Resolutions or Revolutions?

Resolutions or Revolutions? 

Resolution (noun): A firm decision to do or not do something.

Revolution (noun): A dramatic and wide-reaching change in the way something works or is organized or in people's ideas about it.  

It is that time of year where people begin to think about New Year's Resolution's. Every new year, 92% of adults create new goals and resolutions only to experience frustration, false starts and failures. In fact 50% of resolution makers will fail by the end of January. Losing weight, exercising or getting finances in order are among the most common resolutions people make. Yet, year after year the same resolutions continue to produce the same non-existent results. 

Now, think for a moment about your school. Where have you seen goals and resolutions mirror the success rate of new years resolutions? Was it that new "program" that was going to be a "game-changer?" Perhaps it was that new learning from the summer conference people attended that was going to transform student task and accelerate achievement. Maybe it was a refined system that came to mind around discipline, data or intervention. Or, was it the new "innovative" master schedule or investments in technology that came to your mind? I'm certain you can find parallels. 

The bigger question here is WHY. Why do new years resolutions and goals fail? WHY do school goals and initiatives fail? 

New Year's Resolutions are often what change theorist Ronald Heifetz refers to as technical changes. For example, I see a problem with my weight, I see going to the gym as a solution and I believe I have a resolution. Schools can fall into the same trap and throw technical change after technical change after technical change at perceived challenges - leading to little if any change in outcomes. One of the biggest failures school leaders make it to treat adaptive challenges like technical problems. 

For new years resolutions or school initiatives to bring forth measurable and sustainable improvement what is needed is what Heifetz identifies as adaptive change. Check out the image below showing the differences between technical and adaptive change. 

Adaptive change takes time and often a cultural shift. Instantly, I connect with Todd Whitaker and Steve Gruenert's work around culture and climate in schools. Adaptive change requires changes in values, beliefs, roles, relationships and approaches to work. That's culture. Technical changes can bring on improvements to the climate in schools but ultimately improving school culture requires adaptive change. Feeling better doesn't change how we do things. There's a difference. (Image from School Culture Rewired by Whitaker and Gruenert)

A revolution is a change in people's ideas about something. Changes in thinking are what lead to revolutions. Thinking is hard work but more than anything it else it's what shapes your personal and professional life. Your personal life today is a result of your thinking yesterday. Your school's success today is a result of the collective thinking yesterday. Your life and tomorrow and your school's success tomorrow will be determined by what you think today. Get your mind right and everything else will follow. However, no one improves by just thinking about it. Over analysis leads to paralysis. Don't think so much. You know what you have to do and most likely you know how to do it. What's stopping you? 

We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are. Improvement doesn't come from an openness to change, it comes through the active pursuit of change. Never be impressed with goal setting; be impressed with goal setting. Reaching new goals and moving to a higher level of performance personally and/or professionally always requires change. Dreams have deadlines. You have to do something daily to actively live your dreams. Bottom line, if you want success of any kind you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. You must keep moving forward. 

Real change has to come from YOU. YOU need to lead your own revolution. Do you want to change lives? Do you want to do great things? Change starts within YOU. Expecting someone else to change is like expecting water to not be wet. If you want change, it must come from YOU. Time does not change things. You actually have to change them yourself. That is a revolution that begins inward moves outward through your actions and example set for others. The greats inspire greatness in others. 

One of my favorite quotes is a line from a Rage Against the Machine Song:

"It has to start somewhere. It has to start somehow. What better place than here. What better time than now?" Ignite your personal revolution TODAY. Don't wait, LEAD. The new workout plan, the latest fad diet, the new dynamic leader, that shiny new curriculum are feel good, technical fixes. Adaptive change starts with a change in our values and beliefs - within each of us, individually. As Tom Murray and Eric Sheninger say in "Learning Transformed" - "Everyone one of us has the opportunity to be a part of the solution". Everyone single one of us can start a revolution. We can be the change we want to see within ourselves and within our schools. Start today! Decide. Commit. Act. Succeed. Repeat.  

Take a moment and ask yourself where are you now and where do you want to be instead. Ask yourself what you're willing to do to get there. Make a plan to get there and act on it. To many people waste time talking about what they are going to do instead of actually doing it. The biggest lie we tell ourselves in the area of action is "I'll do it later." Procrastination leads to stagnation. As Eric Sheninger says "if it's important to you, you will find a way. If it's not, you will find an excuse." 

The Beatles once sang "we all want to change the world." 

The question isn't whether you can do it, you know you can. The question is WILL you?  

Here is to YOUR REVOLUTION! 

CJ