Learning Archives - Page 3 of 5

Building strong personal institutions

Building “strong institutions” is an important concept in international development theory. For example, goal 16 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals is “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” I heard the term in my one of the first seminars of my masters and was quite perplexed by it. From my understanding, institutions were entities such as universities or governments or NGOs.

A quick google search produces the following quote from wikipedia:

Institutions are “stable, valued, recurring patterns of behavior”. As structures or mechanisms of social order, they govern the behaviour of a set of individuals within a given community. Institutions are identified with a social purpose, transcending individuals and intentions by mediating the rules that govern living behavior.^[1]

After reading this, it becomes clear that institutions aren’t simply entities. Instead, they are a complex set of behaviours that help maintain stability and keep values consistent. Institutions such as the justice system are vital for keeping a society together.

It makes sense then that countries with strong institutions are more stable and that those with weak institutions are susceptible to corruption, dictatorships and civil wars. The stronger the habits and behaviours of a society, the less likely there will be deviation from them.

Our own personal institutions

We can recognise that strong institutions on a societal level help achieve positive outcomes. This is because they influence the behaviours of the individuals.

However, when we look at our own lives, we often see an individual operating in complete isolation. If we fail to achieve a certain outcome, it is exclusively our fault. If we succeed in doing something, it is mostly attributable to our own work.

An example of this is a friend that has recently moved home and is studying for board exams. She has become incredibly frustrated with herself has not achieved the level of studying she feels she should have. And she hasn’t gotten close to the amount of studying she did while at university.

The reality is, however, that she does not have the same institutions around her anymore. Over the last 5 years at university she had built up strong institutions that guided her studying behaviours and patterns. These may have included the friends she surrounded herself with, the people she lived with, the habit of going to campus everyday and the frequent contact with academic staff.

However, at home, none of these exist. Her behaviours are now governed by an entirely different institution which was not purpose built for studying. In fact, her behaviours there developed over holiday periods when she was most likely to be home. And what results is a much worse pattern of work and much lower output.

It’s not only about you

This friend cannot attribute the poor work level exclusively to herself. In truth, she doesn’t have as much power as she thinks over the situation.

This holds an important lesson. If we start understanding that institutions influence our behaviours, we can start focusing on building them. They can be built permanently, for longer term outcomes, or temporarily, to achieve a specific goal.

Building these can be challenging but it is possible. In this case, they might include scheduling a regular time to go to the library, forming a study group or having a mentor to help guide you through a process.

It is important to recognise that we exist as individuals, but mostly operate as a collective. And that the people, common habits, behaviours and patterns that we surround ourselves with will ultimately influence our outcomes more than we realise.

We must focus on developing ourselves as individuals. But we must also make sure that we develop our personal institutions. It is the combination of both that will ultimately determine what we achieve

Image was taken in February 2016 outside South African parliament. As finalist in the Nedbank/Old Mutual Economics Essay Competitions we got to go into parliament to watch the Budget Speech.

Thesis update: submitted progress report, got intention to submit sorted

Blog 73/365. Read more about my #365of25 journey here

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Published by rspazzoli on January 17, 2018 | Permalink

Learning the key life skills

In South Africa we have a subject called “Life Orientation” (LO) as part of our high school education. The syllabus aims to educate in basic life skills and consists of learning about various religions, STDs/sex ed, alcohol, career guidance etc.

I had a great teacher for LO, which made the experience quite enjoyable. However, the majority of South African learners do not see any value in it, and implementation is generally quite poor (Jacobs, 2011).

I think that the idea of the subject is great, but that there are so many skills that could be taught as part of the syllabus. Off the top of my head these include:

Applying for government documentation (IDs, drivers, passports)
Understanding medical aids and the health system in general
How to file taxes
Basic meal preparation and other home management techniques
Understanding employment contracts and the rights of employees
Understanding and managing mental health problems

There is much more that can go into this list. The idea, though, is that LO could be used as a vehicle to teach essential life skills. In doing so, it would make it easier for young adults to function in the real world.

Image is of my little brother at my old school, taken in 2011. He starts high school tomorrow! Good luck kiddo!

Thesis update: got serious food poisoning today. Spent the day in bed

Blog 72/365. Read more about my #365of25 journey here

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Published by rspazzoli on January 16, 2018 | Permalink

Storyline reflecting reality

“It’s important to pause, calm the mind and witness our thoughts, if only to check that the storyline in our mind reflects reality”

– Headspace Daily Session 11 Jan 2017

The above quote from my meditation this morning stuck with me the whole day. It caused me to think about the times that I’ve carried storylines with me for weeks, months or even years that are outdated and no longer rooted in reality.

Storylines are important. They’re carried around as identifiers, as markers of who we are and what we’ve come from. We use them to portray who we are to others and to understand ourselves. They’re part of the narrative that describes our past and guides our future.

However, we often forget to check them and see if they need updating. We become so good at talking about the storyline that it becomes second nature. It plays in our head like a song on repeat and becomes background noise that we’re not even aware of.

Accounting for everything

An example from my life was in 2016 when I started my Masters. I’d fought for years and finally broken away from the accounting path that I had hated. I’d made it into my dream degree, the Masters in Economic Development, and I was so happy.

Yet the accounting storyline stuck in my mind. I’d use it to introduce myself wherever I went. I’d say “Hi, I’m Rowan. I studied accounting for a few years and hated it. But now I’m doing development”

It also still played in my mind all the time. I’d compare myself to my accounting friends and the experiences they were having. And I’d feel insecure about my decision despite knowing it was the right one.

Only when it was pointed out to me by my friend Lexi did I realise that I was holding on to an outdated storyline. We were walking around Capri in June 2016. It was 6 months after starting Masters and a week after we met 3 Nobel Prize winners in economics. She called me out on how my storyline no longer reflected my reality and that I needed to update it.

It was a massive revelation. It took me a little while to unpack, but once I did I was so much freer. And my thoughts and decisions began to match my new storyline.

Touch, pause, engage

I know that I am still likely to carry storylines with me that no longer reflect reality. We all are. But we need to make sure we stop every now and then, look inside and see what storylines we’re holding on to. And if they no longer reflect reality we need to allow ourselves the space to understand, unpack and update them.

In doing this, we’ll have more space in our minds to shape new storylines and influence our realities, now and in the future.

Image was taken on a boat in the Mediterranean, with Capri in the background. It was just after Lexi had called me out on my outdated storyline 🙂

Thesis update: bit of a frustrating day BUT I finally have a meeting with my supervisor tomorrow!

Blog 65/365. Read more about my #365of25 journey here

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Published by rspazzoli on January 11, 2018 | Permalink

The “paint by numbers” approach

I’ve been really struggling to get into a rhythm with work at the moment. Part of the problem is the sheer magnitude of the task ahead. I have no idea how to approach it. I keep getting overwhelmed and end up abandoning any effort at all.

Today I remembered some advice I got from a professor at our year end function. He said that a masters thesis is often the biggest academic endevour that a person has been on in that point in their career. There is a natural tendency toward wanting perfection and a desire to have some major impact with it.

However, he pointed out that you’re unlikely to be able to make any significant impact with your masters thesis. Instead, the purpose of the thesis is act as a training ground to shape your thinking and learn how to write at that level. So instead of trying to have an outward impact, focus on the inward development.

Paint by numbers

He added that a good way to approach it was the “paint by numbers” approach. Take the task and break into small chunks, acting as the framework for you to paint in. Each chunk is separate colour that needs to be filled in, which requires its own focus. You can’t try and colour two blocks in at the same time.

In doing this, you take a 25000 word task and break it into 5-10 chunks between 2500-5000 each. And in each of these areas, you’ll be able fill in the gaps until you have your final painting.

It’s not the most creative or innovative way of doing things. But it acts as a great way to train yourself while helping you achieve your goal.

Image was taken in Greepoint park today. I got a bit down and walked there to clear my mind. Ended up getting a little sunburnt but enjoyed it nonetheless

Thesis update: frustrating day but got my colour-by-numbers layout done which is nice

Blog 61/365. Read more about my #365of25 journey here

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Published by rspazzoli on January 6, 2018 | Permalink

Starting the thesis rush. Gently

In my last therapy session of the year, we discussed how I was going to tackle my thesis. I told my therapist that I would take the week between Christmas and New Year off. But then, on the 2nd of January I would try starting with a 8-10 hour thesis session. This was the only possible way I’d get it done by the end of the month. I’d focus on it exclusively and cut out as many distractions as possible.

She disagreed with me. She said that I’d clearly tried this approach for many years, either with studying or working, and it didn’t work. It would create a destructive cycle for me, which might look something like this:

I’d set an overly ambitious target for my first day of work, which would sound great in theory
I wouldn’t have any structures in place to ensure that it would be achieved. This includes the necessary habits, planning, feedback, commitment devices and support.
I’d manage a few minutes to an hour at best, because my willpower would be exhausted quickly
I’d then get frustrated with myself and get anxious about the situation.
This would lead to me preventing myself from doing other things, like socialising or exercising. This is either because I was punishing myself or I was too anxious to.
I’d go to bed disappointed, so I’d set an even bigger goal for the day after.
And then the cycle would repeat

Starting Gently

Instead of this, my therapist suggested a different approach. This includes the following:

Scheduling social events first. This scared my a little to begin with, but it provides an anchor point for the day to plan around. It also ensures that I don’t isolate myself and that I have something to take my mind off the thesis when I need to. My aim is for most of these to be in the afternoon.
Having a thesis partner. My thesis partner gets back from holiday on 8 Jan, and we’ll work together after that. We’ll also keep each other accountable
Build up the habit. Instead of diving straight into superman mode, I should build up a habit of thesising. This would start with an hour on the first day and gently build up until I was able to handle it without exerting massive amounts of willpower
Public accountability. I’ll be sharing a tiny update of one line at the end of each blog, just so that I’m forced to be publicly accountable.

I’ve adopted this approach, and am gently going to build momentum with my thesis.

And I’m less scared than I thought as I’d be. In fact, after starting today I’m already feeling more confident about the journey

Image is of the care pack that Kayleen got me for the start of my thesising. It includes everything from stationery to emergency chocolates and a tissues to bubbly to pop when I hand in 🙂 Thanks Kay!

Thesis update: 1 hour of work done today which included planning and some reading.

Blog 57/365. Read more about my #365of25 journey here

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Published by rspazzoli on January 2, 2018 | Permalink

Reflecting on the bad

The practice of reflecting on experiences is easy to romanticise. We can imagine it to be almost like a movie montage, where all the good bits of the period we’re reflecting over are played back to us. There’s some nostalgic music, and the frames gently fade into one another.

The truth is that the value in reflecting comes from looking over the bad and the good. Looking over the good can be quite a pleasant experience. We get to re-live the happy moments and contemplate what has gone right.

But reflecting on the bad is more difficult. We’re forced to face our shortcomings, relive traumatic experiences and unpack our regrets. There’s more to learn here, but it comes with a high emotional burden.

My Year End Reflection

My thoughts around this have come about as a result of my current year end reflection, which I began a few days ago. This year has been an incredibly difficult one for me, and included many dark periods and negative events. Some of them lasted a few days, some of them lasted entire months.

It has made my reflective time quite painful, as I begin digging up all the emotions that I’ve buried throughout the year.

Don’t get me wrong, there has been a lot of really exciting and epic stuff that has happened this year. And that is easy to reconcile. But the dark times have made it a particularly tough year.

I read through my 2016 review and realised how vastly different last year was. I had a more balanced year, with less extreme events. And it made writing the year end review both a pleasant and easy experience.

I know that reflecting on 2017 is important, and that processing these emotions will ultimately leave me in a better space. So I’ll get through them, and clear the way for a better 2018.

Image was taken in January this year at UCT. The flowers are called Flame Lilies (Gloriousa Superba) and they flower in December/January. They remind me of Zim, as they are the country’s national flower. We also had some growing by our pool in Harare when we were younger

Blog 54/365. Read more about my #365of25 journey here

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Published by rspazzoli on December 30, 2017 | Permalink

Traditions: the old and the new

On Christmas Eve every year we watch Love Actually. The tradition started when we saw it at the cinemas on Christmas Eve in 2003, while on holiday in Australia.

My brother and I also have a tradition of listening to a particular Blink 182 song on Christmas Eve. The song is terrible, but we’ve listened to it every year since 2005, when we stumbled upon it on an old hard drive.

On Christmas Day we open presents and then have a Pandoro or Panettone, which are Italian Christmas cakes. We’ve done this as long as I can remember.

These traditions invoke feelings of nostalgia and bring back memories. They anchor us to our past, and reminds of us all the good bits of it. They’re an important part of us, and preserving them makes us feel like we have a bit more control and consistency over our experience of the world.

The New Traditions

However, each of these traditions happened for the first time at some point. They were once new. And one day we might not be able to keep our traditions going.

Sometimes it isn’t possible to maintain them. Sometimes the right people aren’t there. Sometimes we’re in the wrong place, emotionally or geographically.

But it’s okay.

Because we’ll develop new traditions. New ways to shape our realities. New ways to anchor our memories and sentiments.

And the new traditions will reflect more of who we are now. And the people we have in our lives.

So keep the old traditions when you can. But don’t be scared of the new ones. Because one day they’ll be worth just as much, if not more than the old ones

Image was taken at the Christmas Eve lunch with my cousins. My cousin’s daughter, Madison, is two months old. She’ll have many years ahead of her to develop her own traditions 🙂

Merry Christmas everyone! 🎄

Published by rspazzoli on December 24, 2017 | Permalink

UCT: where it all began

Today I was walking with a group of friends, most of whom didn’t know each other. But there was a single connecting factor between all of us: the University of Cape Town.

As I head towards the final chapter in my UCT career I’ll begin writing more reflective blog posts about this institution. Some will be critiques, some will be praises. Some will be personal, some will be institutional. And some will explore the current strategies, leadership and developmental pathway of the University.

I have lots to say about the place I’ve been a part of for almost 7 years. And I’ll get there. But today I took a moment to notice how much I’d learnt and grown here. How much I had changed. And how almost all my friends are linked to UCT in some ways.

I realised that in many ways, this was where it all began.

Image is of Sarah Baartman Hall (formerly Jameson Hall) on Christmas Day last year

Blog 45/365. Read more about my #365of25 journey here

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Published by rspazzoli on December 21, 2017 | Permalink