Four percent gone already!
Published: Mon, 01/15/18
Today is the 15th of January, half way through the month already. That is over 4 percent of the year gone already. Alright, no need to panic but at the end of last year I was introduced to a book called the 12 week year by Brian Moran and Michael Lennington. Their argument is that operating in a 12 month cycle makes us slack and lazy. We start the year thinking that we have three months before the weather is good enough to do anything outside. We have six months before we have to even think about a summer break. Then it will be nine months until everyone is back at work after the summer holidays. Then there isn’t long until the Christmas break again and, oh, where did 2018 go? Same place as last year and the year before probably.
Moran and Lennington make a case for operating in 12 week rather than 12 month cycles. Set ambitious but realistic goals to be achieved within the next three months. Forget woolly hopes that this 12 month year will somehow be different because at some point you will get around to making an effort. Focus on what can be done in the next 12 weeks and make sure you have something to show for it. Also, try as much as you can to focus on one major goal at a time. Of course we have lots of things we want to accomplish but the best thing to do is to do one major goal in each 12 week ‘year’. Tick that box, move on and have a new goal for the next 12 weeks. If you accomplish 4 major goals in each area of your life in a calender year you will have done pretty well.
I am now 2 weeks into my first 12 week cycle of 2018 and what is my goal? As far as Stav is concerned it is getting the foundation programme off the ground. In case you have not picked up on my intention already the idea is to provide an opportunity to learn the essentials of Stav through a series of distance learning modules. At the end there will be an opportunity to attend a day of face to face training.
As of this morning I have 5 people who have committed themselves to coming to Beverley for a day’s training on the 24th of March. Between now and then I will send out 9 study modules on a weekly basis to lay a foundation of ‘knowledge of the rune staves’. I would be happy to make that 6 people (no more for the first one), so if you would like to be the 6th person let me know and I will let you know how to sign up. I also have a couple of people who are too far away to attend a day course so (one in Canda, the other in Italy) who are going to try the programme out as a distance learning exercise. Again, if you are interested let me know and I will show you how to sign up.
The intention is to build up a rolling programme of foundation training with a day course most months. The first course costs £30. This is a trial run and I will be relying on feedback from participants to develop the content and best form of delivery. Future courses will be more expensive. Current details at http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/foundation.html
regards
Graham
PS I know Beverley is not a very convenient location for many people. So, you might be interested in the opportunity to train in Somerset on the 7th of April (I am going to a birthday party in Devon on the 6th so it seemed to make sense to do some Stav teaching while I am in the area.) Saturday the 7th will be devoted to martial training at Buckland St Mary (a lovely location between Chard and Taunton.) see http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/somerset.html for details of the Saturday training. On the Sunday I have the option of using the hall for a foundation day course. I won’t confirm the booking unless I have at least 3 people paid up. So, have a think about it and get back to me asap if you are interested http://www.iceandfire.org.uk/foundation.html