When faced with an overwhelming mess — I have one in my living room right now, the result of literally emptying the contents of a pickup truck, including a table saw, onto the floor — it is sometimes reasonable to take drastic measures. Let’s shove it all into a closet or call the junk people to haul it all away.

And when the mess is more of an intangible one — a broken process, a difficult relationship, a cluttered schedule — we likewise might seek ways to metaphorically shove it in a closet or send it to the dump.

But sometimes, the elements are too valuable to discard. We must salvage what we can. In these cases, we have to use a more deliberate process. At the very moment when we most want to rush and just be done with the whole thing, we have to slow down and be present. When we do, we might discover a much more satisfying experience and outcome.

Read More

I started rowing due to peer pressure.

The only people I knew in my new city were rowers, so I took up rowing. That was fine with me — I love early mornings, being on the water, and working as part of a team.

I didn’t love rowing, though. Not at first. It was confusing, physically demanding, and even a little bit painful (blisters upon blisters). And if I messed up particularly badly, I might unwittingly toss a half dozen people into the sea.

Read More

It can be sort of arbitrary what feels like work, right?

Sometimes, the same activity that was enjoyable on one day feels like a grind the next.

It can be almost physically painful to muster the concentration and emotional energy to get through certain tasks.

To deal with this, I start the day with intense creative work. Getting to the most difficult work first thing in the morning creates a momentum that I enjoy for the rest of the day. Even if everything else goes to hell afterward, I can say, “At least I got that scary thing out of the way.”

Read More

My team and I teach our students to create their own learning plans.

It’s exciting to empower them to make their own decisions about pacing. For instance, if they want to finish an algebra textbook by April 1, they might realize that they have to do two hours outside of class each weekday. When this “homework” is self-administered and in the service of a goal, they are much more enthusiastic about it.

Read More

I have good news!

Parents, you can stop overthinking your kids’ activities.

Teachers, you can feel free to stop bending over backwards to make your subject kid-friendly. 

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter that much what you put in front of kids: The activities, the school subjects, and so on. 

Read More