I Want To Fail Because I Want To Learn To Succeed

I've come to a conclusion that I don't fail enough. So, I have decided to increase my failure rate.

I read a George Couros quote on Twitter recently that teachers need to encourage a higher failure rate. I know he meant to communicate the need to encourage our students to take more risks and not fear failure, because the more times they attempt something, and undoubtedly fail, the closer they will be to the solution - the success.

According to Ryan Holiday and his book "The Obstacle Is The Way," Thomas Edison went through 6000 different kinds of materials before he discovered the one that worked as filament in a light bulb.

6000? Is there enough time in one person's lifetime to prepare for a specific purpose and experiment with 6000 different materials? There was in Edison's. The word on the street is that he slept 3 hours per night on average. Oh and he had help.

Luckily, successful people fail 19 out of 20 times on average in their endeavors. That's still a 95% failure rate, but nothing compared to Edison's failure rate with that one incandescent bulb, which ironically has now been replaced with superior CFL and LED technology. Go and try to buy one at Target. I dare you!

Imagine an NBA team having a player who makes only 5% of his free throws. Shaq couldn't do that and we all know he tried. Hard. A 5% player would have given up a long time ago. He would have been cut a long time ago. Embarrassed. Shamed. Thrown aside.

But school isn't sports. And it should not be a competition. And we must communicate that to students.

Then we walk the walk.

We must take risks ourselves. We must fail. Embrace our failures. Reveal them to our students. Describe what we've learned from them. Say how we responded. Present what we've learned. Explain how we ultimately succeeded.

And WE MUST DO IT OVER AND OVER. Only then it can become okay to fail.

And then we level that up.

We must make failure not just okay, but necessary. We have to become stronger as a result and guide our students to that same destination: strength.

The success rate is 5% on average. 5 flipping percent! That sucks doesn't it?

You know what else sucks? Notebooks.

Notebooks?

Yeah. Notebooks.

Let's be honest. School notebooks available on the market suck. I'm talking crappy off-white (or is that beige?) paper, see-through sheets ink bleeds through, and wire binding that deforms. And they do not help students learn. Why not?

If you want a decent cover you'll have to spend $5 or more. And you still get the see-through paper and crap binding!

Enter Cornell Notes on Steroids Notebook - a unique school notebook that combines Quality with Functionality - 3x Thicker White Paper, Durable Binding and Cover, and a Learning Template.

It is a product I created last year. It is a product I failed with last year. I failed with a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign - check it out. I failed in marketing it. I failed in selling it.

I was bummed out, frustrated, disappointed, but not defeated. I failed and I am glad I did, because I'm learning. I failed and I'm glad because I'm becoming stronger.

The notebook is probably a product I will fail with again, because I have not reached my failure quota yet.

Tough shit. I believe in it and I must keep going.

Cool thing is, I already have a story to tell my students. And, the notebook is not the only thing I failed at. I am a good teacher, but I failed many students. I failed in recognizing what they needed, how to treat them, and how to help them. And I know I will fail again, but each time the failure will have a lesser effect on me and on my students. It's because we'll be learning to fail together, failing together, and learning from failing together.

So here's my next attempt at failure. Or success, I'm not sure any more. I'm ready.

I've started another crowdfunding campaign, because failure is so much fun. Check out the video and the link below - even that opening shot's an epic fail!

Back To School Cornell Notes On Steroids Notebook IndieGoGo Project

It'll be epic!

Thanks for reading and considering buying my notebooks. Or helping me fail. Either way I will succeed :-P

The Cornell Notes on Steroids Notebooks are actually pretty awesome. But, no one knows about them. Now you know.

First 3 people to comment below and give Edison's failure rate as a percentage will receive a Cornell Notes on Steroids Notebook. I will contact you about your address and ship it out to you 100% free.

You Have The Power To Change The World. Use It Often.

Let's Expand The Universe And Help Our Students

Hi Friends!

If you are a teacher or a parent of a school age child the school year is upon you. You have already started or are about to start. You may be experiencing hectic time or are about to. Either way, new beginnings are exciting and stressful at the same time. The are many things to consider, many things to acquire, and many things to attend to.

But, I think, learning takes precedence. As a teacher, I've realized at some point in my 14 year teaching career that learning is what matters most. Instead of asking myself if my students will understand and learn the subject I teach, I began to ask: Will I be able to help my students gain the knowledge, the understandings, and the skills that will last them a lifetime and serve them well any time they need them?

I commit to moving heaven and earth to do so. That is why I wrote "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom." I want to focus on helping my students in becoming lifelong learners; individuals skilled in acquiring knowledge and skills that will serve them whenever and wherever they go.

My new book "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom" can be downloaded for $9.99 on Amazon. It contains research proven learning methods you can share and use with your children. There is no reason why you cannot get it. The Kindle App is free and available on all mobile devices and computer operating systems. You do not need a Kindle device to read it. I promise you the book will change students lives as they will become aware of a new correct way of looking at how we learn. If you cannot afford the book, please e-mail me and I will send it to you for free, no questions asked.

Sure, I would love to become a bestselling author. Who wouldn't? But, I am a teacher and it is far more important to me to help students learn. All students can learn, not just my own. I can help the students I interact with directly. And you can do the same for YOUR students. Let's do it together. Let's become the Legion of Boon for ALL students.

The Universe is big enough for all of us. It keeps expanding still.

Let's expand it for everyone else. We have the power to change the world. Let's use it often. Let's use it NOW.

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Cornell Notes on Steroids Notebook Bundle of 6

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The Cornell Notes on Steroids Notebookis a 8.5"x11" 120-page academic notebook that contains an organizational method that improves on the Cornell Note-Taking System. BUNDLE & SAVE.

Color:

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Have You Ever Wanted To Do Something Big?

By Oskar Cymerman | @focus2achieve | BAM! Radio Network & Teaching Channel Blogger

Eight thousand eight hundred and forty eight and it's go time.

No time like the present.

Rock, ice, wind in your face.

Eyes squinting, hands frozen, toes freezing.

Can't breathe, oxygen is low. It's called the death zone you know.

Will you stay the course, carry on, go for broke?

Behold Chomolungma, the Goddess Mother of the World.

The grandest peak of them all.

The pinnacle. The ultimate goal.

Embrace it and you have endured it.

Scale it and you have subjugated it.

Conquer it and you have crushed it.

So What Is Your Mount Everest?

Have you ever wanted to do something big? Something important? Something fulfilling?

Climbing Everest is impressive to say the least, but it's not on everybody's bucket list. We all have big things we dream of doing though. Maybe it's not listed on an official bucket list, but everyone has that one thing they secretly, or perhaps overtly, want to do. The one thing that will make life oh so much more meaningful. Or better. Or both.

Maybe you're already doing it.  If so, that's awesome! But perhaps you're still hesitating. Or maybe you are moving on to the next big thing and would like some help making it easier to get going.

Well?

Wish granted. I'll be your travel agent. My services are free.

Let's Plan Your Journey

Imagine no one can stop you. Now believe it. The only person who can stop you is YOU.

It does not have to be a full on sprint up the mountain. In fact, you are more likely to give up if you set out to do too much too soon. Your brain likes smaller chunks. Information overload is similar to having too many apps open on your desktop. First you slow down. Then you freeze.  Small steps.

5 Steps To Everywhere

1. Write down what your one big thing is in the center of a sheet of paper. That's the most crucial step. You see, once you write IT down IT's made ITS way into REALITY. No going back. No punking out.

2. Write down all the smaller things your one big thing involves. (OPTIONAL: Write down other things to keep in mind that are not connected or loosely connected to your project.)

Do Something Big Map For Writing A Book

3. Prioritize. Write a "1" next to each smaller thing that should be considered/done in the first stage. Write "2" and "3" next to the tasks/concerns that will follow stage 1.

4. Now grab a new sheet of paper or start a fresh journal page and make 3 lists out of your 1s, 2s, and 3s. Put check boxes next to each item.

5. Focus and work on list #1 until around 90% of it is done. Why 90%? There will be some overlap with other lists etc. (see below). You can prioritize each list or simply work on 1 item at a time. Repeat for lists #2 and #3.

Be flexible. It's okay to move things around between your 3 stages. You might notice that some things are more pressing or less important as you keep working through the project. Also, a few things might be important throughout each stage as life happens and you want to, for example, still have a family when you're all done.

As you are working, you will be learning, which is why taking on such big projects is so awesome and fulfilling! That means that you will end up adding things to the list and perhaps outsourcing some of them. YOU CAN'T DO IT ALL ALONE, SO ASK FOR AND ACCEPT HELP.

Putting check boxes next to each item works! You get that awesome feeling of accomplishment once you take care of even the smallest of tasks. And, it motivates you to keep going. Yes, the list is big, but each box is small. Focus on each little box. Do the deed. Check it off. Be proud.

My Mount Everest

My wife and I started dating shortly after the New Year 2000 celebrations. Don't worry. This is not about to turn into a steamy romance novel. Wrong blog. This story is about promises. Promises to ourselves that is. Broken, unfulfilled promises. I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK. I kept saying it for years and my wife would remind me of my flakiness toward many things by using this particular example. 

"You promised you'll take the garbage out. It's just the same as with you writing a book."

"You said you will vacuum after work. You didn't, just like you didn't write this book of yours."

"You swore that you will go to the post office. Remember your book? It's still in your head."

I failed to write a book many times. It was because of fear. I didn't realize it then, but I know it now. I was afraid. Hiding. Shying away. Making excuses. 

And then I realized that I must accept it, face it, and take action to overcome fear. It was up to me all along. I just needed to start. Take the first step. Start scaling my Mount Everest. You see, my Mount Everest was not writing the book, but it was taking a good hard look at myself and taking steps toward overcoming what has hindered me all my life: Anxiety. Fear. Being Exposed.

Now, I am naked. All of the protective layers stripped. Diving head first into the uncharted waters. And though I am uncertain what the future holds, I am choosing to love it.

Start Today

C'mon. Number 1 is EASY. Do it.

Eight thousand eight hundred and forty seven. Keep climbing.

Can you start Number 2? Sure you can. Do it.

Eight thousand eight hundred and forty six, forty five, forty four... Don't look back.

You have begun your climb. Keep going. Life will never be the same again. Accept it. You will be stretched and challenged. Embrace it.

But I promise you this: You will love it.

Oskar

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this article and find my template for accomplishing BIG THINGS useful. It works! I used it to write my first book: "Crush School: Every Student's Guide To Killing It In The Classroom" which I hope will provide students with a template for learning more effectively, overcoming anxiety, and realizing that they can accomplish big things. I am proud to announce that it is now available on Amazon.

You Have The Power To Change The World. Use It Often.