The Power of Goals

Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anybody else expects of you.

                                                                                    -          Henry Ward Beecher

I’m always invigorated at the beginning of a new year. Beyond the proverbial new start, or clean slate, or whatever label we want to apply; this year holds a slighter higher level of excitement for me. In this first week of 2013, I’m busy writing down the goals I want to accomplish this year. Are you excited about your goals for 2013? Have you committed them to writing?

Apparently, there was a study done back in the 1950s at Yale University where a group of Yale graduates were asked by an interviewer if they had set goals for their future. In response, only 3% of the senior class said they had clearly written goals and plans to accomplish them. When these same graduates were interviewed many years later, the 3% with written goals had a net worth more than the other 97% of graduates combined.

One of my mentors, Jim Rohn, once said: “If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you. Whatever good things we build end up building us.” That’s the beauty of setting goals and taking action steps to achieve them – it’s the strength of character we develop in their pursuit. In his teaching on goal setting, Mr. Rohn said that we need to set goals in a variety of areas. For example, goals related to the places we want to go, the people we want to meet, the things we want to do, and the skills we want to develop. He also said our goals become like a magnet. In other words, the bigger they are and the more we have, the stronger they will pull us forward in our efforts to achieve them.

This week I was reading a blog post by Chris Brogan called “My 3 Words for 2013:” chrisbrogan.com) For the last few years, and at this time of year, Chris has come up with three words that help him set a direction for his life and business. At the end of his post, Chris encouraged his readers to share their three words for 2013. That got me thinking. Here are my three words: carpe diem. (As you may know, the Latin phrase “carpe diem” is actually three words when translated – seize the day. I’ve allowed myself a little poetic license there!)

Orison S. Marden once said: “Don’t wait for extraordinary opportunities. Seize common occasions and make them great.” Maybe you’re already of that mindset, but if not, wouldn’t it be a great habit to develop this year? The philosopher Albert Camus understood this too when he said: “Real generosity toward the future consists in giving all to what is present.” Just imagine what kind of year you and I could have if we developed a laser like focus on the tasks at hand each and every day.

While I was writing this column, I checked my Twitter account and came across a very inspiring poem by one of my favorite authors, Robin Sharma. It’s called “The Project.” You can read Robin’s poem at this link: http://t.co/In0nPmTG. It sums up beautifully the point I’m trying to make in my humble thoughts above.

 

Leonard Quilty is a guidance counsellor with the Centre for Learning@Home in Okotoks, Alberta. He can be reached by e-mail at lquilty5@gmail.com, or visit his website at www.inspiredtoteach.com.

 

 

 

Dream realization

It is the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.

                                                                                                             -         Paulo Coelho

On Friday, February 17, I realized one of my life’s dreams. My book, A Manual for Peace, appeared on amazon.com. Having my book listed on what many call the biggest bookstore in the world gave me a strong feeling of gratification. As I think back over the last five years from when I first began writing the book (I had laid aside the unfinished manuscript for about three years of that time), I’m reminded of the advice I received from experts in the field of goal setting and dream realization.

Over the past decade or two, I’ve read many books from world-renowned authors like Stephen Covey, Brian Tracy, and Anthony Robbins. Each of these books has expounded the key success principles required to not only live your life to the fullest, but to also narrow your focus on what you really want out of life – your purpose.

Currently, I’m reading Stephen Covey’s latest book called The 3^rd Alternative. Based on what I’ve read so far, the author sets out an interesting paradigm for engaging with our fellow human beings, so as to maximize our relationships and create the kind of synergy that breaks down the barriers to conflict resolution. Much of Mr. Covey’s book outlines examples of individual people, or groups (and in one case, a country, Switzerland) that have been shining examples of choosing the path of the 3^rd alternative. In other words, they’ve used creative solutions to remedy protracted problems.

But back to my earlier point about dream realization; I think we’d all agree on the key components required to make it happen. Those are: vision, goal setting, planning, persistence, and belief. All of those elements are important in the process, but for me belief is the key cog in the wheel on the drive to dream fulfillment. In Mark 9:23, Jesus said: “All things are possible to him who believes.” He didn’t say some things are possible; he said all things are possible. I’m really encouraged by those words.

In my estimation, too many of us only scratch at the surface of our potential as human beings. Who could deny there’s so much more we could achieve if we really stepped out on faith and conquered the inhibiting forces of doubt and fear? Dale Carnegie once said: “If you want to conquer fear, don’t sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” Are you busy taking action and happily checking off the items on your “bucket list?”

Throughout the process of finishing my book and getting it published, I’ve benefited greatly by studying the teachings of the Stoic philosophers. One member of that group, Epictetus, had an interesting observation on the topic of believing in ourselves and heading toward the apex of achievement in our lives. “We all carry the seeds of greatness within us, but we need an image as a point of focus in order that they may sprout.” For me, that image is our greatest dream – our magnificent obsession.

Peace is the way

It is the imagination that lights the slow fuse of the possible.

-        Emily Dickinson

It’s hard to believe that as I write this we’re already into the third week of January. What’s the saying? Time flies when you’re having fun. Hopefully, you’re having fun pursuing the goals you set for yourself for 2012. Speaking of goals, in my last blog post before Christmas I stated one of my main goals for this year. It reads something like this – to discover new ways to be a better teacher, and to read more, write more, listen more, and learn more. Very early in January, while waiting for a medical appointment in St. John’s, I added three more goals to my list. Those three additions are generally related to my writing goals.

On the subject of goal setting, there’s a statement by Jim Rohn that really clarifies the need for this practice. He said, “The ultimate reason for setting goals is to entice you to become the person it takes to achieve them.” It’s not so much the goals we set, but the strength of character we can develop in their pursuit.

Have you ever contemplated a goal that is so outrageously powerful that, through its fulfillment, it could change the world as we know it? Wouldn’t it be really exciting if you somehow developed a vision –a purpose in life whereby, through your efforts and the help of people you could enlist to your cause, you made a significant contribution for the benefit of mankind. Wouldn’t something like that cause you to bolt out of bed in the morning eager to get on with the task? Well that’s how I feel about a goal I’ve been pondering for quite some time. It’s a goal–a dream that really excites my imagination. My goal is to help bring about peace in the world.

Do you remember the song by Cat Stevens called “Peace Train?” It was very popular when people of my generation were in our teens (yes, I know, that’s a long time ago!) That song really resonated with me at the time and still does so today. The lyrics of this beautiful song contain a dichotomy between the singer’s good feelings about the world –“I’ve been smiling lately dreaming about the world as one”, and the artist’s sad feelings about the world –“I’ve been crying lately thinking about the world as it is.” Haven’t you had similar feelings at one time or another?  There’s a lot of strife in the world, but there are also signs of hope witnessed by the many humanitarian efforts toward noble causes like ending world poverty.

As an educator and a believer that world peace is possible, I think education is the catalyst to keep the peace train rolling. In the prologue to my book, A Manual for Peace (available on amazon.com by mid February), I said “Education leads to understanding and understanding leads to tolerance. What our world so desperately needs is an abundance of tolerance and respect.”

Last fall I read a great book by Andy Andrews called The Final Summit. In this book, an older man is taken up to heaven by the archangel Gabriel. While in heaven he meets with a number of great leaders like Abe Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Joan of Arc in an effort to come up with a method, or principle, to save humanity. Each of the principles the leaders discuss can be summed up in just two words. If you have yet to read the book, I think you’ll be inspired, when you do read it, by the final principle on which they agree.

 On the topic of world peace, Mohandas Gandhi once said: “There is no way to peace, peace is the way.” Our individual efforts on the way to peace can collectively make a difference. I hope that the messages contained in my own book will be a spark of inspiration for my readers so that their belief in universal peace will be ignited or reignited.

How to Improve the Quality of Your Day

One word or pleasing smile is often enough to raise up a saddened and wounded soul.

                                                                                                                   -        Therese of Lisieux

I’ve heard it said that a smile is the closest distance between two people. Besides increasing our face value, a smile can lighten up a room and endear us to others. With that in mind, here’s an experiment you can try today or tomorrow. Everyone you meet, friend or stranger, give them a smile. Then at the end of the day take stock of how your day went. It’s very likely the quality of your day will have exceeded your expectations.

Now, to add even more vigor to your life, besides giving everyone you meet a smile, make a definite plan to compliment at least three of those people. Arnold H. Glasgow said, “Praise does wonders for our sense of hearing.” Who can deny the feeling of euphoria at the sound of words of praise? Edifying remarks have the power to supercharge our self-confidence.  

It’s a natural human tendency to want to discuss things that we find interesting. Knowing that, why not launch yourself into that special group of go-getters who lead a charmed life by going out of your way to engage three other people in a conversation about themselves and their interests?  Maybe you’re already in that mode of behavior, but if not, I dare you to try it tomorrow. You’ll be amazed at the results.

Somewhat related to the above, I read an interesting quote recently by Mahatma Gandhi: “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” As you’re reading this, the Christmas season is quickly approaching. At this special time of year, an expression that’s often heard is - “peace on earth and goodwill to all men.” No doubt many would agree that universal peace is a difficult goal to attain. How can we ever reach that goal? As we get ready to celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, it behooves us to find ways and means to bring about peace.

Even though the efforts we make on an individual basis (i.e. smiling at, complimenting, and engaging others, for example), may not make a great difference in terms of the global community; but the difference those efforts make in our local community can serve as a point of light to encourage others to do likewise.

Blessed Mother Teresa, in reference to the work of the Missionaries of Charity, once said, “What we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Who knows what difference a kind word or a smile can make? To a stranger we meet, who may be shouldering some heavy burden, it could be a ray of hope along their way.

In this regard, I’m reminded once again of the story of the elderly gentleman walking on the beach, who saw someone in the distance leaning down to pick up something and throw it in the water. As he got closer he noticed it was a young man picking up starfish one by one and throwing them gently into the water. The older man asked him, “Why are you doing that?” The younger man replied, “If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.” When he heard this, the older man reminded the younger man that there were miles and miles of beach and starfish along every mile, so he couldn’t possibly make a difference. The young man bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

Teaching and the 10,000 Hour Rule

The average teacher explains complexity; the gifted teacher reveals simplicity.

                                                                                                                -        Robert Brault

I’m reading an interesting book this week called Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell. In the second section of his book the author talks about the 10, 000  Hour Rule. This rule basically states that in order to achieve success at a high level in any endeavor, be it music, chess, or computer programming, it takes at least 10, 000 hours of practice in the chosen field. To prove his point, Mr. Gladwell weaves in the stories of some prominent people: Mozart, Bobby Fischer (the chess grandmaster), and Bill Gates.

After I read these stories about the 10, 000 hour rule, I started thinking about the field of education. Let’s crunch the numbers. If a beginning teacher spends, on average, four hours per day teaching, that would equal 720 hours over a school year of, let’s say, 180 days. In order to get to the 10, 000 hour threshold, it would take approximately fourteen years of teaching. Wow! That’s about halfway through a thirty year teaching career. Interesting, isn’t it?

This is my twenty-seventh year as a teacher. When I think about it, the above author’s theory resonates with me. After about fifteen years in the classroom (okay, it took me a little longer!), I started to get more of a comfort level with the nuances of the craft. By that I mean I was becoming more adept at things like drawing up succinct lesson plans, composing various types of assessment that matched curriculum objectives, and understanding how the recent research (of a dozen years or so ago) around concepts like multiple intelligences and differentiated learning could help me better relate to the students in front of me. With that decade and a half of education behind me, I’ve found the last ten years of my career to be a period of heightened confidence in my abilities as an educator.

During those first 10, 000 hours as a teacher, the learning curve was great. Did I make a few mistakes? You bet. Was I grateful for the positive role models of more experienced teachers in the schools where I worked? Yes, absolutely. In those first fourteen or so years I just wanted to absorb as much as I could about how to improve my skills (not only as a teacher, but as a person) so that I could be of greater benefit to the students I taught. Karl Menninger once said: “What the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches.” Over the past ten to twelve years I’ve come to a more mature understanding of the wisdom of Menninger’s words.

Today I’m more excited than ever to be involved in the teaching profession. There are so many resources available now that can shorten the learning curve for new teachers. My best recommendation for any teacher, new or not so new, would be to take advantage of the power of Twitter to help build their own personal learning network (PLN). Just imagine – as part of my professional growth plan for this year, one of my goals is to increase my PLN through Twitter.

Whenever I sit back and think about the importance of my job as a teacher, I’m humbled. That sense of humility was brought home to me recently. Recently I was in Calgary teaching a CPR course to a group of Grade 10 students who needed this component as part of their Phys.Ed. course. During a break in the four hour session, a parent of one of the students came up to me and commented on my teaching style and the course in general. His comment was such that he felt, from the way I was relating to my students, that I demonstrated a strong sense of caring for the students.

Later that same evening, when I reflected on the compliment I had received, I felt a keen sense of gratification. Yes, I was grateful to be on the receiving end of such an edifying remark, but even more than that I was grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to be mentored by great teachers that I’ve met in person or through some powerful books I’ve read.

The Bhagavad-Gita states: “You have control over your work alone, never the fruit.” As a teacher you can never be sure of the results of the work you do with your students. The fruits of your labor may not be visible until years later. But one of the inherent joys of the craft is to be able to stay in the mode of a learner yourself, so that your value in the classroom can become of inestimable worth.

Discovering ability in others

The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there.

-          James Buchanan

I’ve long thought that one of my key roles as an educator is to elicit greatness out of my students. Within the structure of a lesson plan on a given day, or maybe imbedded in a particular assignment I’ve given, I want to create an opportunity for my students to shine. What do I mean by that? Well, here’s an example.

In my Grade 9 LA class, the assignment for this week and next is to write two to three scenes for a one act play. Instead of having the students write their own play (they’ve already composed two other scenes individually); I decided to put them in groups of five and then use Google Docs to create their presentation or slide show. As my students are dispersed all over the province, Google Docs is a great way for them to collaborate on this project.

One of the best features of Google Docs is its social media function. As students are working simultaneously on their document or presentation, they can chat in real time on the website. This almost replicates the group work situation in a traditional classroom. Or maybe it even goes beyond that because not only do the learners have the document in front of them on the screen while they’re interacting, but they also have the advantage of being at home with maybe less distractions than in a normal classroom setting. From the feedback I’ve received so far, my students are really enjoying this shared learning process.

At the outset of the assignment I randomly designated one person in each group as the leader. This person had to initially create a g-mail account and then add the e-mail addresses of his or her partners. What’s exciting for me as the teacher is that I asked each group leader to add my e-mail address to their list of collaborators in Google Docs. By having them do that, I’m now able to co-create the one act play along with my students by giving feedback on their presentation as we go forward.

Another quite interesting facet of this teaching and learning tool is the ability for me to check the revision history of the document being created. In that way I can track the participation level of all group members, just as a teacher in a bricks and mortar school would as he or she moved around the classroom.

The highly successful author, Ken Blanchard, when speaking on the topic of leadership had this to say: “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority.” As teachers, we exert a very positive influence on our students when we allow them to demonstrate their ingenuity. Famed American football coach, Lou Holtz, reiterated the previous point when he said: “It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test.”

Innovation and inspiration

When patterns are broken, new worlds emerge.

-          Tuli Kupferberg

Over a twenty-seven year teaching career, I’ve seen many instructional patterns, or theories of education, come and, in some cases, go. Take for example the innovative program called “inventive spelling” that achieved notoriety about twenty years ago under the umbrella of the whole language approach to literacy development. The proponents of this principle of pedagogy suggested that if students of LA in the early grades came up with an approximate spelling of a word then that was okay. Their key concern, from the way I saw it, was that these aspiring writers would be able to write cogent sentences and paragraphs without being slowed down by fussing over the correct spelling of a word.

I can still remember seeing the joy on some of the students’ faces as they frolicked in the reverie of writing outside the constraints of exact word spelling. (I didn’t quite notice many of their teachers smiling though). I can also still recall the consternation on the faces of some of those students and their parents a few years later when the short lived thrill of inventive spelling had passed its due date – at least in their estimation. At that time the demands of high school English teachers, who apparently had not gotten (or paid no attention to) the memo on this fledgling program, ran afoul of the teetering confidence of the subjects of this experiment in learning.

In the past ten to fifteen years there’s been a shift towards concepts called differentiated instruction and brain-based learning – to name just two. Based on the wealth of research and successful classroom practice that has gone into these ideas, it’s safe to say that their merit as teaching philosophies is above reproach. Both of these learning strategies are an attempt by teachers to better engage their students, while at the same time addressing their individual needs as learners.

Nowadays, with all the information available to educators about reaching students through a better understanding of their learning styles, combined with increased teacher and student access to technology, like Smart Boards and the internet, the classroom experience has taken on new significance.

In the virtual learning environment, where I’ve been teaching for the past few years, it seems like on a weekly basis there is some new teaching tool clamoring for my attention. That’s exciting! It’s a real thrill at this point in my career to take the foundation of over twenty years in the traditional classroom, and infuse that knowledge with cutting edge technologies, like Moodle, blogs and glogs, QuizStar, elive, and Wikis.

Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Twitter. What an amazing facet of social media that is! By tapping into, or following, a number of key educators around the globe, I’ve been blessed with a constant flow of information to pick and choose from to improve my teaching practice.

When I consider what an interesting and exciting time it is to be a teacher, I’m reminded of the wise words of Abraham Lincoln. (With all due respect to the former U.S. President, I’ve qualified in brackets his use of the word “stormy”.)  “The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy (innovative and inspiring) present.”