Today was Day 1. It was hard. My chest was burning. I felt sick. The worst part? It will get worse before it gets better.
I used to run 3.1 miles every other day. I was in great shape and I loved running. At some point, other endeavors pushed running out of my schedule. I’ve tried a few times over the last few years to get back to it, to no avail.
Today seemed like the perfect time to get back to it. Uncooperative technology? Check. Dealing with other people’s problems that shouldn’t be mine? Check. Frustrating co-workers? Yeah, there were a few. Difficulty finding time to get into flow on a task? Yup.
So, when I got home – I was ready to hit the pavement. Loud music, kick drums, cold air in my lungs? Perfect medicine. But it was rough. It did not feel good.
But Day 1 is easy when compared to Day 4. Day 2? Well, I already started doing this, so I’ve gotta stick with it. Day 3? Well, everyone knows I’ve started doing this, so I’ve gotta stick with it. Day 4? Hmm. Do I really want to be doing this? Nobody will notice if I quit.
And so, I run, out of breath and sides aching to my point: new things in your classroom or career are easy to start, but difficult to stick with. Doing a PBL Lesson? Awesome! Call me when you’ve done 4. Using a formative assessment app in class? Rad! Text me after the 4th day of using it. Flipped Lesson? Rock on! Tweet to me after the 4th one. Getting on Twitter to start connecting to a global PLC? Awesome sauce. Send me a snap after Day 4 of using it.
On day 1, you have motivation. On day 2, commitment. Day 3, positive peer pressure. Day 4? Hopefully you have perseverance.
What separates a great educator from a good one? Amongst other things, the drive to keep putting in the work and raising the bar after no one is paying attention. New habits are easy to start, but they’re difficult to make into habits.
Image from Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain
