Long-Lasting

The Six Principles of Sticky Ideas *:

1. Simplicity ~ To make an idea simple, first find the core of your lesson, then anchor it in knowledge that your students already have. You must relentlessly prioritize. Sound bites are not the ideal, proverbs are. Ideas that are simple and profound. What do you most want to get across?
2. Unexpectedness ~ How we get our audience to pay attention to our ideas, and how we maintain their interest when we need time to get the ideas across. To make it work use the power of curiosity and mystery. Use the unexpected.
3. Concreteness ~ Concrete, sensory experiences etch ideas into our brain - think of how much easier it is to remember a song than a credit card number, even though a song contains much more data!
4. Credibility ~ How we make people believe our ideas. This can come through personal experience.
5. Emotions ~ How we get people to care about our ideas. Transforming the idea from something that is analytical or abstract or theoretical and make it hit you in the gut or the heart.
6. Stories ~ How we get people to act on our ideas. Stories have a unique power to engage and inspire.

It was as I was taking notes on this to use for teaching (it has completely altered my lesson planning, I am loving the simplicity and challenge of it!) and analyzing what it would look like to apply this to writing, that I had the thought: I wonder what the number one thing is I would want to impart to my kids? What do I want to stick with my family about me the longest?


I know this book is not a narrow-your-life-down-to-one-thing book, but I tend to think that way. I do well with goals, with a focus, with an intentionality that helps me think clearly when I am overwhelmed, when the interaction levels are loud and repetitive, when I am going on too little sleep. (The classic scenario of an introvert mother.)

I asked myself what is the most transformational thing to me about other people? What changes me? What sticks to me about people? What do I consistently notice?

And you know what it came down to? Words. The power of words. Particularly kind words. They are safe, transformational, encouraging, a gift, an avenue to engage, a reminder of value, a turning point in discussion; kind words build relationship and create listening. They earn respect and create beauty.

I have lots of questions about this. How does this look in writing? In art? (With hormones!?) When my kids have not just stretched my last nerve thin but are dancing up and down on it with baseball bats?

But I think if there is one thing that I had to narrow down that I want to be known for by my children; that I want to give to them; that they know they could expect from me - it is kind words.

{*These are notes I took directly from the book. You can also go here to get a summary of this part of the book sent to you by email. I still recommend reading the whole book, each chapter was excellent in explaining every point.}

This is part two of four parts I am writing this week about a new teaching style I am learning, kindness and a great book. I should add that I do not know the authors nor have I been asked by anyone to write about this book.