Pick One Thing...
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This one's been brewing in me for awhile... If you’ve been reading this newsletter for a bit, you may know that I’m a regular yoga practitioner. I do my 40-minute set five days a week, and my goal is really simple. I just want to maintain flexibility, mobility, and core strength as I get older. I’m not trying to do anything special. I just want to stay healthy and mobile as I age, and yoga is perfect for me. But as I’ve slid into my early 50s, one thing I’ve started focusing on is maintaining muscle mass. Where does it go? So, I’ve added some push-ups and arm curls with dumbbells to my routine. Very simple, very deliberate. I increase the reps a little bit now and again, just to maintain upper-body strength. I was sharing this with a buddy of mine in June, showing him how I was doing my arm curls, and before I even finished, he said, “Well, you know, if you bring your elbows up a little bit and go like this, not only can you strengthen your biceps, but it’ll also help you with your shoulder strength.” And I just started shaking my head and sort of walked away. There must have also been something in my eyes or a look on my face, because he stopped and he goes, “Dude, what happened? Did I upset you?” And I said without any thought, “No, I think I’m just exhausted of self-improvement.” Then I started cracking up in laughter. He said, “What do you mean?” And I said, “I don’t know, it’s just exhausting.... I mean every time you think you’re doing something well, someone, something, some reel, or some feed, or some short, tells you that you’re not, and that there’s a better way to do something, therefore leaving you feeling like you’ve been wasting your time for however long you’ve been doing the thing you thought was great. Can't I just do regular old dumbbell curls for goodness sake? I think I’m just exhausted of this notion of self-improvement. I mean come on, why isn’t good enough, good enough for some things?” He goes, "Geeze, man, I clearly hit a nerve with you." And I said "I don't know but, but, it's kinda true." And we laughed. Sure enough, over the summer, I kept seeing the same pattern over and over again, and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. And every single time, I would start laughing and shaking my head. First of all, I’d laugh because self-improvement is a good thing, right? But secondly, when the constant messaging coming at you is telling you that you need to improve in all phases of your life, in your internal life, your personal life, your work life, as a parent, as a son, as a daughter, as a neighbor, as a boss, it just starts becoming exhausting. And I kept thinking, this is actually true for me. It also made me wonder if this is true for everyone. I don’t know if it is, but I do feel exhausted by this pervasive idea that whatever I’m doing needs to be improved. Like, really? Yes, apparently according to all this stuff flowing at me. Well, it turns out, that is not true. And, it turns out, that is just not possible. So, in thinking and musing and writing about this to myself over the summer, I was like, you know what? I’m just going to pick one thing. Because I do want to improve. I do want to get better. But I’m going to pick one thing, stay hyper-focused on that one thing, and lay all of the other “shoulds” to rest for a while. So I did. And I’m doing it. And it's such a relief. Then I started thinking about what this kind of thing could mean inside a school. Schools are literally “should-creating-machines.” So much of what goes on in a school is this disparate flow of so many aspects of what we should do as a Head of School, a High School Principal, an IB Coordinator, an IB Teacher, or whatever our roles are at that school. And this is where leadership has a huge opportunity. When leadership of a school has the clarity to say, “No, this year we’re going to focus on this one thing.” And whatever that one thing is, that is the one goal of the year. Period. That is powerful, powerful, powerful. Because that kind of messaging resonates with all of us educators. In the end, we are all trying to do the right thing. But when it’s not clear what the right thing is, or when it feels like the right thing is seven different things, we get overwhelmed. When we feel overwhelmed we feel like we’re not fulfilling our obligation and our role as an teacher, and we end up losing that spark that makes teaching the creative, intellectually stimulating, and expansive experience that it is. So, maybe one of the most important things a school leader can do is not add another priority, and simply to say... "There are a lot of things that are important. They are definitely not unimportant, but we are a school community, and this year as a community we are going to focus on this one thing." It just needs to be something that everyone in the community knows is the priority over all of the other things flowing their way. So pick it. Stay hyper-focused on it. And as a leader, when your mind starts heading back into “the land of shoulds,” realign yourself with that one thing. And if you’re a teacher and your mind also starts heading back into “the land of shoulds,” realign yourself with that one thing too. The power of this clarity is so important. So, be clear about that one thing. Because if a school community does that together, the experience inside the school becomes lighter, clearer, more cohesive, and more coherent. And ultimately, that creates a better workplace for the adults and a calmer, less frantic, more enjoyable experience for students too. I hope you have a nice weekend! See you next week. Upcoming Workshops and Opportunities... Theory of Knowledge New Teacher Workshop - September 18th & 19th, 2026 - Designed for teachers new to Theory of Knowledge, this two-day training co-taught by Brad Cartwright and Sofía Elizalde offers a clear, practical roadmap for teaching TOK with confidence. Together, we will explore the core components of the IB Diploma Programme, the purpose and structure of the TOK course, key assessment criteria, the TOK Exhibition, the TOK Essay, and classroom strategies that support thoughtful discussion, meaningful reflection, and strong student writing. Effectively Supervising the Extended Essay in Economics - September 20th, 2026 - This 3-hour workshop offers IB Economics teachers actionable techniques for supervising and guiding students through every stage of the new Extended Essay journey. From unpacking the task to navigating the assessment criteria and refining their writing, gain the skills to support students in producing outstanding work. The Cohort Model for the Extended Essay Teacher Workshop - October 3rd, 2026 - The Cohort Model is a customizable approach to managing the Extended Essay, designed to meet your school’s specific context. This workshop will guide you through each step of the process, from research and reflections to assessment, offering a structured, cohesive approach that ensures student success and smooth coordination across all subjects. Teaching The Internal Assessment in IB Economics - October 10th, 2026 - In this 3-hour workshop, IB Economics teachers will explore actionable strategies for supporting students through the Internal Assessment process. Learn how to guide article selection, apply the mark scheme confidently, and empower your students to create exceptional Internal Assessments. Effectively Supervising the Extended Essay in Any Subject- November 7th, 2026 - This focused and practical workshop is designed to help teachers confidently navigate the updated Extended Essay framework for the Class of 2027. Together, we’ll explore what’s changed, what’s stayed the same, and how to effectively guide students through both the Subject-Focused and Interdisciplinary pathways. In-Person Professional Workshops - If your school would like a tailored training on the updated Extended Essay guidelines, we’d love to help—onsite at your campus or live online—just send me an email at brad@bradcartwright.com and we’ll work together to make it happen. Brad Cartwright |