Build Your Impossible

  Finishing is the Problem Collecting ideas is a strength of mine. I love opening a new notebook, starting a blog post, or thinking about a project. It is easy to get started, and sometimes easy to manage the middle.  However, it is coming in and closing the project that can be tricky. Sometimes I feel stuck, or wonder if I have enough to say about a topic.   What is Working I wish I had fantastic advice that would solve the problem of having several projects partially started. There is no magical cure, but there are things we can do to finish projects more efficiently. I often leave blog post ideas in draft form. I am realizing that rather for every new post I could finish one. I am finding that having a goal to publish a number of posts helps me to stay on track and focus on finishing. I am also realizing that done is better than perfect. I can always revise a post if I notice there is something to modify or improve. Shifting My Focus  Several Half done blog posts add up to posts tha

  Creative Collaboration with Pick-Up Sticks It was the day before Spring Break, and I was looking for a new review activity. It was nearing the end of the month, and my budget was small. Initially, I had the idea to look for inexpensive jenga games, but also worried I might not be able to do enough to get the game ready quickly.  After walking the aisles and not having luck, I was determined to find something that would work. That is when my eyes glanced at the cooking utensils and I saw a package of barbeque skewers. ¨Pick-up Sticks¨ I thought! For less than 2 dollars I bought a review game for 140 students.  One of the key elements to Pick-Up Sticks is the colored sticks and the scoring. Pick-Up Sticks Rules and Scoring . I did not have color sticks this time, so I decided to color some of each stick with different color markers. Thinking about the next time we play, I will probably use color tape, or buy a few containers that have already been created.   The Game and the Goal:  How

I Finished My Second ¨Neat¨ Ending in a Row and Did not like it.  I used to think I liked books and movies the most when everything worked out neatly in the end.   However, I think I am changing my mind about the type of ending I enjoy the most.  True, there is something satisfying about an ending that gives closure. but there is also something satisfying about an ending that leaves you asking questions, making deep connections and wondering what happened. A messy ending is more than enough. I like it when books and movies have layers. It can get messy when you start pealing back a number of layers. Learning and thinking are messy. And, there is something attractive about the messy beginning, middle and end.  Messy endings don´t always make sense, but on some level, they feel more realistc. 

The Brain Dump Works Try it!   Listening to the  Mel Robbins Podcast Monday, I was reminded of the brain dump strategy.  Getting Started Grab a piece of paper. For the next five minutes, write down every thought. Once the time is up, take a highlighter and mark the three most important tasks for the day.   By highlighting the things that are most important, you are retraining your brain that everything does not carry the same weight.   Imagine if you were able to do three really important things each day and if time allowed, more tasks could be done. Imagine instantly prioritizing and not getting distracted along the way. Imagine, feeling successful about the day. Imagine feeling as though you have done enough because your brain keyed you into what mattered most!

  Index Cards Fueled My Monday My To-Do Lists are Uninspiring I make to-do lists all the time. It is not uncommon for me to cross off only about half of the items on my to-do list. The lists are practical and help me figure out how to get critical things done. However, the lists I am used to making do not necessarily inspire me and fuel my day. Ordinary Things Have Extraordinary Power I have used index cards thousands of times in my life. Index cards have been the home to vocabulary words and study aids. They always seem to find their way on the school supply list, but I have to admit, It has been a long time since I have used them.   Trying Something New Works Today, I had the idea to try something different and combine to-do lists and index cards.  I grabbed a stack, and wrote one task on each card. The idea is that when the task is complete, I throw the card away. The goal is to have very few cards at the end of the night.  How it Works It has been nice to carry the cards with me th

  Stuck… Whatś the Next Step?  It is Normal It is normal to feel stuck. I have found that life can be going along well, and all of a sudden one day, feelings of being stuck emerge. It can be momentary, it can last for hours, days, or even weeks. It is usually not welcomed, but it is a chance to reflect, pivot and create space for something new. We have enough skills and awareness of what to do. And, there are different ¨hacks¨ for feeling stuck, but ultimately the only way is through and sometimes it just takes time to get ¨unstuck¨.  As you Move through uncomfortable feelings of being stuck:  It helps to Move A run, lifting a kettlebell, or another type of fitness routine has incredible benefits and the power to shake up feelings of being stalled. An intense moment in particular leaves little room for thinking, and therefore forces you to be in the moment.   Listen, Read, Watch Something you are passionate about. There are times during my prep period at work that I feel exhausted or s

  Beware the Ides of March I can still remember 10th grade English class when Mr. Cavis came in saying in his best theatrical voice, ¨Beware the Ides of March.” Our 10th grade curriculum had us covering Julius Caesar so it was fitting to explain the reference.   The Ides of March , a specific reference to Shakespeareś Julius Caesar play, where Caesar is warned by a soothsayer about what is to come has relevance today. It is interesting that Caesar was given a similar warning by three people and did not really listen or choose to do anything different regarding his fate. On March 15th, Caesar went about his business, attended a big gathering and sure enough was assassinated.  The lessons we can take from the Ides of March reference are timeless and have immediate relevance. For example,  If a few people are warning or telling you the same thing, maybe it is worth listening to and at least considering the message. Secondly, just because something bad happened on a particular day like (Ma

Today I am Grateful for Expired Miracle Whip  I decided to make tuna for my lunch this morning. I went to the pantry in our basement and was excited to see a container of Miracle Whip.  As I reached the top of the stairway I thought I would check the date just because.  "Ugh" was the first thing out of my mouth. The Miracle Whip was expired!  As I tossed it into the trash I paused for a few seconds.  In those seconds, I was caught off guard with a mindset I do not always embrace. As I stood there I was filled with an overwhelming amount of gratitude.    I thought about the fact that it was so great I had noticed the date before making tuna and wasting tuna. I was grateful that I did not get sick from expired food. I was grateful that I had not served the Miracle Whip to anyone else and therefore was worried about them getting sick. I was also grateful that I had the resources and money to have food in a pantry to begin with. It is pretty awesome to be able to walk to my basem

Why Halftime?  This morning, I listened to Jon Acuffś  All It Takes Is A Goal  podcast. David Nurse, (former NBA player, coach and author gave amazing advice. One thing that stood out to me was his tip to schedule a halftime within your day.  In a basketball game , athletes and coaches listen to a pregame speech (morning routine) as well as a halftime speech and even postgame speech. It is not uncommon for us to focus in the morning on setting intentions for the day, and taking the time to close out the day by reflecting. What I do not seem to hear too many people doing is scheduling halftime. I know I have never considered doing this! It is impossible to do enough reflection, or schedule the perfect day. But, intentional planning for reflection and new strategy matters and is enough. I know I never considered scheduling halftime.  Today, I decided to give it a try. I picked a time in the middle of the day after 11 am and set an alarm that I renamed halftime. When my alarm went off, I

Music Explains What Nothing Else Can Like many people, I am obsessed with music! Music has a way of capturing our emotions, dreams, heartaches, and gives us the words to say what we might not be able to otherwise explain.  Today, I gave my high schoolers the question, ¨Which song describes your life right now?¨ I thought about this question and gave an example.  Example:  My favorite song is by Whitney Houston - I wanna Dance with Somebody and that fits my life and energy right now. This weekend, I slept in, was the top female in a race this weekend, got my blog going again, am excited to see it light in the evening, saw a great play and get to be here with all of you! I Wanna Dance With Somebody  

  The Pep Talk I Needed Lately, I have been stuck. So many areas of my life are going well, but my writing life is struggling. It is not that it is going poorly, it is not going at all. I have written so many blog posts over the years, but have not had the guts to show up in a while. A few days ago one of my high school students sent me the blog she had started. I am so proud of her and excited to see what she writes next.  As I read her second entry, I thought to myself, ¨Why are you not doing this?" Each time I would start to write, it seemed like I would second guess what I was saying, and wonder why anyone needed or cared to hear what I said. But, as I have learned in just about every other area of life, sometimes you have to show up and just get started. Since it is has been a while, I realize that the first one, ten or even fifty posts might be garbage. However, as in every area of life, you have to get started. Consuming great content is important. However, I feel so compel