In 1992 Jason Pegler, was walking home from work. Jason lived in Dover, England. This picturesque seaside town is home to the Port of Dover; it faces France just across the Strait of Dover and sits remarkably close to the White Cliffs of…Dover. Back in 1992 there were things called public phones. These old phones had a body about the same size as three shoe boxes side by side (long side) with a handset that included both earpiece (at one end) and microphone (the other end). They were usually fixed to a wall inside a phone box that was a port-a-loo size cabinet made of wood and glass. Coin operated, you could make calls but ordinarily wouldn’t receive them, which was fair enough because…public phone…numbers for these phones were not readily available.
So here we are, on a pleasant evening in 1992, Jason strolls past a phone box on his way home when suddenly the phone rings. Startled, he turns to the device as it demands attention. Curiously he enters the box and lifts the receiver. “Hello” he says quizzically. “Hello” comes the response, “Jason, this is Sue, I’m sorry to bother you but can you please tell me how to work the fax machine?”
The person at the other end of the line was Sue, Sue Hamilton, a work colleague of Jason’s who had no idea how to work the office fax machine and was quite reasonably seeking the assistance of a fellow workmate.
It took a while, but Jason finally convinced Sue that her call had reached him via a random phone box on a random street, randomly on his way home. How could this be? Sue had looked up the office phone directory and dialled Jason’s office extension…but wait…she’d misread the entry and dialled a number that corresponds to Jason’s employee number instead, not his phone number. And…Jason’s employee number just happened to be the exact number of the phone box that he happened to be walking past on his way home. Sue just happened to call at the right moment Jason passed by. WHEW, pretty intense stuff, improbable but not, however, impossible.
The probability of Jason and Sue’s conversation would be tiny, that is one chance in millions. It’s strange stuff, probability. Dr Stephen Nelson from Tulane University (New Orleans) morbidly calculated the probability of finishing your days by being hit by a meteorite, 1 chance in 250,000, not really likely. Compare this with being taken out by a tornado, 1 in 60,000 or a flood, 1 in 27,000. Being hit by lightning runs at 1 in 135,000 and on a less morose note, according to the Lott, the probability of winning Powerball comes in at 1 in 134,490,400 (Oz Lotto is a better option at 1 in 62,891,433).
All these things are highly improbable, yet not impossible. When you consider it’s more likely that you will be hit by lightning or hit by a meteor or be lost in a tornado than win Powerball you might think how can anyone actually win? Yet someone does…often and big. It’s improbable but not impossible.
Our Eddies Men can sometimes be sucked into the realm of believing that things are impossible where, in fact, they are only improbable, and if something is improbable, it’s not impossible.
When faced with a new term or course, subject or unit, they might sit and think the chances of success here are astronomically small; it’s hard, there’s way too much to do, it’s one chance in a really really big number. What looks impossible, may only be improbable. The funny thing about probability is that it can change dependant on the circumstance.
Successful outcomes can and do arise if the conditions are right. Successful outcomes are not impossible. Regardless of the probability, for students, there are three psychological attributes that will facilitate success; mindset, self-discipline and motivation.
Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck outlines the concept “fixed mindset”. Individuals with this mindset, believe that success or failure reflects a certain level of ability that’s not likely to change no matter what. Conversely, individuals with a “growth mindset”, believe that ability can be developed through hard work.
A second factor that may play a role in determining performance is self-discipline. Individuals who give in to temptation tend to rely on a ‘hot” decision-making system that is emotional and reactive. It’s likely to be used when someone is stressed or when they focus on the most tempting aspects of a situation. By contrast, those who are self-disciplined tend to rely on a reflective “cold” system. Taking a moment to reflect during a flash of temptation and being aware of long-term goals allows them to shift or redirect their attention to less seductive elements.
Motivation-wise there is extrinsic motivation, “you will do this because you have to” and intrinsic motivation, “I will do this because I want to”.
We can inspire intrinsic motivation by encouraging our young men to set goals, goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound. Achieving small triumphs leads to further triumphs and there’s nothing more motivating than the dopamine rush of success.
Over the last few weeks, we have celebrated the achievement of young men who have viewed success in their studies not as impossible, nor as improbable. They have altered their circumstances to ensure their success is not only possible but probable. To varying degrees success, as honours, merit and improvement awards, has come about for these young men through a mindset that leans heavily on the positive, the resilient and the sure knowledge that you learn from your mistakes. The success derived from intrinsic motivation and self-discipline bears fruit in the skills they have developed and the knowledge they can apply.
For us, our Eddies Team, we must continue to support all our young men, by creating an environment where independence and self-efficacy thrive; where our young men are enabled to be self-disciplined, self-motivated and self-directed, to be resilient and reflective, responsive and respectful. In other words, make sure it’s not just possible and probable but absolutely certain they will leave us as strong, kind and gentle Eddies Men.
