Stick With Your Goals: Baby Steps

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

-- Chinese philosopher, Laozi (604-531 BC)

“If you want to feel better, take just one aspirin at a time; not the whole bottle.”

-- My mom.

I recommend a few books on creating and maintaining life changing habits: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg and The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy. In their own way, each book discusses how creation of life changing habits (positive or negative) is either intentional or unintentional. The easy road means coasting into mindless habit that will not push us toward our goals and dreams. The hard road is paved with intention, most times resulting in forward progress.

The challenge is to set ourselves up for success by reducing our goals to their smallest common denominators. Little, seemingly insignificant -- yet intentional -- choices will compound over time to move us closer to our goals.

Admittedly, with the exception of some addictions, if it's easy to start something, it's also easy to stop. Late January is strewn with broken resolutions.

What we have to do is take baby steps. Make the hurdle so low that you can step over it without much effort. Let's say your goal is to journal each day. Rather than planning to writing paragraph upon paragraph expounding on your day, decide to write one sentence to summarize your day. Put your notebook and pen at your bedside ready to go, and all you have to do as you sit down on the edge of bed to get ready to swing your legs up and lay down, is reach over and write a few words. Start with that and see where it goes. After all, doing that much is better than doing nothing at all toward your goal. You have effectively lowered the bar to its lowest rung, and given yourself a chance to create a habit that will move you toward your goal.

Many years ago, Zig Ziglar, this generation's granddaddy of motivational speaking and writing, proudly spoke about how he lost (and kept off) 37 pounds in ten months as part of his his goal to be healthier. How did he do it? He set a goal weight, set a goal date, and did the math. If he could just lose 1.9 OUNCES on average per day, he would make his goal! 37 pounds is a LOT of weight. Less than two ounces? Not so much. He broke his goal down, took it one day at a time, and made little choices to get himself there.

I'm a pretty tall fella: 6'4". I once weighed nearly 250 pounds, which was too much for my frame. My knees hurt and back hurt after standing all day in the classroom. Spurred-on by a "biggest loser" challenge for faculty at my high school about 10 years ago, I decided to shed some of that baggage by cutting soda from my diet. My life style as a high school band director is fairly hectic, so this seemed like a manageable first step. I replaced the habit of soda with the habit of water, and an amazing thing happened: every time I chose water, I remembered of my goal. The more I remembered my goal, the more little choices I made that could help me along the way: no late night snack today, no second helping of Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, just half a candy bar rather than the whole thing, etc. Six months later, I had dropped to 212 pounds!

These two examples highlight weight-loss, but making small, seemingly insignificant steps toward any goal will work for you!

Here’s a suggested plan for attacking your goals with BABY steps:

1.     Review all of the goals you’ve set in the past, but did not accomplish.
2.     Identify ONE goal from that list that you’d still like to accomplish
3.     Boil it down to small, seemingly insignificant tasks
4.     Take action a little bit each day.
5.     Pick another small task related toward your goal.
6.     Get it done
7.     Repeat 5 and 6 as many times as necessary.
8.     Before too long, you're habitually moving toward your goal!

Six Thoughts on Becoming a More Effective Teacher

Every so often I am asked by former high school students pursuing college degrees in education about my thoughts on being an effective teacher. While I do not consider myself the authority on the subject by any means, I do believe strongly in these six thoughts.

Invest in Yourself

“The first and best victory is to conquer self.” – Plato

“Work harder on yourself than you do on your job.” – Jim Rohn

The most important factor in determining whether a child learns in your classroom is YOU. Amid papers to correct, lessons to plan, emails to answer, calls to make, meetings to attend, and any number of other details which to tend, you must remember that it is your long-term growth and happiness that must be the priority.

The give and take of your personal and professional life is like making deposits and withdrawals at a bank: the “Bank of You.” Reading books, articles, and blogs that inspire, motivate and inform are deposits into your bank. Exercise and eating well are deposits. Creating strong relationships with peers are deposits. Attending conferences and seminars are deposits.

The benefit to a teacher from any of these deposits is interest paid. Interest comes in many forms: improved mental and physical health, increased student performance, easier relationship building with students, parents and administrators, invitations to mentoring and/or leadership roles within the profession, and many more.

There is give and take in any profession, however, and teaching is no different. All of the inevitable distractions, the rough days, the time away from family, and the stress of the job make withdrawals from the Bank of You. Your goal is to have enough saved up in the Bank to buffer against these difficulties. If you don't, you'll soon be living on borrowed time.

Observe Great Teaching and Have Great Teachers Observe You

It seems human nature to adapt and conform to our surroundings. On the golf course, I always play better when I'm in a group with great golfers. Whenever I attend professional golf events I am struck with the urge to get back to my home course and play. I am inspired by watching great performances. When I observe great teaching first-hand, the same thing occurs. I am rejuvenated and excited to get back to my own classroom!

We are easily influenced by our circle of friends and colleagues: whoever we spend time with tend to shape who we are. Within your school are many outstanding teachers, and it's easy to figure out who. Spend time with them. Watch them work. Ask them questions. Allow them to come into your classroom and don't be afraid of what they might have to say. Be inspired, and your students will benefit.

Seek Opportunities to Serve

Sometimes when the going gets tough, we build a “comfort cocoon” around ourselves. Our thinking turns to “I” and “me” rather than “we” and “us.” We wallow in pity parties of our own design and feel alone. Before that happens, volunteer for school committees or become an activity sponsor. Find ways to take the initiative in your environment and help make it better. In doing so, you invest in opportunities that put “we” and “us” front and center in your mind and create meaningful relationships that will help you through the tough times. If you want to be a great teacher, motivator, communicator, and/or leader, you can't do it alone. You will get everything you want in your life and career if you give others what they want.

Strive for Balance in Your Classroom

“Teaching is about the intersection between relationships, curiosity and content.” 

– Dr. Kwame Brown

Content is king in education. The almighty test controls much of what goes on in the classroom. However, I firmly believe that our primary job as teachers is to build people, and it must be done within the context of our curriculum. This is the joining of the “what” (curriculum) to the “how” (process and example) to get to the “why” (inspiring young minds.)

Very few teachers that went to college to receive a degree education simply wish to program young minds with facts and figures. Any computer can do that these days. Our role is to maintain our focus on why we are called to teach and why our presence matters to students.

Take Time for Reflection

There is tangible benefit to writing in a journal. When you put your thoughts on paper, they become more concrete. You may even see them more objectively. When you browse back in your notes, you can see how your thinking has changed, evolved. Journaling is another way to make a deposit into the Bank of You. There are myriad articles about journaling's benefit, and many techniques to get it done. I encourage you to do your research.

Sitting down and visiting with a trusted friend and/or colleague can be a valuable reflection exercise, too. I look forward to opportunities to talk to friends in my profession. Nearly all the time, I come away from those chats with a fresh perspective, reminded that my concerns and my frustrations, as well as my hopes and victories are a part of a larger, shared experience.

The “Annie Principle:”

“When I'm stuck with a day that's gray and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say: 

'The sun will come out tomorrow...'”

Teaching is tough. Not every day will go as planned. But the good news is that for the foreseeable future, the sun will indeed rise tomorrow, and another opportunity to be better awaits you. When all else fails, and regardless of the circumstances that may have made today difficult, there are young people in your sphere of influence that want precisely what you have to offer.

7 Surefire Paths to an Attitude of Gratitude

During this time of year especially, giving thanks is at the forefront of our minds. The more I read and the more I participate in social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the more I see my friends, followers and fellow bloggers addressing the topic and/or giving thanks in tweets and status updates. This got me thinking about the different ways we can show gratitude not just during the holidays, but year-round.

There are many ways we can express our gratitude. Below are six that have worked for me in the past:

Journaling

Take a moment each day to jot down something you're thankful for. Journaling is an easy and quick way to get you thinking about those things that happen to you during the day that are good. Folks who journal their thanks begin to look for the positive in their days, and the negative, while it is still a part of every day to some degree, tends to be minimized. Also, when you have those bad days, looking back through all of those things you are thankful for will perk you back up!

Journaling is one of the 4 pillars of Shawn Achor's book "The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work" along with meditation, exercise and random acts of kindness. Using the free iOS/Android apps Catch Notes and I Journal, Achor's book can come to life in your life.

Public Displays of Gratitude

I am a teacher in an Iowa public school. We have bulletin boards everywhere. Although I haven't done this yet, on my list of things to do is to create a place for my students to pin up their thanks and compliments for each other. I bet this will be a popular space for those teens I work with every day!

A random email to a friend or card to a coworker takes but a few seconds, but the effects can be long lasting. Think back to how you felt when someone else had done that for you... You can return that feeling to as many others as you can think of! Better yet, giving that great feeling to another person won't cost you a dime.

Volunteering

Giving of yourself and your time is a wonderful way to show gratitude. Giving back to people or organizations -- investing your time helping those who have helped you or others -- will enrich your soul. This past Veterans Day, my son and I went to our local Veteran's Hospital with his Cub Scout Pack. We spent an afternoon visiting with sick and injured men and women who gave of themselves in our military. Connections were made and we left the hospital feeling great about the time we spent there. My son learned a lot during that visit, and I did too.

Prayer

Rather than asking God for help or intervention in your life, why not simply send your thanks to Him through prayer? Prayer reminds us that there is a higher power to which we answer. Realizing that we are not alone in our struggles and triumphs can help keep us grounded. Gratitude expressed through our faith can be tremendously powerful.

Random Acts of Kindness

Along the same lines as sending a thank you card to someone, performing a random act of kindness each day reminds you that there's more to your day than just moving from point A to B on your way to C. There are so many ways you can be kind to others. one great resource I have found is the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation: Random Acts of Kindness.

Don't Move the Goal Posts (Right Away)

I get caught up in moving from accomplishment to accomplishment without stopping to savor the results of my hard work. More often than not, after I finish a school year and the students in my bands have achieved so much, I will look to what's next. I'm guessing you're that way, too.

I have a saying in my band program: "We have set the bar of performance at a certain level, and we're not going to do the limbo!" This, of course, means that we won't accept underachieving. While this is all well and good, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't take some time and be thankful for the progress made by my students and celebrate our collective accomplishments. Showing gratitude for the hard work of everyone involved acknowledges the worth of each individual.

It's A Wonderful Life

Expressing gratitude toward others is only half of the equation. Acknowledging what you currently have and being thankful for it is key to a happy personal life. Just like Jimmy Stewart in the classic Frank Capra movie "It's a Wonderful Life," take a moment and count your blessings.

Once in awhile when I get worked up or down on myself, I use a little technique I learned a while back to create my own Jimmy Stewart movie. I close my eyes and imagine myself far into the future. In this future, my children are grown and gone, my parents are no longer living, my friends are gone, perhaps my wife has passed away and I am struggling to simply move through my day. I internalize what that would feel like, and then open my eyes. The rush of gratitude for what I have now in the present can be overwhelming! The "good old days" are right now! I have my family, my health and a bright future to look forward to. I suggest you give this a try!

 

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