Two things this week!

1. Just a reminder that "Recalibrating Your Health and Wellness" is on sale for a limited time at 60% off the original price and is now available for less than $40!  

You can learn more about the course here, and use coupon code "FALL2022" at checkout for the discount! 



2. I want to share a little strategy I use for workshops that has been beneficial in my practice to personalize learning to the group in front of me.

At the beginning of the day, I will share content, ideas, and stories, often about leadership or "The Innovator's Mindset" to the group. At the end of that time, I usually do what I call "Reflection and Connection Time" (instead of calling it a break, although it is also that as well) for a 30-minute period.

The purpose of that time is twofold.

First, isn't some of the best learning done on professional learning days the conversation we have in the hallways with our colleagues? The ability to CONNECT, although in an informal manner, is some of the most powerful learning that can happen in a day. I intentionally make time for that informal learning. 

Secondly, the REFLECTION time is done in this manner. I share a Google form with some questions that include the following:
 

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1. What is one thing you want to learn today? Or, what is one big question you have?

2. What is one thing you want to try moving forward?

 

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The first question allows me to dig into what the participants in front of me want to learn that day and personalize the next portion of the day to their curiosity and interests.

The second question is about committing to trying something just learned. Writing that down will often make it more likely to become a part of our practice.

The reason I use this process through a Google form and have people take the opportunity to reflect is because of a process called "Brainwriting." This procedure allows people to consider what things they want to try or learn before we "turn and talk" to one another. Too often, the same people talk in learning sessions because their processing time is quicker than others, but that doesn't make them smarter. They might just be wired in a different way. Providing the time to write down ideas before discussing encourages more people to share their voice and add to the conversation after this time.

It is a subtle thing that I do, and I have only briefly described the process, but I wanted to highlight it as a way to personalize learning for the adults, especially if we are asking the adults to do the same for students.

Just a strategy that I have found really beneficial that I wanted to share!
 

 

 

 

I have been having difficulty thinking of the “Personal” portion of this email today.

In fact, I have been having issues with writing all parts of this email lately.

The biggest reason is that I am struggling to find my groove in a new location and finding a consistent routine. Oddly enough, a routine encourages me to be creative and forward-thinking.

When I do things without thinking about them, I often find my most creative and thoughtful self.

But as I wrote previously and shared in a recent podcast, discipline is about doing things when you don’t have the motivation to do them. And that is why I am writing.

I have a looming fear with my family’s recent move that we made the wrong decision. I notice that everyone else is thrilled with our new location, except maybe me. It is not that I am unhappy, just not necessarily happy at this moment. In fact, when I look at my kids, I have never seen them so happy, and the same is true with Paige. I feel off, but when I am struggling with the decision, I look at them and know we did the right thing.

At the very minimum, I know we might not stay in Orlando forever, which is okay. But it was the right move to leave Edmonton. I was feeling stuck, and I needed a change of scenery.

Right now, I am not “stuck” as much as I am “off,” and I look to other things to have a better understanding of what I have learned from in my past to help me move forward in the future.

The most significant change I made with my weight loss was my eating habits. I hoped so badly that I could out-exercise a bad diet, but it wasn’t going to happen. How I ate before was a constant stream of unhealthy food and the occasional salad to try and remedy my bad decisions. Obviously, it didn’t work.

So I committed to eating healthy.

And at the beginning, it was challenging. I often felt like I was starving and had to remind myself that was a feeling but not a reality, and I had more than enough fuel to burn in my body. It was a discomfort I knew I had to get through, but it was still a challenge.

But as I started to make healthy eating part of my routine and the unhealthy meal the “once-in-awhile,” I noticed that I felt better. In fact, I began to realize that I ate so poorly before that feeling “gross” (lethargic, exhausted) was so normal to me that I hadn’t noticed. But when I have that “treat meal” now and then, I often feel off and know I don’t want to return to that as my default feeling.

And maybe that is what I am going through now.

The shift I am making in my personal life is in that “transitional” phase where I struggle to move from the unhealthy to the healthy. But this is all a reminder that although it is a period of transition, on the other side, is something better.

And as I finished writing this, my old buddy Odom reminded me that even when it is hard to find, you should still try to look for the sunshine. A promising sign from a good friend.




 

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Just writing that helped me, and I hope, if you are at the beginning, middle, or end of a positive routine change you are making, something in there helped you as well :)

Have a great weekend and week ahead! Thanks for all that you do!


Sincerely,
George Couros