New habits for the new year

Recently I finished a book called The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. This book sat on my "To-Read" shelf in Goodreads since 2016! It was time, and there was no better time, frankly. 

Interestingly, I gave this book a piddly 3 of 5 star rating. When I looked it up for this post, I updated it to four. I haven't stopped thinking about this book for the last couple of weeks. It prepared me to get ready to make real changes in the new year with a focus on good habits.

The book talks about both sides of the habit coin - the good and the bad. Exercise is a great habit. Gambling is not. Habits give our brains the ability to go into auto pilot on some things (morning hygiene, driving to work, etc.) so that we can give energy and literal thought to other, more complex stuff, like reading, using a new tool, solving an equation, etc. 

I FINALLY learned more about the "reptile" part of the human brain - the great basal ganglia. It's a more primitive part of the brain that is about the size of a golf ball and is "primarily for motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions." This area controls your habits. 

My favorite and most actionable learning from this title was about the habit loop. This really simplified it for me and got me thinking about my own habits. This habit loop helped me articulate three simple, new habits for 2021. 

Water Habit.

• Cue: "Dang, I'm dehydrated." 
• Routine: Every morning after I make my coffee, I now also empty the tea kettle and prepare some drinking water for the day. The reason I have drinking water out of the kettle is because I hate buying plastic bottles and I have sensitive teeth, so a nice, tall glass of lukewarm water is my jam. I fill up the kettle and boil it for the next morning. 
• Reward: As I ripen, dehydration impacts me a LOT more, so I'm trying to stay juiced with H2O. I have fewer stomach problems, my skin is less dry, and I avoid sugary beverages and snacks by constantly sipping.

Breakfast Habit. 

• Cue: My stomach contracts into painful hunger pangs throughout day. Also, need to take Vitamin D with a meal. Was scolded by primary physician. 😒
• Routine: While I mention oatmeal in that example, I'm really going to focus on keeping breakfast quick and simple. I'm going to bore myself to death with a week-long, repetitive breakfast with the goal of taking my Vitamin D with a meal. So far so good, but I have a lot of oatmeal I don't want to waste, so I will be bored to death with oatmeal breakfast until spring, probably. I will say this - I get really friggin' intense hunger pangs in the morning. The moment some coffee hits the belly, it triggers my metabolism in an unpleasant way. 
• Reward: Since I've been eating this boring ass oatmeal every day, I haven't had hunger pangs at all and my appetite is a little less, uh, ravenous throughout the day.

Gratitude Morning Meditation. There are lots of studies out there that tell us the positive impacts of gratitude. Feeling grateful for stuff is a practice in mindfulness. And while it's not easy for me to sit still, I know I have time for this quick meditation. 

• Cue: It's important to feel gratitude every day and preferably first thing in the morning.
• Routine: Set timer for one minute and focus on or say aloud the following: "I am grateful for this water. I am grateful for this food." (I should mix in a few Sun Salutations or a walk with this habit, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.)
• Reward: I will have set the tone for the day. Even if the rest of the day falls apart, I will have started the day being grateful and positive. 

Yes, these are pretty boring, lowkey resolutions, if you even want to call them that. But they were spawned by the ideas around habits and how they form. I'm also quite interested in getting more and more habits developed, but I don't want to overload myself and get discouraged. 

This year, I'm looking at habits around writing and reading that are more specific than I've committed to before. Reading more and writing more is great, but what does that even really mean? I really started listing out some initial goals and thoughts. A blog post a month. An article for a newsletter I put together for a group at work. And journaling and counting how much I write every day. The word count has been eye-opening. 

One of the most important points that I picked up from Duhigg's book is that following and maintaining good habits leads to more good habits. And shortly after finishing the book, I heard Seth Godin on the Design Matters podcast, where he said: “Do enough bad stuff, and some good stuff is going to slip through, no matter how hard you try.” The quote captures the design thinking spirit. It let me break free of worrying about the perfect being the enemy of the good, but it also got me thinking about getting my writing out of my personal journals and notes and into the world, beyond what I do for a living. Design thinking comes through again, friends.

Good habits will lead to good things. And let's be honest, after 2020, we can all use a little more good in our lives. Cheers. 

UM Alumni Education Gateway

Journey through the Alumni Education Gateway
February 2019

Imagine being a U-M student all over again. Only this time, you can study whatever you want, online or in-person. You can listen to a podcast on the gig economy, watch a video about climate change, or take a class on web design. Welcome to the Alumni Education Gateway, where more than 3,000 pieces of content from U-M await your exploration. Developed with the goal of housing many of the digital resources of U-M’s schools and colleges in one place, the website allows alumni to find it all in one easy, curated digital location.

...

Though all the content has been selected specifically with U-M alumni in mind, the Alumni Education Gateway is open to all, so start by having a look around. 

Get you some Design Thinking

Much of my life, I've thought of everything in a linear way. Last year, my work had us attend a couple sessions with the Henry Ford Learning Institute. It was absolutely amazing. We learned about all kinds of design thinking methods and how people are at the center of this kind of thinking. My favorite part is that it reignited my passion for learning, and this helped me to rediscover learning. It also helped me understand myself a lot more through empathy work. You can learn more about design thinking here.

This video is from the HFLI:

Literacy is a fundamental human right.

A couple of years ago, I got good and pissed reading the following headline:

State of Michigan says literacy is not a fundamental right

Really, State of Michigan, really? Tell me more about your talent problem.

Sadly, we have fools at the federal judicial level (I'm looking at you, Judge Stephen Murphy III) who agree with the goons in Lansing. Here is the headline that got me fired up more recently, about the very same issue:

Federal judge dismisses suit over literacy rights in Detroit

Um, what now?

Let's think about this. If we as Americans believe in unalienable rights like Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, than how does one expect to improve their life, be liberated from the bonds of ignorance and be happy without knowing how to read or write, pray tell?

Life
How can you be safe if you can't read? If you can't read street signs and you turn the wrong way? You can't read ingredients to avoid the one you're deathly allergic to? Dispute a billing error? How can you use the power of tools like books, the internet and, frankly, instructions, if you cannot read? How do you apply for jobs if you cannot read and write? How do you read stories to your children?

Liberty
How do you know the law, the rules of society? How do you know your rights without being able to read? How can you gain skills that get you a better job, liberating you from poverty, if you cannot read and write? How do you accurately do your taxes and make sure you are abiding by other laws to stay out jail? You know what the founding fathers did? They WROTE the Declaration of Independence.

Pursuit of Happiness
Ignorance is not bliss. Who the hell said that? Why would people proudly tout that they are ignorant? Why would anyone be proud to pass along that kind of attitude to their children? How do you read stories that you relate to? How do you select something new and delicious off the menu? When you ignore the world - complex issues, art, different cultures, politics, poetry, whatever - you do not give yourself the chance for a meaningful life. And when you can't read, you have talking heads feeding you those issues with their spin and their agenda. You don't need spin. You don't need to be part of other people's agenda. You have your own mind and you need your own voice.

So anyway, LITERACY IS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT. There is nothing anyone can tell me to think otherwise. This is not a debatable issue for me. People can transform their lives and the lives of their families through reading and writing. I can see why people in power would not like that. As I think of this, I think of the activist Assata Shakur's quote:

“No one is going to give you the education you need to overthrow them. Nobody is going to teach you your true history, teach you your true heroes, if they know that that knowledge will help set you free.”

Read.

Write.

Let knowledge set you and your family free from whatever it is that has you in chains.

Related links:

• Declaration of Independence, 1776
• Students in Detroit Are Suing the State Because They Weren’t Taught to Read

Why I give - Day 4 - The world needs more good. Like, a lot more.

This has been a pretty rough 2016 for a lot of people. In the past, when I have felt that things are grim in my own life, I would read about horrific history to remind myself that things could always be worse. I would read nonfiction about World War II, fiction about the early years of the meatpacking industry. In the last four years or so, I have had enough tragedy in my life where I pulled away from engaging in depressing literature and history.

But now I'm back. I am reading about the Bloodlands of Europe, where I'm learning much more about Stalin than I ever knew - whoa. And I'm being reminded that there is some scary historical shit that is happening right now in the United States of America. I will spare you my intellectual history ramblings, but the long and short of it is this: there is some serious hatred in the world today and it appears society is close to normalizing it.

So, in addition to getting back to reading humanity's gruesome details, I want to start giving to causes that are most important to me. Millennials, the generation of which I am part of, tend to give to 3-5 nonprofits, so I'm a bit behind as most of my giving is to the university. 

But there are many other organizations that do great work and there are great places to donate to. I want to be part of the good that overcomes evil. I want young people to know their rights. I want LGTBQ folks to feel loved and not scared. I want all people to know the power of literacy and have access to learning and reading. Hell, the fact that my State of Michigan is trying to argue that literacy is not a fundamental right might be the fire that I needed to take action. Literacy SHOULD be a fundamental right. All of the sudden, law school sounds like a pretty swell idea.

But I digress, for there are many great nonprofit organizations that do wonderful and worthy work. It is time for me to start giving to additional causes, for the world needs more good.

Hello, again. Let's upgrade.

Life is wild. It really is. I will spare you the details of the craziest ~4 years of my life. Instead, I want to share what I have been inspired to do because of all those trials:

• Writing to live. I have returned to writing in a lot of different ways. I have a personal journal, a work journal and a learning journal. I write appeals and those are really, really taking me back to my journalism roots - be factual, be compelling, be genuine. I am in the process of writing a FY17 plan, helping me back to my management roots, which is an exhilarating feeling. Writing, all of my writing in the last months, has been cleansing. The act of writing calms me down. It helps me learn. It helps me work through problems. Writing is life.
• Reading: books, blogs, articles -- all the reading. Well, I'm like a million books behind schedule already, but I'm trying my hardest and the reading I'm doing is helping me with my writing, as it should. Plus, I'm reading a lot more news and professional writing to support my work, which is great.
• Learning hard AF, daily. Something I realized while viewing old Facebook posts was that I used to post more quotes and more thoughtful statements. I do that when I'm learning a lot and my brain is running on all cylinders. While I'm not particularly interested in going back to sharing more on Facebook, I do want to get back into the groove of SHARING KNOWLEDGE. With everyone: my coworkers, students, friends and, frankly, complete strangers. I'm kind of addicted to sharing information and that's my librarian background talking. Good thing I got this here blog, eh? Plus, as I mentioned, I'm keeping a learning journal, where if I don't decide to share online, I have a little book with big learning nuggets. 
• Regularly hearing the song of my creativity muse. This I have found to be true: when I read and write more, creativity comes easily and naturally. When I was in K-8, high school and college, I wrote excessively. I had things to say and a platform to say them on, through homework assignments, newspapers, etc. Now, I still have things to say and have found that there are still platforms, new ones, for those messages. My work, my life, my reading and my writing all combine for me to be more creative, spread good messages, and find better ways to tell stories. What a time to be alive.
• Listening. Well, if there's ever been a crappier Gemini, only child, attention deficit disorder-ridden, passive listener than myself, I have yet to meet or know of them. Active listening is a huge area of growth for me. I don't do anyone any favors by not listening. I must be better. I have improved, but not nearly enough for my liking. The first step is admitting you have a problem, right?
• "Change my life." This is what I replace "diet and exercise" with. I'm not on a diet. I'm changing my life to include nutritious, planned, homemade meals. I'm not exercising more, I'm trying to change my life where I get up and move every single day. If I don't eat well or exercise every day of my life, than I'm not being good to myself. Diet and exercise plans are temporary. I want to live a long, active, truly healthy life, with a few fun and glorious departures from responsibility, like champagne cocktails, ladies' brunches, Opening Day (and the rest of the season), and beer festivals. 
• Getting in good sleep and waking early. All I have to say about this is that this is the pinnacle of being a 30-something. I find the Sandman is knocking on my door promptly at 10pm each night and, well, I am happy to oblige. The next morning, my early curfew is rewarded with energy and the will to conquer the day.

Hope you can into some of these grooves in your life. It's not easy. You have to make the time and commitment. When you're brain and body are active, you are your best.

The Donor-centric Case Statement

I had the distinct pleasure of hearing Simone P. Joyaux and Tom Ahern speak today. It is amazing how much one can learn in a single day. It definitely made me want to sign up for an AFP Greater Detroit membership, that's for sure!

Check out Amy Eisenstein's interview with Tom called Make the Donor the Hero of Your Case Statement with Tom Ahern.



I could listen to this dude all day.

Year of Gratitude - Day 135 - Mardigian Library

When I was about 10-11 years old, my cousin was a student at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She would pick me up, take me to McDonald's, get me chicken nuggets and then we'd go to the Mardigian Library. She had to study. I learned to use the catalog, which was still migrating from cards to a one colored, DOS-like system. Once I figured it out, I went and found all the animal and dinosaur books I could.

When I turned 18, my cousin told me: "You should get a job at the [Mardigian] library. It looks great on a resume." I remember applying for a job as a circulation assistant and being tenacious on my follow up. Finally, one day the head of circulation, Margaret, had enough of me. She interviewed me and gave me a job.

From that point on, I was always going to be a part of Library Land. I worked in every department at the Mardigian Library. As I moved around, the librarians convinced me I was one of them. I was. They encouraged me to go to Wayne State University for a Masters in Library and Information Science. I did.

While I always boast about Southfield Public Library, the Mardigian Library is where my career as an information professional began. I met some of my best friends there, who also served as my mentors. I worked there for seven years and recently returned to help out with some development projects. Now, I am back on campus in development and will be helping the library with their projects once again.

I am so grateful to be a part of the Mardigian Library family. They have known me since I was an 18 year old punk and they helped groom me into the professional I am today.

Check them out at:

• Mardigian Library Home
• Mardigian Library Twitter
• Mardigian Library Facebook
• Mardigian Library LinkedIn

Year of Gratitude - Day 117 - Mentors & Anti-Mentors

No longer am I considered an "entry-level" employee, but I was graced with many wonderful mentors back when I was. I still have great mentors that I keep relationships with and am very grateful for those people. 

Some people have been my "anti-mentors" - excellent examples of what I DON'T want to be like when I grow up. I think that having the anti-mentors is just as important as having the positive mentors. 

Both of these kinds of people will bring to a higher understanding of who you are and are not. It is important not to disregard the people who appear to be unworthy of your attention. Everyone has something to teach us.

Year of Gratitude - Day 20 - Free education from MOOCs and Podcasts

Near the end of 2013, I actually rattled off a month of gratitude. One of those was about how podcasts and MOOCs were like free education. I still stand by that. Here's the deal: higher education isn't the answer to everything. Not going to college isn't the answer to everything. Self-learning isn't the answer to everything. There is no one-size-fits-all situation when it comes to education. People learn at very different speeds and through different styles. When I was a kid, teachers either loved me because they knew they could challenge me or hated me because they couldn't.

When you have something like free library databases, the Internet, podcasts galore or these MOOCs, you have a lot of ways to self-learn at your own speed. The catch is that YOU and only YOU are responsible to complete the lessons. That's the thing, most people won't discipline themselves to stay with an entire free course. I'm sure many of these companies count on it, but isn't that something: the world is there for the taking, free in all it's glory from the MOOCs and Kahn Academy's of the world, and most people will never take advantage.

I hope to start showing my gratitude in a more active way by completing my own self guided course soon.

30 Days of Gratitude: Day 30 - MOOCs + Podcasts = free education

This final gratitude post (for this month) is about how there is ALWAYS something new to learn in this day and age. There are so many free courses and lectures out there. I have had discussions where the thought is "A free model can't continue to work," but I wonder if that's the only kind that will. Higher education prices are rising while there's not much talk of quality improving at the same rate. Once things have been offered for free, well, it's hard to start making people pay up. The music industry has had its digital makeover and journalism is finding this out as it tries to make more online content exclusive to paying customers. But I hope these massive open online course (MOOCs) are here to stay.

Here are some links I'm rummaging through to brush up on old skills and pick up some new tricks:

• edX
• Udacity
• Coursera
• Kahn Academy
• Open Culture

More brain work please...and make it difficult!

"One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved. One must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one's greatest efforts." —Albert Einstein

Weeks ago, I read this Scientific American guest article in bed and then drifted to sleep. The article was all about making the mind work and since that night it's been working on my mind. The author, behavioral therapist and autism expert Andrea Kuszewski, began by sharing a fantastic story about increasing IQ in kids with autism by over 20 points! Then, the article went into different ways of putting your neurons to work. Finally, I was dazzled by her works cited. I'm a geek, but so what?

I loved this article because it explored the mind, one of my favorite topics, and the article also made me a little uncomfortable. It was the same kind of discomfort caused by that The Atlantic article about Google's effect on the mind called "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" I don't think Google makes us stupider, but it does make us more complacent by making everything easier. Kuszewski would argue that makes your mind a lazy sh*t (my words, not hers.) I also experienced a similar type of discomfort after reading Malcolm Gladwell's book Blink.

Kuszewski's article touches on a couple things that hit very close to home for me. For example, I will forever curse the invention of Autocorrect and blame it for my atrocious spelling (truth be told - I misspelled "atrocious" AND "misspelled" during the creation of this blog post). My buddy Carlie once told me she would always backspace and retry to spell those words with the little red squiggles under them. I wish I would've had the smarts to have done the same. It would have saved me a lot of grief.

This article covered so many parts of my interest about the mind and the human abilities to think, remember and learn. I've read, reread and recommended this article to many. I STRONGLY urge you to enjoy this article and learn a couple of great ways to make your brain do work!

Read: You can increase your intelligence: 5 ways to maximize your cognitive potential