A Better Countdown

Don’t count the days; make the days count.
—Muhammad Ali

This is the time of year when it can be tempting to start counting down the days until summer. It is understandable. We are all tired. But I think something happens when we start counting down that isn’t in our best interest or the best interest of our students.

I have been thinking about the power of subtle differences. It was in Choice Words by Peter Johnston that I learned my students would be better influenced by “Aren’t you proud of yourself?” than by “I’m so proud of you.” It’s a small shift, but the second sentence implies that students work to please me. The first promotes intrinsic satisfaction and self-pride.

So when I saw this sign in the office of Maple Grove Elementary in Waukee, Iowa, I was struck by the subtle difference its language made. (It says Cherish — You only have 157 days to make a difference in the lives of others at Maple Grove Elementary. . . where each of our stories matter.) Instead of counting down the days until sunshine and sleeping in, the staff has shifted to an intention to cherish each remaining day and use each one to make a difference. We can do the same.

Whether we are teachers making a difference in the lives of students, coaches making a difference in the lives of teachers, or administrators making decisions that will affect everyone, let’s set aside the rituals of counting down and instead, make every single day we have left count.