What Needs Shoring Up in Your Life?
July 1, 2021
A few weeks ago, with ten minutes to go in a Stretching Your Learning Edges introductory workshop with school heads, my internet went down. I was nodding and listening and then…I wasn’t. The wind had been blowing fiercely here in Palo Alto and it all just went dark. There were some quick What’s App moments, an upbeat video call, and we then concluded, somewhat messily but with smiles on our faces. Next time I’ll be in person.
I got my internet carrier to send me a new upgraded modem. Something speedier – with greater capability. But then my back up time capsule started making ‘noises’ – it announced daily that my information wasn’t getting backed up. It went on for a few days without me doing much about it. Now I had a delivered box with a new modem (good) and computer that wasn’t being backed up (not good).
Computer operations isn’t my forte so I hired someone from Task Rabbit – a former Geek Squad, Apple Genius Bar employee who was terrific. I was vaccinated. He was vaccinated. Work commenced. And then he looked at my MacBook Air and he announced it wouldn’t be able to even take on the higher bandwidth of the modem because it was 6 years old and its antennas were not strong enough. I needed new equipment. It was time for an infrastructure reboot.
This type of wake up moment isn’t uncommon for me. I am not in the ‘Chief Operating Officer mindset’ enough in my life. I focus on my workshops, my writing, my friends, my experiences and on my tech. I once got into my car and my key broke in the ignition. It had become so worn it broke in half. If that isn’t a metaphor for not paying attention to wear and tear in one’s life, I don’t know what is.
This is the summer for me to take a moment to breathe. To take care of the infrastructure of my life. My computer (and my iPad). My relationships (seeing my brother, his family, and friends back home in MN). My health (getting off sleeping aids and more).
When we come back in the fall, what infrastructure upgrades or reboots in your life do you want to have focused on?
Ask yourself:
- Which basic physical structures do you need to take a look at so you can operate more effectively?
- Which organizational or relational structures do you want to shore up?
- Which waste do you find hazardous in your life that you want to remove?
It’s a good season to clean out, shore up, and reboot. Join me.
If you have any questions, comments or topic suggestions, please feel free to email me at jennifer@jenniferabrams.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
Cool Resources
The Person You Mean to Be by Dolly Chugh. “An inspiring guide from Dolly Chugh, an award-winning social psychologist at the New York University Stern School of Business, on how to confront difficult issues including sexism, racism, inequality, and injustice so that you can make the world (and yourself) better.”
Doable Differentiation: Twelve Strategies to Meet the Needs of All Learners by Jane Kise. “Differentiating for students’ learning preferences can often seem too complex and complicated for too little gain. Learn a better way forward with the guidance of Doable Differentiation. Author Jane A. G. Kise provides a series of straightforward, high-reward strategies that K-12 educators like you successfully use in their daily practice to support, engage, and challenge students with diverse learning styles.”
Complicating the Narratives
What if journalists covered controversial issues differently — based on how humans actually behave when they are polarized and suspicious?
22 Questions That Complicate the Narrative
Conversation techniques, interview questions, and stellar story examples born from a conflict mediation training.
