Is it Fun, Meaningful, and Sustainable?
This is the question I ask parents and professionals I work with, groups I facilitate, programs I create, and with my own family. Living and working with people of all kinds of ages, abilities, temperaments and roles, requires organization, respect, clear agreements and boundaries, and defined goals. By using these three qualites as the foundation for successful collaboration, we can make desciosn that support the health, growth, and outcome for people and for the systems we work within. Today, I'll talk about the three qualities.
Is it fun? One thing I’ve learned from living and working with so many people who have ADHD, is that many of them like to keep things lively. It’s what gets my teenaged son into trouble at school and at home. While I am trying to teach him to find acceptable ways to make class time more interesting, he does bring a certain spark to the room. As an adult, fun means being present in a positive, enthusiastic way. At times, it could mean silly, or goofy, or playful. But it’s much deeper than that. Ask if whatever you are doing is fun by asking;
Is it sustainable? In order to keep doing the work it takes to be present and have fun, to belong and be meaningful, our efforts have to be sustainable. Great ideas are important but without sustainable implementation, it won’t work. It’s sort of like New Years’ Resolutions, if we try to do too much, such as start a new diet and start exercising, we are usually asking for too much and can’t sustain the effort it takes to change. Start with what is sustainable.
When I was the PTA president at my kids’ school, I used these three themes to direct all my decisions. I wanted our monthly meetings to be worth attending. So I set up a structure to run the meetings in that always included time for every voice to be heard (meaningful), time to pause and be present often in a whimsical way (fun) and each meeting followed the same basic format (sustainable). The school still uses that structure.
I also ask these questions when I talk to parents about their child’s school experience. I encourage them to reframe their IEP goals and meetings around the question of if what we are doing/offering engagement, connection and continuity?
Is it fun? One thing I’ve learned from living and working with so many people who have ADHD, is that many of them like to keep things lively. It’s what gets my teenaged son into trouble at school and at home. While I am trying to teach him to find acceptable ways to make class time more interesting, he does bring a certain spark to the room. As an adult, fun means being present in a positive, enthusiastic way. At times, it could mean silly, or goofy, or playful. But it’s much deeper than that. Ask if whatever you are doing is fun by asking;
- Is it engaging?
- Does it make you feel alive?
- Are your senses heightened?
- Do you lose track of time and worry?
Then it’s fun.
Is it meaningful? This is the heart of what is important.. Everyone, whatever their abilities, has a fundamental need to matter. Until we have a sense of belonging, we have diffulty learning and colloaborating. If we can’t learn or work together, then we feel badly about ourselves. If we feel badly about ourselves, we don’t feel worthy as people and a negative cycle is created. Belonging gives us a place to feel meaningful. When we belong, we are contributing to the group. Our involvement matters. We matter.Is it sustainable? In order to keep doing the work it takes to be present and have fun, to belong and be meaningful, our efforts have to be sustainable. Great ideas are important but without sustainable implementation, it won’t work. It’s sort of like New Years’ Resolutions, if we try to do too much, such as start a new diet and start exercising, we are usually asking for too much and can’t sustain the effort it takes to change. Start with what is sustainable.
When I was the PTA president at my kids’ school, I used these three themes to direct all my decisions. I wanted our monthly meetings to be worth attending. So I set up a structure to run the meetings in that always included time for every voice to be heard (meaningful), time to pause and be present often in a whimsical way (fun) and each meeting followed the same basic format (sustainable). The school still uses that structure.
I also ask these questions when I talk to parents about their child’s school experience. I encourage them to reframe their IEP goals and meetings around the question of if what we are doing/offering engagement, connection and continuity?
- Does the student feel they belong?
- Do they engage in meaningful activities throughout their day?
- Is fun defined by being pulled out of class for a special ed field trip or by doing experiments in science lab?
- Can the student sustain the effort to participare and learn?
- Can the adults working with the student sustain the effort to provide meaningful participation and engaging learning?
- Are the goals and objectives consistent with a long-term vision of community involvment?
- Do those involved feel heard, valued, and respected?
How do you ensure your team's efforts are fun, meaningful, and sustainable?
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