Describing the Habits of Mind"
Managing Impulsivity
Goal
-
directed, self
-
imposed delay of gratification is perhaps the essence of emotional self
-
regulation: the ability to deny impulse in the service of a goal, whether it be building a business,
solving an algebraic equation, or pursuing the Stanley Cup.
—
Daniel Goleman
Effective problem solvers are deliberate: they think before they act. They intentionally establish
a vision of a product, an action plan, a goal, or a destination before they begin
. They strive to
clarify and understand directions, they develop a strategy for approaching a problem, and they
withhold immediate value judgments about an idea before they fully understand it. Reflective
individuals consider alternatives and consequences
of several possible directions before they
take action. They decrease their need for trial and error by gathering information, taking time
to reflect on an answer before giving it, making sure they understand directions, and listening
to alternative points
of view.
Often, students blurt out the first answer that comes to mind. Sometimes they shout an
answer, start to work without fully understanding the directions, lack an organized plan or
strategy for approaching a problem, or make immediate value judgmen
ts about an idea
(criticizing or praising it) before they fully understand it. They may take the first suggestion
given or operate on the first idea that comes to mind rather than consider alternatives and the
consequences of several possible directions. R
esearch demonstrates, however, that less
impulsive, self
-
disciplined students are more successful. For example, Duckworth and Seligman
(2005) found
Highly self
-
disciplined adolescents outperformed their more impulsive peers on every academic
performance v
ariable, including report
-
card grades, standardized achievement test scores,
admission to a competitive high school and attendance. Self
-
discipline measured in the fall
predicted more variance in each of these outcomes than did IQ, and unlike IQ, self
-
disc
ipline
predicted gains in academic performance over the school year. (p. 940)
summarize it.