Friday Feature: Me, Myself & I in the Future

I am a procrastinator. Not such a procrastinator that I don't get things done, or that I am constantly in stress mode because I'm working on everything at the very last possible minute, but definitely a dl-everything-else-imaginable-instead-of-what-I'm-supposed-to-be-doing procrastinator. John Perry called this structured procrastination, and I embraced this term with every I'll-get-to-it-in-a-minute bone in my body.

Turns out, I'm not alone and, according to an article by Becky Kane-Doist in Fast Company, it's all my brain's fault. Luckily, my brain and I inhabit the same body and I still have some semblance of control. Even if it's an uphill battle.

What it boils down to is how we think of our present selves vs. how we think of our future selves. Knowing this and understanding the ways in which we can make both selves happy, makes it easier to adjust our thinking and, consequently, our actions.

Suddenly, my love of the snooze alarm makes so much sense. And, while I'm pretty sure I'll continue that particular love-hate relationship, I definitely want to try some new strategies on my more wakeful self, if only to eliminate one of procrastination's favorite traveling companions.

Guilt.

Friday Feature: Training Your Brain

Brain research fascinates me. New technologies that enable us to see the human brain in action can teach us so much about brain development and brain health, not to mention suggesting interventions and strategies that can help to keep the brain healthy.

Unfortunately, a misreading or misrepresentation of research can also inspire "solutions" that range from useless to dangerous. Fearful of losing our faculties to Alzheimer's, or even the natural process of aging, we can be easy prey for products that promise to prevent these things, especially when they carry the what looks like a research seal of approval.

Often, simply making an existing practice a habit is all we need to preserve our health, our intellect and our well-being. If you're looking for some easy ways to strengthen your brain, check out this article in Inc. by Peter Economy. Easy and fun, these strategies are habit-forming which, in this case, is a good thing.

Friday Feature: This is Your Brain on Stress

Last week, I decided that it's quite possible that I have unrealistic expectations for myself. To say that this was not surprising to those around me is an understatement.

I've always considered a strong work ethic to be a good thing. But, when we aim to do more than is humanly possible while still striving to believe that our lists are realistic, stress results.

Not all stress is bad. Chronic stress, however, can create all sorts of negative outcomes, ranging from temporary issues with memory to physical illness.

As is often the case, research focuses first on rodents, then looks for applications for humans. Recent research on the results of stress on the brain indicate that the effects of stress can linger even after the stressor is long gone.

So, I'm going to try to take last week's conclusion seriously, consciously dialing back my expectations a bit, or, at the very least, validating my own need for breaks, rest and relaxation. I know it will be a process; this overachiever thing has taken a lifetime to develop, and it won't disappear overnight, but that's okay.

It's the long-range plan that concerns me.

Goldilocks Creates a Schedule

I spent two days last week trying to create a schedule for a class I'm teaching this semester, only to end up totally frustrated and unsatisfied. Okay, maybe not two full days -- but too big a chunk of those days to end up without the desired (by me) version of the product I'd set out to create.

The trouble was, I wasn't the one who desired the product, and while my endeavors yielded some benefits, the whole exercise once again provided validation of something I already knew.

My brain just doesn't work that way.

Don't get me wrong. I don't think creating the schedule (imperfect though it was) was a waste of time -- precisely because not everyone's brain works the same way. My students who are planners will like this resource -- many will need this resource. And to be honest, I got something out of the process, too. Creating the schedule helped me to sketch out plans for the first two or three units of the semester.

But that's where I got stuck. I was lacking no resource. I had samples and all the information I could possibly want about the subject matter, but I haven't met my students yet and so I haven't yet answered the Goldilocks question for this group of undergraduates: too easy, too hard or just right?

And it was the just right that led me to want to throw things and pull out my hair. And spend much too much time on what should have been a simple task.

In the end, I settled for as close to just right as I could get, with the disclaimer that all dates are approximate and subject to change. If my students "get" something right away, I don't want to drag it out for another  30 minutes just because the schedule says so. And if, on the other hand, they don't "get" something, I don't want to push forward just because the schedule says so.

Fortunately, no one expects me to do that. Over the course of the semester, I need to cover the material  and approximate schedule or no approximate schedule, I'm at liberty to change the dates, the assignments, the order of topics…all of it.

So why was this so hard?

partyswizzle.com

Because without meaning to, I'd made it a matter of absolutes. For me, creating a schedule creates the illusion that certain items will be checked off at certain times. This topic will take ten minutes, that one twenty, and the one over there, well, that could take a day or two. When I hear "schedule," I think "itinerary."

Hmm. Could it possibly be that it took so long because I kept getting in my own way?

And so perhaps my first lesson for the semester was a lesson in empathy. Should I require my students to follow a path that's an uphill climb because the adults have mapped it out and determined it's the best way to go? Or should I encourage them to ignore the GPS and follow the path that makes sense to them, provided they arrive at the right destination? Isn't it only fair for them to expect that if they're going to put in the work, the eventual outcome will be of some benefit to them as well?

Yes, I know that all sounds ridiculously idealistic, but I'm not sure that's such a bad way to begin a semester. Reality will intrude for all of us soon enough as we check off the things we must accomplish, but for me, one of the things I want to teach my students is a love of learning. If I'm to do that, then I need to encourage them to create connections between themselves and the subject matter so that when an assignment requires divergent thinking, they truly believe they're not only allowed to flex that muscle but encouraged to do so. I can put the information into the semester's GPS, expecting -- and even encouraging -- a little "recalculating" along the way.

And for me the first step is unboxing the schedule.

Speaking of schedules…last week, I shifted into "semester mode" and completely forgot about Word Count Wednesday. Due to an unpredictable week which lacked sprints, stretches and pretty much all things writing-related that weren't also school-related, I not only didn't have much to report. I didn't realize until last night that I'd failed to report it.

Look for an update this Wednesday :-)