During the first 3 weeks of Octobers, articles from other sources will be featured to help to form the mindsets necessary to embrace the changes occurring in education.

The first article comes from Thrive Global (www.thriveglobal.com) and speaks to the two mental shifts that are necessary every highly successful person makes: https://journal.thriveglobal.com/the-2-mental-shifts-every-highly-successful-person-makes-c757ead99a99

I would add a third: You need to rest…and that means disconnection.  There is now brain research that supports the contention that music education programs help students to be better academic learners since it teaches the discipline associated with practice, and connects the structure of the left-brain with the creativity of the right-brain.  However, there is also research which supports the fact that not only the body but the brain needs rest.  The idea of the 24-hour access/always on person is not effective.  Most of the bad decisions we make are done when our bodies or brains are tired, which could result from lack of sleep, lack of effective nourishment, or lack of time to focus on the important things that are necessary for success.

The curse of technology has done three detrimental things to our well-being. First, it’s reinforced the expectation that everything can happen immediately.  People want results, and want them now.

Second, that technology can accomplish things in the way that we want and expect them to be accomplished.  This trait manifests itself when the user wants a piece of technology to function in a way which the user expects or wants it to work rather than in the way it was designed to work.  There is usually good reason that a technology was designed to function in a particular way, which may require a bit of change on the user’s part to become more effective.  However, if the user finds that technology isn’t functioning they way in which he or she wants it to function, they may seek other provider, and find that what they’re seeking simply doesn’t exist, in which case the user is free to build their own technology solution…but usually, they don’t have time to learn to do that or even if they have the know how, to do it.  This leads to the third detrimental thing – people don’t have time anymore.

People just don’t read.  They want bullet points.  Thank you, headline news.  So many people simply read titles of articles and think they have all the knowledge they need to provide context.  Sometimes, even though the material is presented in a succinct manner, they just don’t bother to read it.  Their mindset is concretized by a quick glance at a situation because they’re too busy with other projects, or there are other more “important” things on their mind that provide distraction rather than support the focus that’s necessary think through situations to design the best possible outcome.  Too much distraction and too many items to focus on causes fatigue, and the only cure for fatigue is rest…physical, mental, and emotional.