Weniger, aber besser (Less But Better)

Do you ever sit down with a stack of tasks to accomplish and can't decide where to start?

Do you quickly agree to take on another task when you know your calendar is already bloated?

Are you floating from one commitment to the next without finishing anything to satisfaction?

Then, Greg McKeown has written a book that could be a lifeline.  Essentialism is subtitled "The Disciplined Pursuit of Less".  This is an idea that warrants reflection and action for anyone who wants their life to be meaningful and avoid the pitfall of pursuing non-essential goals through non-essential tasks.   

The first step in creating that essentialist mindset is to ask yourself three questions.

What do I feel deeply inspired by?

What am I particularly talented at?

What is a particular need in the world?

Furthermore,"To discern what is essential we need space to think, time to look and listen, permission to play, wisdom to sleep, and the discipline to apply highly selective criteria to the choices we make".  

This book has many more practical suggestions for living life as an essentialist and reaping the benefits of focused energy and effort toward that unique work that can be your finest contribution.  I highly encourage educators and leaders to not only get the book, but take the time to apply the concepts for your own benefit and the benefit of the schools where you invest your time, treasure, and talent.

In this podcast with Michael Hyatt, Greg discusses his book and offers an additional idea  - the personal 90 day offsite, which is a quarterly retreat to refocus on the essential goals in a systematic and regular fashion.

Here is an excellent review by pastor Tim Challies.

Focus is What I'm Thinking About

Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cnast/

 We've been thinking a lot about what our focus should be at Camarena. I have pushed "digital literacy" which failed to take hold because of its uncertain definition. Since getting input from our entire staff, I've been reading about critical thinking and habits of mind and want to take a stab at clarifying my thinking to this point.

 Could we have a focus on clear thinking?

 What do I mean by clear thinking?

 Thinking that begins with an inquiry - a question. That question is followed by observation and the ability to make sense of a problem. This searching includes the ability to listen empathetically to a variety of viewpoints and make associations with past ideas and interconnect concepts from different fields with the end result of being able to construct viable arguments around the question as well as critique the reasoning of others. After undergoing this discovery process, our students should communicate their thinking with clarity and precision. The final stage of clear thinking involves reflection and revision as necessary.

 Having said all that, it would be very challenging to focus on every aspect of this process.

Question
Observation
Make Sense of Problems
Listening Attentively
Association
Construct viable arguments
Critique others
Communicate with clarity and Precision
Reflection

 So, Where do we begin? It seems to me that we need to begin with the skill of inquiry. We need to become experts at asking great questions and teaching our students how to ask great questions.

Will such a focus allow us to go deep? 

Will this focus allow us to connect this skill to all content areas?

 Is this focus measurable?

 Is this focus worthy of our efforts?