I organize all of the projects and tasks I have to do in Trello, which stacks “cards” vertically in lists. Within each card I can add checklists, notes, documents, links, deadlines, and almost anything else I would need for a project. It is an amazing tool that I have relied on constantly every day for…
Meaningful Work
Deliberate Practice for Writers
Angela Duckworth summarizes the basic requirements for deliberate practice (K. Anders Ericsson) as: A clearly defined stretch goal Full concentration and effort Immediate and informative feedback Repetition with reflection and refinement Angela Duckworth, Grit As a writer, I try to write every day. How can I make these writing sessions deliberate practice? A clearly defined…
How to Help Kids Develop Lifelong Passions
Read or listen to artists talk about what inspired them as children to love their work and most of the time they will talk about an experience of something or someone that sparked that inspiration. They were interested in something like writing or drawing, but then they encountered a work of art that made something…
Our Little Free Library
Last weekend I finally installed our Little Free Library in our front yard. It has been such a great experience so far. Last summer, our kids raised money to offset the cost of the library by almost daily lemonade stands. People in the neighborhood were very, very generous. You would be surprised how many times…
A Hierarchy of Goals
In chapter 4 of Grit, Angela Duckworth introduces the idea of a hierarchy of goals. She describes three levels of goals. Imagine a pyramid with one goal at the top, three mid-level goals, and seven low-level goals. The low-level goals “exist merely as a means to ends.” “The higher the goal, the more it’s an…
