Its the end of the academic year and I wanted to provide the students in the motivation club with a set of signposts for books and films that might help their self- motivation. First thoughts in no particular order:
Drive
Bounce
Mindset
Finding Flow
The Element
Embracing Change
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
The Power of Now
You Are Here
Authentic Happiness
The Wheel
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
My Mission
MY GOAL IS TO OFFER AN EVOLUTIONARY LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT CAN HELP INDIVIDUALS POSITIVELY TRANSFORM THEMSELVES AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTS.
THIS PROCESS WILL INVOLVE HELPING THEM DEVELOP AWARENESS OF WHAT THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TURNING THAT PASSION INTO GOALS AND ACTIONS.
THE EXPERIENCE MUST HELP INDIVIDUALS DEVELOP INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR LEARNING AND ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GROWTH MINDSET.
INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN CHALLENGES THAT ARE JUST AHEAD OF THEIR ABILITIES, HELPING THEM EXPERIENCE FLOW THROUGH PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE. BY MAKING THIS A HABIT, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE TOWARDS MASTERY, AUTONOMY AND PURPOSEFUL ACHIEVEMENT.
MY ROLE IS TO HELP INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFY THEIR NEXT STEP IN THEIR RIGHT DIRECTION.
THIS PROCESS WILL INVOLVE HELPING THEM DEVELOP AWARENESS OF WHAT THEY ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR TURNING THAT PASSION INTO GOALS AND ACTIONS.
THE EXPERIENCE MUST HELP INDIVIDUALS DEVELOP INTRINSIC MOTIVATION FOR LEARNING AND ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A GROWTH MINDSET.
INDIVIDUALS WILL BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN CHALLENGES THAT ARE JUST AHEAD OF THEIR ABILITIES, HELPING THEM EXPERIENCE FLOW THROUGH PURPOSEFUL PRACTICE. BY MAKING THIS A HABIT, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO MOVE TOWARDS MASTERY, AUTONOMY AND PURPOSEFUL ACHIEVEMENT.
MY ROLE IS TO HELP INDIVIDUALS IDENTIFY THEIR NEXT STEP IN THEIR RIGHT DIRECTION.
Mindset
I am listening to Carol Dweck's audiobook Mindset which outlines one basic premise- that there are two mindsets that determine the success you will have in life. One is the fixed mindset and the other the growth mindset (test yourself here).
People with a fixed mindset believe that each person has a predetermined amount of intelligence and ability and that life is a continuing set of circumstances that provide opportunities to demonstrate that level. Fixed mindset people avoid situations where they might fail, as they see this as negative feedback on their limitations. They seek out opportunities to do things they know they will be successful in as it reinforces their sense of being 'talented' and successful.
People with a growth mindset believe that each person can increase their intelligence and ability and that life is a continuing set of circumstances that provide opportunities to learn and progress. Growth mindset people seek out challenging situations as they see the opportunity to learn.
The description given of fixed mindset people really connects with what I have been thinking of as egotists - i.e. people who see life as a chance to prove they are 'more than' others, who gravitate towards association with certain elite groups, who see others as competition and mistakes as failure. I see the grwoth mindset as much more akin to the centred person I have been trying to define. This person is happy to be growing and developing as is less concerned with competing with others and more interested in marking their own progress towards something meaningful. This mindset seems to be at the heart of intrinsic motivation and as such may well be the very starting point of my core philosophy.
The difference that make the difference is whether you are focused on learning or performance. Are you acting to grow or acting to prove ability. Which attitude does education promote?
People with a fixed mindset believe that each person has a predetermined amount of intelligence and ability and that life is a continuing set of circumstances that provide opportunities to demonstrate that level. Fixed mindset people avoid situations where they might fail, as they see this as negative feedback on their limitations. They seek out opportunities to do things they know they will be successful in as it reinforces their sense of being 'talented' and successful.
People with a growth mindset believe that each person can increase their intelligence and ability and that life is a continuing set of circumstances that provide opportunities to learn and progress. Growth mindset people seek out challenging situations as they see the opportunity to learn.
The description given of fixed mindset people really connects with what I have been thinking of as egotists - i.e. people who see life as a chance to prove they are 'more than' others, who gravitate towards association with certain elite groups, who see others as competition and mistakes as failure. I see the grwoth mindset as much more akin to the centred person I have been trying to define. This person is happy to be growing and developing as is less concerned with competing with others and more interested in marking their own progress towards something meaningful. This mindset seems to be at the heart of intrinsic motivation and as such may well be the very starting point of my core philosophy.
The difference that make the difference is whether you are focused on learning or performance. Are you acting to grow or acting to prove ability. Which attitude does education promote?
Wednesday, 15 June 2011
The Next Step in the Right Direction - MAP
The key in every situation is to work out what is the next step in the right direction.
Work out where you are now.
Work out where you want to go.
Work out what the next step is to get there.
It may sound too simple, but what more is there?
Wednesday, 8 June 2011
Eat, Pray, Love
Watched the film Eat, Pray, Love a few weeks back and am now listening to the audiobook. I really like it very much and think it has a lot to say about the search for happiness - for the golden soul. I was listening to a part where she was saying that you really need a guru to progress spiritually. At this point in the book she is in India at the ashram of her yogic guru. Reading this blog back it looks like a cliche guru search, but the writing is much more eloquent, intelligent and profound than I am describing it. However just at the point where she says you need a guru and I am thinking 'I can't think of who would be a guru for me', a yoga teacher I did a class with last year walked straight past me. Whilst I don't think she is the guru, the timing was interesting.
Over the last few days I have had some interesting meditative experiences, all linked to a process where I imagine going from chakra to chakra up to the crown chakra. When I do this I have a profound physically flood of energy/chi/ki/kundalini - every time. This seems to open me up to a deeper wisdom. I asked a question in this state to an imaginary buddha and got a quite profound answer immediately.
According to Gilbert, this energy builds to a point in the brain called the 'blue pearl'.
Again without going in huge depth, I'm sure this sounds a bit flakey. Just for the record I am talking about an undeniable physical/mental sensation not a theory.
According to Gilbert, this energy builds to a point in the brain called the 'blue pearl'.
Again without going in huge depth, I'm sure this sounds a bit flakey. Just for the record I am talking about an undeniable physical/mental sensation not a theory.
Sunday, 5 June 2011
The Next Step In The Right Direction
I have a difficult situation to deal with at work. I'm not going to go into the details, however in wondering the best way to deal with it, I stumbled upon the notion that what I had to do was to take 'The Next Step in the Right Direction'. This might not seem like much, but it contains some deeper ideas and somehow captures the essence of coaching and learning in a single phrase.
Taking the next step in the right direction requires a number of things to be established - 1. where am I now? 2. what is going on right now? 3. what is the right direction? and 4. what is the next step?
This is really the four elements in one sentence.
Earth - where am I now? This is less about the external location, but rather what is my state of mind? The goal here is to get to a grounded state of mind; to be calm. It is impossible to find the right direction or the next step from a position of the ego as it will always have a skewed view of where you are and will find a direction that serves the ego. Calming the mind and letting go of judgement, anger, blame and fear will help lead to a better next step.
Water - what is going on right now? This is more about the external circumstances that you find yourself in at this moment. Having let go of negativity, it is possible to gain a more accurate view on the situation and to avoid blind spots or misinterpretation.
Air - what is the right direction? Having gained as unbiased a perception of what is happening now, it becomes easier to establish where you want to go next. A direction is not a destination, but rather a compass point or angle of travel. Determining the destination may be necessary to establish the direction, but it need not be something fixed and unchanging. The right direction is the one that opens up a positive journey, suggests a way forward that is for the better of all.
Fire - what is the next step? The next step is the one thing you can do to begin moving in the right direction. It need not be something overly profound or obvious, but rather, it should merely be the next thing to do in the right direction.
The essence of this approach is really to assist in dealing with the sense of anxiety that often comes when we have to deal with something that is not overly pleasant or easy. I hate confrontation, but I like it more than going against my whole philosophy of life. No task, however unpleasant should dissuade me from my path as long as I know my direction to be the right one. Clearly we can never know whether we truly have the right direction or whether the next step we identify will take us in that direction, but following this process ensures that we are doing our best in any given situation.
Taking the next step in the right direction requires a number of things to be established - 1. where am I now? 2. what is going on right now? 3. what is the right direction? and 4. what is the next step?
This is really the four elements in one sentence.
Earth - where am I now? This is less about the external location, but rather what is my state of mind? The goal here is to get to a grounded state of mind; to be calm. It is impossible to find the right direction or the next step from a position of the ego as it will always have a skewed view of where you are and will find a direction that serves the ego. Calming the mind and letting go of judgement, anger, blame and fear will help lead to a better next step.
Water - what is going on right now? This is more about the external circumstances that you find yourself in at this moment. Having let go of negativity, it is possible to gain a more accurate view on the situation and to avoid blind spots or misinterpretation.
Air - what is the right direction? Having gained as unbiased a perception of what is happening now, it becomes easier to establish where you want to go next. A direction is not a destination, but rather a compass point or angle of travel. Determining the destination may be necessary to establish the direction, but it need not be something fixed and unchanging. The right direction is the one that opens up a positive journey, suggests a way forward that is for the better of all.
Fire - what is the next step? The next step is the one thing you can do to begin moving in the right direction. It need not be something overly profound or obvious, but rather, it should merely be the next thing to do in the right direction.
The essence of this approach is really to assist in dealing with the sense of anxiety that often comes when we have to deal with something that is not overly pleasant or easy. I hate confrontation, but I like it more than going against my whole philosophy of life. No task, however unpleasant should dissuade me from my path as long as I know my direction to be the right one. Clearly we can never know whether we truly have the right direction or whether the next step we identify will take us in that direction, but following this process ensures that we are doing our best in any given situation.
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