The Art of Learning

Most students don't realize this, but information is the least important element to the educational process. This is not the party line, and educators would laugh in my face for such a comment. However, I have two graduate degrees and can recite very little of what I actually learned, and people say I'm smart. I used to get slightly insecure when people would say this about me, namely due to the fear that someday they would find out that I'm not all that smart. But, this is what I've learned over the years - from the many years as a student, and the many years of working with students to improve their educational endeavors... education is not about information... it's about the formulation of disciplines that will carry one through a fruitful adulthood. There, I said it and I stand by it 100%! Education is about effort and appreciating the effort one puts into it. An appreciation of effort is the greatest commodity of the educational process. This reality flips the entire educational system upside down, because everyone can succeed when effort is applauded. Take two students, one may put some effort into studying for a test and receive an A, while another places a great deal of effort into studying a receives a B-. Who benefited more from preparing for the test? Obviously, the B- student did, and by quite a lot. You see, the B- student stuck with something that was difficult. The subject maybe is not their strong suit, but the student put forth great effort in an area of difficulty. This endeavor has had a greater impact than what can be understood by a letter grade at the top of a test. The B- student has acquired something far more treasured than knowledge, endurance. Many would point that the A student is smarter, but I hold that the B- student is better prepared for life, for they have forged in their character endurance and resilience and these are core qualities at the foundation of a fulfilling adulthood. So with that said, be quick to point out when a student has place considerable effort into an endeavor. Please help teach them the economics of effort and watch as they blossom.

How People Become Stuck...

Stuck, stagnate, rigid, and unmoved are some perceptions that many people currently have in regards to their careers, relationships, or just life in general. The real question is, "How does one get to this point?". It's easier to get stuck than many realize and it happens very subtly. Typically, an event or set of events occur in life that are outside of one's control. The event(s) bring out fears and distresses, which causes a person to dive into a defensive mindset. This mindset is all about minimizing exposure and vulnerability. At some point, a person will have experienced being vulnerabile and at this fragile moment was embarassed or harmed in some way. Most of the time it is when a person believes that they have been humaliated publically, especially in front of peers. A mental note is made to avoid all similar circumstances in the future. In short, this person has made a commitment to never take a personal risk again. The problem lies in the fact that a mindset of growth requires risk, failure, evaluation, adjustment, more risk taking. If there is a core belief to avoid risk, then personal growth becomes nearly impossible. To change this a person needs to develop a set of mindset principles to inoculate the negative viral (non-risk taking) mindset principles. Develop a new mantra, like, "failure is sometimes unavoidable, but growing due to a failure is always beneficial. Therefore, I'm okay if I have failure points in my life, and I possess a conviction to learn and grow when personal failures arise!"

Exercise:

A significant failure of mine was when I ... (yes it is okay to admit failure).

I realize now that I sit in this moment alive and safe, in spite of my failure.

As I reflect on this failure, I'll take away the following lessons I have learned...

When I see these lesson applied to my daily life, I can see myself...

(Have fun with the exercise)

Daily Growth (PDF) from S.M.L.

Click here to download the file.

The "Real" Secret of Change

The secret is that there is NO "Secret". Reality is that the life one desires comes about from vision, sweat, determination, effort and time. I know this isn't marketable, but it is reality and history supports its presence.

Financial MINDSET

In working with people I have discovered that one area in particular keeps many stalled out in a non-workable MINDSET. As you may expect, the area is personal / family finances. If you find yourself troubled by your current financial situation, then the best thing to do is realize you have the power to change and the present opportunity to grow in this important area. Discover your workable Financial MINDSET and put your muscles and money in action for you.

Day by Day by Day MINDSET

Doing worthwhile activities, day, after day, after day, leads to magnanamous life change over time.

Ancient MINDSET Wisdom

"In all hard work there is profit, but merely talking about it only brings about poverty" - King Solomon (900'ish BC)

Personalize:

What have I been talking about lately that I know the time has come to put some muscle movement behind it? Enough with the mental investment in the idea, the time has arrived for muscle investment! The Economy of Personal Transformation is all about the expenditure of energy & effort. So I'm now unleashed to get my muscles moving!

Mental Note:

D - E = S (Desire minus Effort = Stagnation)

Master of Mindset ( & Golf too)

Zach Johnson has the MINDSET...

Do you have what it takes?

Success is a by-product of one's determination to grow and continually be challenged.

The Personal Change Equation

We as a culture place a lot of emphasis on personal growth and change; however, it seems that very few understand how to move into an ongoing STATE of desired change. In this entry I hope to breakdown life CHANGE into a simple and revolutionary formula. Are you ready??? Well here it is. (E + T = DC) Do you feel the personal momentum already. I wouldn't think so anyhow. The expanded version of this equation is (Effort + Time = Desired Change). No its not revelutionary, but it is true. With many pop culture antics like, "The Secret", this equation seems insignificant, but how much would be missed if this equation isn't taken to heart. "The Secret" proposes that personal change lies with a better understanding of how the universe is at our beckon call to give us whatever we project and desire. I believe the unverse is responsive to us, like "The Secret", but in a far different manner. I believe that the universe is designed to respond to "Effort" exerted over "Time". So we take the equation and implement it into the realm of personal change. In order for my life to improve, I will need to exert focused "Effort" over a sustained period of "Time" (maybe even a lifetime), so that I may experience my "Desired Change". So if there are areas of your life that need growth and change, take a few moments, reflect on the effort that will be required... make a commitment to put in whatever time necessary... and celebrate the small desired changes that will be occurring on a daily basis. So the questions I leave you are: What are you going to do differently now?; How much effort are you willing to exert?, and; How passionate are you about your desired change? Oh yeah, don't forget you will have moments or days where you will fail in this, but harness those failure, learn from them and reapply yourself with a renewed sense of commitment.