Focus
Over the summer, many Crescent staff (including me) read The Focus Effect – a book co-authored by Crescent alumnus Dr. Greg Wells ’89 and his associate Bruce Bowser. Greg has been a huge asset in developing Crescent’s health and wellbeing strategy and helping us respond to the question: what if school was a place where boys/staff come to be well?
In The Focus Effect, the authors dig into the latent possibilities when we can unplug from technology and life’s many distractions to focus on sustainable, balanced, and successful habits that foster personal flourishing. Quite simply, while it was a relatively easy read, it was one of the more impactful books I have read in a long time.
Inevitably, the start of school can challenge our routines – whether it is sleep time, goal-setting, balanced nutrition/hydration, or mindfulness practices. At Crescent, our wellbeing program has four core commitments: Sleep Soundly, Think Clearly, Eat Smarter and Move More. Focus is essential to making each of these commitments a regular habit in our lives.
The move from distraction to focus, from the cult of busyness to optimal performance, requires effort. For me, I have set a personal goal this year to master my morning with moderate daily exercise and meditation as a way of managing stress levels and overall wellbeing. So far, and with the support of a couple of key accountability partners, it is making a huge difference in my life.
This summer I enjoyed the privilege of travelling with my family to Australia and New Zealand as part of Crescent’s delegation to the International Boys’ Schools Coalition annual conference. It was a memorable trip. For three weeks, I embraced every moment of the Aussie and Kiwi hospitality: visiting elite boys’ schools, speaking with Indigenous elders, learning about leading boys in a #MeToo era, and meeting with our alumni who now live far from our campus. I also knocked off a few bucket list items, including holding a koala, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, and travelling through the world’s oldest continuous rainforest. All in all, it was a once in a lifetime experience!
My trip Down Under allowed me to gain perspective in a way that I could have not done at home. I returned a different person as a result, with a newly honed focus on what I want to accomplish this year. The start of a new school year holds this promise for each of us and our boys – to begin anew, to see things fresh, to try again, and to grow in our character. If there is one thing I know to be true, it is that our mission to build Men of Character from Boys of Promise has never been more relevant than today. If we are to take this mission seriously in each of our lives, as teachers, parents, and students, then it starts with our focus.
Veritate Stamus et Crescimus.
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Inevitably, the start of school can challenge our routines – whether it is sleep time, goal-setting, balanced nutrition/hydration, or mindfulness practices. At Crescent, our wellbeing program has four core commitments: Sleep Soundly, Think Clearly, Eat Smarter and Move More. Focus is essential to making each of these commitments a regular habit in our lives.
The move from distraction to focus, from the cult of busyness to optimal performance, requires effort. For me, I have set a personal goal this year to master my morning with moderate daily exercise and meditation as a way of managing stress levels and overall wellbeing. So far, and with the support of a couple of key accountability partners, it is making a huge difference in my life.
This summer I enjoyed the privilege of travelling with my family to Australia and New Zealand as part of Crescent’s delegation to the International Boys’ Schools Coalition annual conference. It was a memorable trip. For three weeks, I embraced every moment of the Aussie and Kiwi hospitality: visiting elite boys’ schools, speaking with Indigenous elders, learning about leading boys in a #MeToo era, and meeting with our alumni who now live far from our campus. I also knocked off a few bucket list items, including holding a koala, snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, and travelling through the world’s oldest continuous rainforest. All in all, it was a once in a lifetime experience!
My trip Down Under allowed me to gain perspective in a way that I could have not done at home. I returned a different person as a result, with a newly honed focus on what I want to accomplish this year. The start of a new school year holds this promise for each of us and our boys – to begin anew, to see things fresh, to try again, and to grow in our character. If there is one thing I know to be true, it is that our mission to build Men of Character from Boys of Promise has never been more relevant than today. If we are to take this mission seriously in each of our lives, as teachers, parents, and students, then it starts with our focus.
Veritate Stamus et Crescimus.
See all of Headmaster Fellin's Open Mike Blogs
