FIRST the miller is dead

The old way of doing things is dead, it gave us a lot to work with, but - ultimately - the industrial way of doing all of the things is just not the only option and that needs to be recognized for us to make any kind of meaningful progress.

THEN the youngest son gets stuck

The lock-step, mechanized way of industrialized education has had its benefits and done its damage, particularly with regards to many a student’s sense of autonomy. With our autonomy so badly hurt it’s easy for our Lizard Brain to get the wrong idea about our survival needs and stop us dead in our tracks, sticking us into a fixed mindset.

UNTIL the cat starts talking

The cat has a long-standing worldwide folk-history of being a trickster, the ultimate symbol of the growth mindset. It’s here we breakdown his plan according to his name, immediately seeing applications for our own planning:

• Mindset,
• Aspiration,
• Specifics,
• Targeting,
• Efficiency,
• Recognition,
• Contending,
• Accountability,
• Time.

IMPRESSING the reigning monarch

Taking the lead and doing the work for yourself so that it builds into a body of work, the monarch representing how we perceive the “necessity” of gatekeepers and how we must first pass muster with our inner critic/gatekeeper even as we are looking to navigate a world of external/societal gatekeepers.

WOOING the most beautiful princess

Embracing accountability and garnering support - to paraphrase Simon Sinek - isn’t about what you do but why you do it.

SPREADING the word around hard

This is where we talk about the motivating power of feedback loops where support begets accountability begets support and on and on.

RESPECTING the richest ogre

Having previously decided to trade in our Lizard Brain’s fixed mindset for the MASTER CAT growth mindset, it’s now time to deal with the mid- and end-game eventualities of fear rearing its head because it doesn’t know what comes next.

Next Chapter: Chapter Two: THEN the youngest son gets stuck