Think Globally, Act Locally

This week I attempted to set aside time to define action steps. What I learned is that it is equally important to highlight the challenges that I face as well. The science of psychology believes that finding no significant difference is just as important as finding a significant difference. No experiment is a failure. There is information to be gleamed from both outcomes.

In asking the world to respect yoga as a profession, I’ve forgotten that some of the greatest challenges I face are with the competing priorities within my own life. This week I had to cancel a private lesson because of a sleepless night with my daughter, and I was late for two classes because I was waiting for child care relief before I could leave. Understandably, my career takes a back seat to my child and to my wife’s career, which makes more money and is of higher social status.

I did come to the following indicators, culled largely from Break from the Pack, from which I will define action steps:

1. Challenge students to do something they think they can’t. Challenge what they are sure is their edge and scaffold them to find a way beyond it; even if it pisses them off.

2. Challenge students to think of yoga as something they think it isn’t. Coalesce with pop culture, other forms of movement, religion and politics.

3. Challenge students to want something they think they shouldn’t want in yoga.

4. Only venture into new territory where you are ready to set the agenda.

5. Grow
1. Improve only the competencies that help you succeed.
2. Outsource whatever you aren’t passionate about, not good at in order to liberate value-creating resources.

6. Reinvent yourself: The Madonna Effect
1. Don’t cling to skills that are becoming common place.
2. Sell what you have to others and stall their own creativity to invent.
3. Be working on the next big thing.
4. Risk losing some of your students in the process.
5. Replace successful products or services with fundamentally new ones.

7. Individualize the experience for students.

8. Be innovative, not just creative.