#performance mindset

[bodyofbrilliance]

Why Your mindset Matters More Than Talent

[ossie50]

The relentless pursuit of perfection - a mindset

The primary driver of achieving relentless perfection is having an awareness and attachment to the consequences, whether personal or organisational, of not achieving high performance levels. Gordon Ramsey gave this response when asked why he is successful both as a chef and in business, and I am aware of similar statements being made by many others too. At this point I need to flag that as a…

[metanarrates]

Hello. Sorry if this a stupid question u can ignore if u want.

How can someone get better at media analysis? Besides obviously reading a lot.

Im asking this bc im in a point where im aware of my own lack of tools to analyze stories, but i don't know where to get them or how to get better in general. How did you learn to analyze media? There's any specific book, essay, author, etc that you recommend? Somewhere to start?

I'm asking you because you are genuinely the person who has the best takes on this site. Thank you for you work!

it sounds like a cop-out answer but it's always felt like a skill I acquired mostly thru reading a ton, and by paying a lot of attention in high school literature classes. because of that I can't promise that I'm necessarily equipped to be a good teacher or that i know good resources. HOWEVER! let me run some potential advice to you based on the shit i get a lot of mileage out of

first off, a lot of literary analysis is about pattern recognition! not just pattern recognition in-text, but out-of-text as well. how does this work relate to its genre? real-world history? does it have parallels between real-life situations? that kind of thing.

which is a big concept to just describe off the bat, so let me break it down further!

in literature, there is the concept of something called literary devices - they are some of the basic building blocks in how a story is delivered mechanically and via subtext. have you ever heard of a motif? that is a literary device. it's a pattern established in the text in order to further the storytelling! and here is a list of a ton of common literary devices - I'd recommend reading the article. it breaks down a lot of commonly used ones in prose and poetry and explains their usage.

personally, I don't find all the literary devices I've learned about in school to be the most useful to my analytical hobbies online. motifs, themes, and metaphors are useful and dissecting them can bring a lot to the table, but a lot of other devices are mostly like fun bonus trivia for me to notice when reading. however, memorizing those terms and trying to notice them in the things you read does have a distinct benefit - it encourages you to start noticing patterns, and to start thinking of the mechanical way a story is built. sure, thinking about how the prose is constructed might not help you understand the story much more, but it does make you start thinking about how things like prose contribute to the greater feeling of a piece, or how the formatting of a piece contributes to its overall narrative. you'll start developing this habit of picking out little things about a text, which is useful.

other forms of in-text pattern recognition can be about things like characterization! how does a character react to a certain situation? is it consistent with how they usually behave? what might that tell you about how they think? do they have tells that show when they're not being trustworthy? does their viewpoint always match what is happening on screen? what ideas do they have about how the world works? how are they influenced by other people in their lives? by social contexts that might exist? by situations that have affected them? (on that note, how do situations affect other situations?)

another one is just straight-up noticing themes in a work. is there a certain idea that keeps getting brought up? what is the work trying to say about that idea? if it's being brought up often, it's probably worth paying attention to!

that goes for any pattern, actually. if you notice something, it's worth thinking about why it might be there. try considering things like potential subtext, or what a technique might be trying to convey to a reader. even if you can't explain why every element of a text is there, you'll often gain something by trying to think about why something exists in a story.

^ sometimes the answer to that question is not always "because it's intentional" or even "because it was a good choice for the storytelling." authors frequently make choices that suck shit (I am a known complainer about choices that suck shit.) that's also worth thinking about. english classes won't encourage this line of thinking, because they're trying to get you to approach texts with intentional thought instead of writing them off. I appreciate that goal, genuinely, but I do think it hampers people's enthusiasm for analysis if they're not also being encouraged to analyze why they think something doesn't work well in a story. sometimes something sucks and it makes new students mad if they're not allowed to talk about it sucking! I'll get into that later - knowing how and why something doesn't work is also a valuable skill. being an informed and analytical hater will get you far in life.

so that's in-work literary analysis. id also recommend annotating your pages/pdfs or keeping a notebook if you want to close-read a work. keeping track of your thoughts while reading even if they're not "clever" or whatever encourages you to pay attention to a text and to draw patterns. it's very useful!

now, for out-of-work literary analysis! it's worth synthesizing something within its context. what social settings did this work come from? was it commenting on something in real life? is it responding to some aspects of history or current events? how does it relate to its genre? does it deviate from genre trends, commentate on them, or overall conform to its genre? where did the literary techniques it's using come from - does it have any big stylistic influences? is it referencing any other texts?

and if you don't know the answer to a bunch of these questions and want to know, RESEARCH IS YOUR FRIEND! look up historical events and social movements if you're reading a work from a place or time you're not familiar with. if you don't know much about a genre, look into what are considered common genre elements! see if you can find anyone talking about artistic movements, or read the texts that a work might be referencing! all of these things will give you a far more holistic view of a work.

as for your own personal reaction to & understanding of a work... so I've given the advice before that it's good to think about your own personal reactions to a story, and what you enjoy or dislike about it. while this is true that a lot of this is a baseline jumping-off point on how I personally conduct analysis, it's incomplete advice. you should not just be thinking about what you enjoy or dislike - you should also be thinking about why it works or doesn't work for you. if you've gotten a better grasp on story mechanics by practicing the types of pattern recognition i recognized above, you can start digging into how those storytelling techniques have affected you. did you enjoy this part of a story? what made it work well? what techniques built tension, or delivered well on conflict? what about if you thought it sucked? what aspects of storytelling might have failed?

sometimes the answer to this is highly subjective and personal. I'm slightly romance-averse because I am aromantic, so a lot of romance plots will simply bore me or actively annoy me. I try not to let that personal taste factor too much into serious critiques, though of course I will talk about why I find something boring and lament it wasn't done better lol. we're only human. just be aware of those personal taste quirks and factor them into analysis because it will help you be a bit more objective lol

but if it's not fully influenced by personal taste, you should get in the habit of building little theses about why a story affected you in a certain way. for example, "I felt bored and tired at this point in a plot, which may be due to poor pacing & handling of conflict." or "I felt excited at this point in the plot, because established tensions continued to get more complex and captured my interest." or "I liked this plot point because it iterated on an established theme in a way that brought interesting angles to how the story handled the theme." again, it's just a good way to think about how and why storytelling functions.

uh let's see what else. analysis is a collaborative activity! you can learn a lot from seeing how other people analyze! if you enjoy something a lot, try looking into scholarly articles on it, or youtube videos, or essays online! develop opinions also about how THOSE articles and essays etc conduct analysis, and why you might think those analyses are correct or incorrect! sometimes analyses suck shit and developing a counterargument will help you think harder about the topic in question! think about audience reactions and how those are created by the text! talk to friends! send asks to meta blogs you really like maybe sometimes

find angles of analysis that interest and excite you! if you're interested in feminist lenses on a work, or racial lenses, or philosophical lenses, look into how people conduct those sort of analyses on other works. (eg. search feminist analysis of hamlet, or something similar so you can learn how that style of analysis generally functions) and then try applying those lenses to the story you're looking at. a lot of analysts have a toolkit of lenses they tend to cycle through when approaching a new text - it might not be a bad idea to acquire a few favored lenses of your own.

also, most of my advice is literary advice, since you can broadly apply many skills you learn in literary analysis to any other form of storytelling, but if you're looking at another medium, like a game or cartoon, maybe look up some stuff about things like ludonarrative storytelling or visual storytelling! familiarizing yourself with the specific techniques common to a certain medium will only help you get better at understanding what you're seeing.

above all else, approach everything with intellectual curiosity and sincerity. even if you're sincerely curious about why something sucks, letting yourself gain information and potentially learning something new or being humbled in the process will help you grow. it's okay to not have all the answers, or to just be flat-out wrong sometimes. continuing to practice is a valuable intellectual pursuit even if it can mean feeling a tad stupid sometimes. don't be scared to ask questions. get comfortable sometimes with the fact that the answer you'll arrive at after a lot of thought and effort will be "I don't fully know." sometimes you don't know and that can be valuable in its own right!

thank you for the ask, and I hope you find this helpful!

[virfujiwara]

Any The Book Of Life (2014) enjoyers here? Ramble in the tags lol Reminder that commissions are open and I'm making art for your donations and we are raising money for an AAPI charity through this zine, if you or someone you know likes Watcher, check it out!

[titsthedamnseason]

HAPPY LONDON N1 YALL!!! i can just feel this run of shows is going to be CRAZY. also if you haven’t realized hi it’s me juli titsthedamnseason and yes even under yet another new url i am hosting the surprise song game! the rules are simple: leave your guesses in the tags or replies and if you’re right i will give you a shoutout <3

i’m personally about to give the worst guesses ever but i already submitted them to mastermind so i feel like i have to stick with it. so im going imgonnagetyouback / better than revenge and robin / never grow up i definitely should be going with a london song or the black dog but hey. whatever

[dearaustinbutler]

10/21/2024-As he should! 💥💥💥

[kazzeyy]

As someone who had their feminist and leftist awakening here on tumblr in the early 10s, I have to say that the way online leftism has evolved is really directly correlated- in my opinion - to the rampant antisemitism, lack of critical thinking and reading skills, and straight up support for terrorists that I see across platforms.

I do not regret the way that this site helped me think about certain topics and pov’s for the first time, but the way the internet exists now is very different than even then, and it’s been a change for the worse.

I now, with a more fully formed brain, can even see how some of the things being parroted to me on here at the time were one dimensional takes with no room for nuance or questioning without being labeled a bigot of some kind.

I never thought I’d be thankful for growing up in a very republican town (and family), but now I see that having deeply known a pov so different from mine helps me be even more informed of my own ideas and WHY I believe them. And I also see all humans as nuanced beings with different priorities. Doesn’t mean I like them, but understanding them is so important.

The complete dehumanization of those you refuse to try to understand or listen to and the subsequent infantilization of those you are insistent on supporting…it’s giving no critical thinking skills and a complete lack of moral clarity.

Being from NY, I can’t help but have looked at the “protests” on oct 7 here on the streets, with banners in favor of the very terrorist organizations (or adjacent) who killed my friend’s parents on 9/11, and feel an even deeper kind of sadness and disgust.

If you support people who support terrorists, you support terrorists. If you support people who are ok marching alongside swastikas and hezbollah flags, you have been morally corrupted. If you genuinely feel the greatest evil on this planet is a democratic nation made of mostly Jews the size of NJ that is resisting against Islamic imperialism, you are an antisemite. If you think the Palestinians deserve leadership like Hamas…you must hate them.

Imagine supporting people who are making lists of Jewish practitioners to avoid. Imagine thinking you have the moral high ground when your “side” are the ones mourning a terrorist’s elimination but praising someone committing suicide.

Idk what it will take for some people to wake up, but I fear it will be something so horrific, and it won’t be until it affects them.

[mc-tummy-blur]

Explaining to his next victim about The Make Believes and Nick Lightbearer to show them that he understands the music (and Nick) more than they do

Based off of that scene from American Psycho y’know

Click for better quality

Check my pinned post to see links on how you can help the people in Palestine

Bonus sketch: Aftermath

[galindatopland]

i understand that americans have this like concept of theatre kid and whatnot but i really will just never understand why so many ppl seem to think musical theatre is cringe

[milfygerard]

my advice to ppl who feel angry or doomer-y when frank iero opens his big fat mouth without thinking to think back and consider: do you trust gerard ways artistic integrity and instincts for mcr? Bc thats why i pretty much never react to the band being quiet or weird announcements or whatever. Gerard takes the integrity of the art and performance of mcr very seriously, if they were in it for the money they never would have broken up mcr at all, they wouldn't've bothered with the swarm tour, and they wouldnt have made the TBP tour as unmarketable and confusing to the general public as they could get away with. To be blunt, if this was some artless sellout we would have had an album by now and it would have been good if not disappointing and derivative. Gerard is very obsessive over the integrity and honesty of the art they create sometimes to a detrimental and obsessive degree, and does not take something like My Chemical Romance lightly or cynically.

ALSO we wouldnt have gotten two high quality high concept clearly expensive highly enigmatic promotional videos with bizarre extremely hostile fascist imagery along with promotional imagery and posters that don't even have the bands acronym on them in a readable text. TBP tour is clearly going to not just be Something but is going to be Something Very Big.

[nenasspot]

the disrespect to hangyul in the second ep was hard to swallow and makes me want to refrain from saying anything else about that episode.

you do not have the right to qualify a debuted idol by those idol standards when they enter into a survival show as a trainee. in a show like peak time, there was this right. in something like this, a full-on trainee survival show, that revokes. they have put their life on hold, have put their pride and image aside, to go into a harsh situation where people will frown at seeing them. give them only the highest criticisms and minimal praise aside from when a good sob story is needed.

you can NOT look at a TRAINEE in this situation and tell them: why are you over there? you should be here. in a way that suggests it is THEIR fault that their label, their management, the industry has left them behind to be in a place where they feel like they need to start all the way over just to succeed. these people have worked, built, lost and fought tooth and nail only to come to the conclusion that they need to do something like this to get back.

[theres-whump-in-that-nebula]

”You can tell us. We’re your parents. You can tell us even if it’s bad. We’ll listen. We love you. We’re adults so we need to talk like adults.”

aha ahahaha how about no? If you find out I’m an apostate I know you’re gonna raid my room and destroy my belongings; and even if what you say IS true, I still don’t trust you from the last time you said those things lmfao

My stuff isn’t out of the house so I’m not gonna fucking tell you lmao

[richardtheteacher]

10 Tips to Help High School Students Achieve High Performance

An article by Richard James Rogers (Award-Winning Author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management and The Power of Praise: Empowering Students Through Positive Feedback). This blog post is illustrated by Pop Sutthiya Lertyongphati. Success in high school is not just about hard work: it’s about working smart, using proven strategies that boost learning, memory, and motivation. Here are 10…

[nikkusplayground]

Why health and personal development are so important

I heard this from a man on a YouTube video before, “if we don’t make time for our health and wellness now, we’ll be forced to make time for it later.” This is important because good health and wellness enhances your quality of life. Now you may be intrigued by asking yourself, “what is health exactly or what is wellness?” Health is the ability to adapt and manage physical, mental, and social challenges throughout life. Wellness is the state of optimal well-being of the whole person: complete physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, social, and even spiritual well-being. This is the foundation of your existence so prioritize it because without it, nothing else will flourish.

The role of your health when it comes to growth and success includes your physical and mental wellbeing. Think about this for a minute, if you can't control what you think, you can't control what you do. With that being said, mindfulness plays a huge role when it comes to your personal growth and overall well-being. See in today’s fast paced world it's not just all about what you eat or how much you exercise. I mean, don't give me wrong they are essential but your mental is valuable as well and may be the most important, if not one of the most important. Also, it may be overlooked or go unnoticed as we go on about our lives until we have difficulty sleeping, experience brain fog, or have lack of motivation. Even then, you might not be aware that is your mental state. Practicing mindfulness is simple yet effective believe it or not. Incorporating things like meditation, focusing on your breathing, and don't sleep on saying affirmations like “I’m focusing on right now” and “I can handle whatever comes” are great starters for improving your mentality, consistency is key. It’s all about redirecting your attention towards the positive and becoming a reflection of your positivity.

Now as I mentioned early, physical health and mental health are essential. As a matter of fact, they go hand in hand in a sense. To keep it simple, if you want a great mental health you have to maintain great physical health. When I was younger at school, I learned that the brain is an organ of course. I found out later on that the brain can be strengthened and improved like a muscle through exercise, learning new skills, and participating in mental challenges. Furthermore, exercise supports the mental by improving blood flow and inviting the growth of new neural connections. Additionally, maintaining great physical health includes a nutritious balanced diet as well. Being consistent with a nutritious diet can be complex I admit but don't let that stop you from focusing on what's important, YOU. See, this is why the mental is important again because it can help you stay consistent. Eating a plant-based diet, fiber-rich diet, or an alkaline diet can leave an impressive mark on your body and mental health that is evident enough for you to recognize that you made the right decision.

The link between health and development is amazing to me, in fact, they correlate well, at least in my opinion. See, if you have poor food habits like processed food consumption, unbalanced diet, micronutrient deficiency, etc. This can lead to an increase in anxiety and depression. Now imagine what would happen if you focused on maintaining a healthy adequate diet. This can you lead to a happy, successful stress-free life. Then, on the other hand if you have poor food habits it can lead to an imbalance of neurotransmitters as well as what I mentioned before. Now which sounds better? Exactly. Remember, a nutritious diet and a healthy body is profound for your mental well-being so if you don't take care of your body and mind, not only will you not grow and develop but you also won't succeed in life. You will be amazed at how much you can accomplish when you get your overall well-being intact and maintained.

Once you take this step and keep it consistent, you're going to be part of the hype. You will start to develop a growth type of mindset, and you'll see how things will change for you. The journey is going to be lovely as long as you stay positive about the process. Personal health and development are important because they are the foundation to a healthy and fulfilling life. Look at it like a personal adventure that's not only physical but mental as well. Don't ever forget to tell yourself that “you are constantly growing and improving.” While you're telling yourself that, keep in mind that the physical and mental are two different things but they both have the same ultimate goal and that goal depends on if YOU want to treat your body good or not. What's the saying “whatever the mind goes the body follows” or something like that. Speaking of mental and physical thought, be careful with the food nowadays. It may look like the best thing on the planet, but that doesn't mean it's the best thing for you. If you ask me, vegetables, seeds, and my personal favorite, fruits are the way to go for clean body and mind along with whole foods as well. Keep your brain healthy. because when you think about it, it’s running this whole operation, so keep it running. In conclusion, involving habits like stretching, reading, stress management, practicing mindfulness, and cardio, amongst many other things, including small gradual improvements, can be beneficial on your path to a thriving life. I can't help but imagine how life would be if everyone embraced this path.

[hilacopter]

sorry to break it to you but simple self-hatred has never been a good or useful form or activism, if you can even call it that. if your idea of a good jew™ is one that spends every waking moment feeling guilty for what is being done in their name you have a very harmful idea of moral righteousness.

[elisabethbabarci]

Tiger Stripes : Part 04