So What
When I hear a statement, a new piece of information or even something vaguely interesting, one of the first questions I ask with is ‘so what’. This can be with ākonga, business owners, managers or even myself. This is a challenge to uncover the significance or implication of the discovery. It helps me (and others, I hope) stimulate a response. What is going to be different in my behavior after this moment; what does it mean for my practice or understanding or is it just a useful piece of trivia to be used in a future pub quiz.
This initial search for meaning and consequence is a method of categorization, connecting the new into the familiar. It can also be seen as a systems thinking practice forcing me (and others) to consider their cognitive frameworks and understanding (interpretation) of the world.
So what does this have to do with my decision to write 365 pieces of content consecutively? What is the change I am anticipating as an outcome, why bother.
At its essence it's a commitment to improvement. Many people have written about the benefits of developing habits. Two notable contributors are Stephen Covey and Jerry Seinfeld. For me, habits have been seen negatively, I rebel against structure even when I know it has positive returns. So publicly committing to a habit, is an attempt to force some accountability into my daily routine. My expectation is that this will improve my productive output (Experiment One).
It is also an attempt to capture the thoughts that pass through my consciousness. I often joke that I’m paid to talk, but actually I’m paid to think. Not just in my education role but in many other roles I pursue. Unfortunately, I also like shiny things, so some of my thoughts are fleeting. More than a dream journal, I’m hoping that this series also becomes a thought journal (Experiment Two).
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I come across a lot of content in my life and often spend time thinking ‘so what’ and this outlet is intended on me capturing and adding commentary to it. This has the potential to be of use to some of my audience and of course benefit me through requiring me to coherently outline my logic and position. (Experiment Three)
Finally, there a practice what I preach element; I spend a lot of time convincing people about the benefits of reflection, a growth mindset and making incremental efforts to make every day better. Eating your own dog food needs to be part of everyone's practice.
There is still more to unpack, but we can travel that road together.
I am a big believer in serendipity, so i will leave you with a post from my feed whilst writing this.
The art of consistency brings inevitable growth
Picture and quote from Sofia Venanzetti facebook post 8/11/22
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