Which Zone are You In?

Recently my 9-year-old, Georgia, was working on 2-digit multiplication. It was a mess. Within seconds of starting, her worksheet was ripped in pieces, her pencil was across the room and she was sobbing. On the one hand, I wanted to roll my eyes at this kid. I mean c’mon...she hadn’t even tried. On the other, I was like, “Boy, do I know how you feel.”

Some learning tasks just scare. the. $#%!. right. out. of. us. 

When her tears subsided, I sat down next to her and sketched out a conceptual model I learned from my friend and brilliant facilitator, Cherine Badawi. According to this model there are three zones we can experience when we’re learning: Comfort, Stretch and Panic. 

How do we know which zone we’re in? Turns out...it’s our feelings. When we take on something in our Comfort Zone, we feel calm, relaxed, maybe even bored. In the Stretch Zone, we feel alive, engaged, curious and challenged. In the Panic Zone, well - it’s fear, frustration, anxiety and panic. Learning about the zones helped Georgia to build a plan around how to approach those challenging new problems: 1) Do a few easy problems to remind me what I know, 2) Then jump into the hard stuff, 3) If I get stuck - ask mom for help.

Like Georgia- I’m learning a lot right now:

1. How to keep my family safe and socialized in a pandemic.

2. How to start a coaching business while simultaneously homeschooling two kids.

3. How to sustain relationships with family members during an election year.

4. How to dismantle white supremacy and create more love and justice in the world.

There are days that I feel drained, fed-up and exhausted. There are days that I want to retreat to safety, ease and familiarity. But, there are also days where I feel audacious, exhilarated and excited by the ways that I am learning, stretching and growing in this time. 

I’m curious, friend, what you are learning right now. Does it drain you, excite you or scare the $#%! out of you?

Kate

PS. This fall I’m starting some big projects. I’d love for you come along for the ride. Sign up for my newsletter here.