chocolates. Instead, the focus, and rightly so, was on what Positive Psychologist, Chris Peterson, meant by saying, “Other People Matter.” By making other people matter, happiness in the truest and deepest sense of the word is achieved. When I think about what truly makes me “happy” and gives life meaning, it [...]
I was asked recently to re-post the following blog. Enjoy :) Imagine twenty-five second graders sitting at their desks with a marshmallow in front of them, but NO ONE eats it. What is going on? Second graders at Harrison Avenue are working on self-control. But, how did they do it? The second graders had the benefit of learning some self-control strategies from an old friend, cookie monster. Dr. Walter Mischel in his book, The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control discusses his famous marshmallow test. In his original test, conducted nearly 50 years ago, preschoolers were given a choice, one marshmallow now [...]
It’s that time of year when people reflect and set “new goals” or “New Year’s resolutions” for themselves. As you can imagine, it is easy to make New Year’s resolutions, but much more difficult to complete them. When I reflect on the goals that I have been able to maintain or the goals my patients have been able to achieve, the following three strategies were most effective. 1. Make it Positive. The best way to accomplish a goal is to operate from a place of “yes” rather than from a place of “no.” To see how this is true, try [...]
It’s that’s time of year (Thanksgiving), when many of us take a moment to focus on what we are grateful for. For as long as I can remember, it has been a tradition in my family that my mother goes around the Thanksgiving table and asks each of us (grown-ups and kids) what we are grateful for. For a long time, this question elicited some eye rolling by me, even though I should have been past eye rolling. Why does focusing on what we grateful for often bring out the cynics in us and, more importantly, what can we do [...]