Am currently listening to “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday on the drive to work. Now in this hectic world where we are all looking to squeeze every bit of efficiency out of our waking hours I recommend the use of audio books on the drive to and from work, however that’s not the subject of this post.
In “The Obstacle is the Way” the reaction of people to “obstacles” is discussed including how generally people are often found complaining about obstacles or difficulties which they encounter in their life, be it a difficult colleague, students or a disagreeable boss. Ryan Holiday suggests that such obstacles need not actually be obstacles and that instead they may represent unrealised opportunities or the way ahead. Marcus Aurelius, for example said:
“Our actions may be impeded, but there can be no impeding our intentions or dispositions. Because we can accommodate and adapt. The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.“
This approach to obstacles means that little time is wasted on complaining, an act which may provide some self satisfaction however is unlikely to do anything in terms of progressing a resolution to the prevailing obstacle. Consider the teacher complaining about a lack of resources which are available to them. The act of complaint is unlikely to help address the issue of the lack of resources however it will take up valuable time. Instead we might change our perspective and consider the lack of resources as an opportunity to develop new bespoke resources which specifically meet the needs of teaching and learning in the coming weeks. We might consider it an opportunity to work with the students in creating resources together. Maybe we might consider the situation as a challenge to our ability to improvise and exercise creativity in our teaching. These three perspectives provide the teacher an opportunity to at least attempt to tackle the identified obstacle and in doing so he/she might realise new solutions and success which otherwise they may not have.
I myself have found things difficult in recent months mainly due to perceived issues with my workload. The fact I haven’t posted much since January goes to prove that I have been finding it difficult to manage my time or to find time to actually post anything. Having listened to the book however I have decided to change my perspective with regards the lack of perceived time. Instead I will consider this as an opportunity to try out techniques from Coveys, First things first which is a book I am currently reading. This will include focussing on doing what is important as opposed to trying to do a high quantity of tasks. Part of this will require me to spend some time on identifying that which is truly important to me both in terms of work, family and also personally. I will also try to be more efficient in my use of time, no longer hitting the snooze button as opposed to getting out of bed when the alarm rings in the morning. I have decided to commit to this act of getting up, in order to be able to better trust myself, that I will make best use of the available time to maximise my impact.
It is my intention to take each obstacle that stands in my path, and try and change my perception to turn it into an opportunity.
Technology and Learning