The biggest open secret in higher education is that the syllabus isn’t secret.

Even before the internet, there was the Good Will Hunting option — for a few bucks in late fees at the public library, you could learn at least as much as any college student.

Now that there is the internet, information is not the scarce resource at school.

Instead, the scarce resource is time and space. In the monastic tradition that predated universities, monks went to monasteries because that’s where the books were. These days, information is everywhere, but it’s harder than ever to find the time and space to sit with, explore, and contemplate it.

So let’s be clear from the outset: what you’re paying for at a famous college these days is not access to information (the cost of access to the campus WiFi network is negligible). You’re paying for the privilege of unstructured time to read and reflect, some instruction in how to do that effectively, and a cohort of interesting people to do it with.

If we’re going to recalculate the cost of college, that’s a good base rate to begin with.

September means back to school.

And that means it’s a perfect time to sit for a month with the question, “what is school for?“

Today’s a good day to read the post and watch the TED talk (both from Seth Godin) that launched the question.

Tomorrow, I’ll take up the challenge of trying to come up with an answer — one day at a time.

We pay attention.

And, depending on what we choose to pay attention to, we can either realize compound returns or spend down our principal each day with not much to show for it.

You know the feeling: arriving at the end of a day feeling harried and tired, knowing you were busy from morning till night but not sure what actually got done.

The alternative is to become ever more mindful of where and how we spend our attention, and to learn to spend it with intention.

Try priming your attention with an intention for a week or a month. Pick something that matters to you, and simply reflect on it for a moment at the beginning and end of each day. You’ll be amazed at the possibilities that seem to open as if from nowhere — simply because your subconscious will be looking where you never thought to look before.

You know the old joke about how you don’t have to outrun the bear, you just have to outrun your friends.

The same thing is true in reverse. You don’t have to be the first or only person to touch the problem, let alone to solve it.

But you can be the first to start running in a better direction.

Your friends will follow — after all, they didn’t want to go first, either.

Some resources on making and keeping the pact, created for and shared with my altMBA32 classmates on commencement day (yesterday).

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Commencement means the end of the lessons and the beginning of the work.

Here’s some bread for the journey.

Seth Godin, “The Pact” — on making a deal with yourself about who and what your work is for, and how you’re going to go about it. The original inspiration for this resource sheet.

Michael Bungay Stanier, 6 ½  Habit Gurus — an ebook on the best habit hacks in the world. Free download with email signup. Don’t miss the accompanying claymation videos.

Warren Buffet, the “do not do” list — write down your top 25 priorities. Then circle the top five and cross off the other 20. Don’t work those, at all, till you’ve accomplished the five.

Charlie Munger, collected wisdom (via Farnam Street) — a resource of resources from “one of the great minds of the 20th century.” His “operating system” is a good place to start.

Sara Kalick, “Prototyping a New OS for 2019” — a story of a life and work from chaos through control to controlled chaos. Should be just as good in 2020 and beyond.

Jocelyn K. Glei, Hurry Slowly — “a podcast about how you can be more productive, creative, and resilient through the simple act of slowing down.” There are no points for burning out, as Seth says.

Brené Brown, resources — “dare to lead,” indeed.

SYPartners, free tools — much goodness available for email opt-in.

“We do as well as we can. We fail a lot but we keep after it. What else can we do?
We have brains that still work so we have to apply them to pain. Brains against pain. That’s the motto. That’s the work. That’s what we do.”

— Brian Doyle, Mink River
(motto of the Department of Public Works)

And hopes, and dreams, and desires, and quirks.

But the fear is real, and pervasive.

That person is so compelling on camera.

She’s such a great writer.

How could I ever coach like that?

The truth is, they’re fearful, too. (If they’re truly not, watch out.)

The essential skill is merely to recognize the fear, accept it — and then to act anyway.

You can’t get off the aircraft before you’re at the gate.

You certainly can’t get off before you land.

Learning to fly is a rush, and calling the field means you’ve made it …

And that’s exactly when you have to pay extra attention to landing, rather than mentally going through the customs line.

That project that feels nearly done? Land it.

Pay a few people a genuine, non-manipulative, agenda-free compliment.

Or look them straight in the eyes (you can use email or a notecard if you like) and say thank you.

Watch what happens.

Repeat.

Coaching questions are meant to elicit more creative, unknown answers.

What might it look like for you to live a day the opposite of the usual way?

Consulting questions point toward known or presumed answers.

Have you considered using the GTD method?

The real question is, are you asking questions or giving directions?

The secret to life is that you can ask for help.

We’re schooled out of that for a couple of decades, and it often takes people at least that long to understand we were mis-taught on this point — if ever they can understand it.

Speak an intention. To yourself if no one else.

Then share it.

See what happens.