It’s time to reframe the narrative of success that we communicate to our young people and parents. Not that the old narrative of get good grades, get into a good college, get good grades, get a fine paying job, stay there for life won’t still work for some, but we are living in a different world now where there is room for multiple success narratives and narratives distinguished by the individual, not a system or a society hungry for standardization.
Why do we need to reframe success? Because as Todd Rose shares in Dark Horse, we’re in an age defined by individuality where success is less about following the false signals of the “standardization covenant”––the pursuit of excellence leading to fulfillment–– and more about first achieving individual fulfillment that then leads to excellence.
Designing learning environments that start with the learner is a good first step in reframing the success narrative. Rose offers us three steps to reframe our understanding of success:
- Know your micro-motives. Let’s create the conditions for our learners to understand themselves deeply. What drives them? What puts them to sleep? How do they learn best?
- Know your choices. With micro-motives identified, what are the options for fulfilling work? What kinds of work are a fit for the identified micro-motives?
- Know your strategies. What do I need to do to make the choices for fit and fulfillment a reality? How will I take an inquiry stance and use trial/error to settle on the most effective strategies for my unique context?
“When you learn to know your Micro-Motives, you can engineer your own passion, which endows you with energy and authenticity. When you learn to know your Choices, you can engineer your own purpose, which provides you with meaning and direction. And why you learn to Know Your Own Strategies, you can engineer your own achievement. When you do, you will experience a deep sense of pride and self-worth because you will have accomplished meaningful feats while remaining true to your authentic self.” (pg. 142)
You see, our society and standardized education system have it backwards. And a lifetime of the standardization narrative makes it hard to see at first. Take a few moments to identify your micro-motives, your choices and your strategies. The reframing of success will soon become clear and personal.
How might you reframe success in your own life and help those in your care reframe theirs as well?
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