Choices On-Demand

I've got two young children. A seven year old, and a four year old. They each have their own iPad (please, no judgement). And what's the first thing that my kids do when they wake-up in the morning and before they get ready for bed, each night? They're on their iPads (again, please, no judgement). That's the reality in our house; we don't fight it...anymore.

Gone are the days of Saturday and/or Sunday morning cartoons in the traditional sense that we grew-up knowing. My kids don't need (or even want) the TV turned-on; they'd much prefer their devices. And YouTube or YouTube for Kids is their app of choice.

We, adults, parents, think that this is weird. I think that we think this because it's not something that we grew-up with. Seldom do I hear parents that are in my same generation complain about kids wasting time playing too many video games (I recall this being a common complaint when I was growing-up and earlier in my education career). Because we did that. The next generation of parents probably won't think that it's weird if their children consume YouTube for long stretches.

YouTube is great. I use it. I like it. It's a tool for learning, it's a tool for sharing, and it's a tool for entertaining. But I wonder...it gives us A LOT of choice. A lot. AND not only is there initial choice...if the user doesn't like something what they chose, they simply try something new, and they do that again, and again, and again. There are an infinite number of choices to obtain and maintain their attention. It's highly competitive.

So what happens when these kids that have who have grown-up with so many choices come into our schools?  Where do kids get this level of choice and freedom in schools? Do they? Can they? Should they? What challenges does this present to us, as educators? What opportunities does this present to us, as educators?

Champion Mindset

Disclaimer: *I'm NOT an advocate for participation trophies.*

Please don't confuse this post with that philosophy. However, if what I'm about to write evokes an emotional reaction from you, I'd encourage you to push back; I'd welcome you to engage in a conversation with me. Growth comes when our thinking is challenged.

I believe trophies, rings, medals, and banners, etc. are to be earned. Period.

That being said, I don't equate being a champion with being THE winner.

Shaquem Griffin might not end his season holding the Vince Lombardi trophy (that's a football reference). You can't tell me that he isn't a champion. That's just one of countless examples of individuals who have not let their circumstances limit what they are able to accomplish and/or become.

Being a champion is a mindset.

It's a way you think. It's not allowing your thoughts to get in your way. It's training your brain to overcome self doubt. It's fueling yourself with positive vibes. As a result, you believe that anything is possible.

Which wolf do you feed?

It's a way you behave. It's how you prepare. It's how you compete. It's how you act. All. The. Time.

Effort and perseverance. That's what it takes. Always giving maximum effort. It's easy to put forth maximum effort when the stadium is lit and the crowd is cheering your name. But are you able to replicate that effort during practice? Are you able to replicate that effort when no one else is watching? Are you able to replicate that effort in your other endeavors? A champion mindset doesn't simply put forth maximum effort in one area of their life, they put forth maximum effort in ALL areas of their life.

And as Jimmy V famously said (in one of my all-time favorite speeches), "Don't give up...Don't ever give-up." Persevere. Keep going. Don't put limits on yourself. We're all capable of so much more. Too often we give up long before we reach our full potential. Keep going. Persevere.

Don't settle. Set your goals higher. Dream big.

Even if you miss...you know where you'll end-up.

It's not supposed to be easy. It's work. And defeat, failure, struggle, etc. are all a part of that process.  As I'm reminded by the American advocate, Wendell Phillips, in Ryan Holiday's book, The Obstacle is the Way:

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first steps to something better."

You can't skip the process. Malcolm Gladwell told us that a precursor to success is 10,000 hours of work in that particular field. Break the rock.

I love the culture that the Iowa Hawkeyes football program preaches.

Give it your best. And then keep going. Effort plus perseverance. That's a champion mindset.