Effort and a Growth Mindset

Originally published by Melanie Kennedy on KUTV. Salt Lake City — (KUTV) Life Coach Trigena Halley visited Fresh Living with a great discussion on how Mindset Matters. Mindset Matters! It’s all about Effort and a Growth Mindset Your mindset - what you think and believe about yourself impacts how you perform. And, effort, matters just as much, if not more, than talent. That second sentence will likely spark a conversation from those in my circle who are teachers, parents, leaders and athletic coaches! But, hear me out, there is some very solid (and cool) researcher on this topic. According to Carol Dweck, one of the world’s leading researchers in the field of motivation and a Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, she has found mindset to be very important to success. Her research focuses on why people succeed and how to foster success. Her work has been featured in such publications as The New Yorker, Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, and she has appeared on Today and 20/20. Your minds are constantly monitoring and interpreting what is happening in your world, you form beliefs and assumptions based on your interpretations. There are times, however, when the interpretation process goes awry and you form limiting beliefs and false assumptions and then act in accordance with those (limiting) beliefs and (false) assumptions. When this occurs, it usually causes you to react inaccurately with feelings of anxiety, depression, anger and/or superiority. Your mindset frames up what is taking place in your head, it guides the whole interpretation process. According to Dweck, a Fixed Mindset creates...

Making Decisions – Feeling vs. Thinking!

When we think about making decisions, we tend to think in terms of the situation or problem we need to address, information we need to process the decisions and how we implement that decision. Very rarely do we consider the process we naturally utilize to make that decision – such as are we more inclined to be subjective or objective in our process, are we task or people focused and is our approach “tough minded” or “tender hearted”. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world - there are two ways in which we make decisions – as a Thinker or a Feeler. When most of us hear Thinker or Feeler we might generally think of the common following definitions: Thinkers – think a lot, in our “head” Feelers – lots of feelings, proceed with a “heart” approach According to the MBTI, when it comes to our personality we have a slightly different definition of Thinkers and Feelers. Individuals who make decisions looking at the logical consequences of a choice or action and objectively examine the pros and cons of a situation are likely to be Thinkers. Feelers, on the other hand, are defined by considering what is important to them and others involved and mentally place themselves in the situations and make decisions based on their values and honoring others. Thinkers and Feelers both want the same general outcome – the difference is what they focus on as they make their decision. For Thinkers, key words are logic, objectivity and fairness. When working to solve a problem...

Effective Communication

Are you a judger or a perceiver? These are two personality types that communicate differently. Coach Trigena Halley joined Fresh Living to explain how these different personality types can affect how we communicate with others. When most of us think about working together effectively we think about how we communicate, how we show empathy, how we collaborate and how we handle conflict. Very rarely do we consider the impact that “structure” has on our relationships and our ability to work together effectively. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world - there are two ways in which we structure our world - as a Judger or a Perceiver. When most of us hear Judger and Perceiver we generally think of the common following definitions: Judger - judgmental of others Perceiver - how we perceive the world around us According to the MBTI, when it comes to our personality we have different definitions of Judger and Perceiver. Individuals who structure their world in an orderly fashion, make a plan and work the plan, like to make decisions, come to closure, and move on are likely to be Judgers. Perceiver’s, on the other hand, are defined by their ability to adapt quickly, turn on a dime, leave their options open and seek out more data in situations. Judgers and Perceivers both have of structure - the difference is how they operationalize that structure. For Perceivers, the key word is flexibility - an 8:00am appointment means showing up between 8:00-8:15am - time is flexible and more information and data is always...

Introverts and Extroverts – What You Need to Know

Salt Lake City — (KUTV) Life Coach Trigena Halley visited Fresh Living to talk about Introverts and Extroverts and what you need to know in order to make the most of your communication. Introverts and Extroverts - What You Need to Know When most of us think about communicating effectively we think about how we show up with others, not necessarily about what energizes others and us in terms of communication. According to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - one of the most widely used personality assessments in the world - there are two ways in which we are “energized”. This energy focus has a large impact on how we communicate, like to be communicated with, and, importantly, how we are energized. When most of us hear introvert and extrovert we generally think of the common following definitions: Extroverts - loud, gregarious, talks more than listens Introverts - quiet, shy, listens more than speaks While some of those traits might be accurate, when we think of personality and what energizes someone they are not completely accurate. Individuals who are energized by people and external events are likely to be an extrovert while an introvert is energized by their internal world of ideas and thoughts. When we talk in terms of energy, it has to do with how drained or invigorated we are in regards to our interactions. Extroverts and introverts can both speak in front of groups or spend time working alone on a project and do it equally well - the difference is in their energy levels during and after the engagement. For introverts, a speaking engagement, volunteer group...

Being Thankful….It’s Not What You Think!

November brings us the tradition of being thankful…a time for giving thanks, doing our 30 days of being thankful on Facebook (okay, Facebook isn’t exactly a tradition) and sharing our blessings around the table on Thanksgiving with family and friends. When I think of being thankful I think of the obvious – family, health, friends and the general blessings of everyday life. But this year, my mind went to something different…what does it look like to be thankful for what we might not always consider or appreciate as a blessing or a gift? Here are a few things I came up with as I considered unconventional thankfulness. Honest Feedback - A love/hate relationship for many of us, and usually most of us don’t see or treat it as what is really is – a gift. Like most gifts, honest feedback has a giver and a receiver, the giver gives of their time and sometimes pays a high price, especially if not taken well by the receiver. For the receiver, at the most basic level, it means someone cares about you. Good or bad, agree or disagree honest feedback offers information to consider. It provides a glimpse of how others view you and allows you the opportunity to compare that viewpoint with your impression of yourself and/or the situation. I have seen honest feedback save careers, improve relationships and be the catalyst for success. Whether honest feedback provides a chance for re-evaluation or simply a different viewpoint, we need to remember it is a gift, for which we should be thankful. Sacrificing to Serving Others - Most of us welcome...