Mental models. One of the things I love about retirement is the opportunity to pursue my interests without constraints. Don’t get me wrong. I still have commitments and obligations but there’s so much more flexibility. There are days when my priorities are skewed but then it’s primarily me that suffers the consequences. And maybe my husband. If he’s home.
It feels luxurious. Retirement
Other than when we visit our kids, which we try to do every 4 to 6 weeks, I answer primarily to myself. It’s freedom like I’ve not experienced before. And it’s a treasure that I don’t want to fritter away mindlessly. My interests are varied so there’s little danger of boredom. If anything it’s a constant challenge to pursue them purposefully.
Several posts ago, I intimated that I was considering some changes to my blog. This is a reflection on what those changes are and what inspired them.
Change is Constant
If there’s one thing we can say about life. With certainty. It’s that change is constant. This ebb and flow of change continually carves new paths necessitating flexibility and resiliency. These are two traits that are essential to teach our youth if we are going to equip them to function in a world that is super-charged with change.
Diverging Paths
As I’ve reflected on what it’s meant to me over my life-time, I find it curious to contemplate the different trajectories that people take. How paths diverge. What accounts for it. I want to know why some people age so gracefully, while others do not. Because this isn’t something I’m willing to leave to chance. My husband and I have had some wonderful role models. That we took for granted.
Role Models for Living
Now’s the time to look closely at what made the difference in our parents’ lives, and our grandparents’ lives. What mental models did they use to make sense of the world.
It’s fascinating for me to think back to a conversation with my dad when I was pregnant with my first daughter. He counseled me to think about how he and my mom raised us. Their parenting style and the way they lived their lives. Then he told me to guard against repeating what I didn’t like and to put into practice that which I valued.
This taught me two things
One, my dad didn’t pretend perfection. Two, he encouraged reflection so I didn’t mindlessly adopt practices just because that’s what I knew. Without forethought, we default to the familiar.
Mental models are what I’m using to explore life
I’ve spent the past half-year reading about mental models and how they inform our decisions as well as our outlook. While the term may be new, the concept is not.
We all know that we have specific frameworks or lenses through which we interpret the world, make decisions, and anticipate cause and effect. What is perhaps less familiar to us is the specifics of our models. That’s because they’ve become automatic. Without challenging our viewpoints, we use the model mindlessly.
Questions about mental models
- Where did they come from?
- How do we identify our flawed models?
- Are there better models out there?
- How do we find them?
- How do we remain open to alternative models?
- Is there room in our own mental models for opposing views?
- If not, why not?
If blogs had thesis statements, mine would read as follows:
If we learn about the mental models that operate in our lives, and are willing to evaluate and let go of faulty models while adopting new ones, we will grow and become more resilient and accepting of change.
It’s not a perfect thesis but it’s the thread that will run through my exploration of several diverse themes.
Themes to explore:
- Marriage and family
- Reading and Learning
- All things outdoors
- Aging gracefully
- Education
All the posts I’ve written so far loosely fit into one or more of these categories. So in that way, all is not lost. What’s changed is the thread that will weave the story with some coherency.
Each of the above categories shape who I am and who I am becoming. The beauty of life is that we can change the trajectory of our story. It’s not always easy. Some parts are more embedded with years of mindset and habit. There are multiple elements in my story that I need to work on. It starts with recognition, followed by a willingness to take action, and an acceptance of failure that doesn’t have the finality of a period . . .
My hope for each of you as readers is that as you read my story, you will write yours with openness and courage.
P.S. As always, I’d love to have you add your thoughts, suggestions, questions to the comments below.
~ Priscilla
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