It’s okay to admit it. You are skeptical of the whole “family meeting” concept. Yet you have a lurking feeling it could change your life for the better; and, Acton families make a promise to write one as part of being in the learning community. So what is holding you back?

Is the Lencioni Family Plan Badge we have for you a bit daunting? Does it feel too time-consuming? Do you resist integrating “business” into your spontaneous, fun-loving family living? Is there a way to hack this? A short cut to test it out?

For those of you dragging your heels a bit with the charge to write a family plan, I’ve created a pain-free way for you to test these waters.

1 Unwavering courage.

2 Self-Control.

3 A keen sense of justice and fairness.

4 Definiteness of decision.

5 Definiteness of plans.

6 The habit of doing more than paid for.

7 A pleasing personality. No slovenly, careless person can become a successful leader.

8 Sympathy and understanding.

9 Mastery of detail.

10  Willingness to assume full responsibility.

11     Cooperation.

Mr. Hill’s comments on education were fascinating. “This missing link in all systems of education known to civilization today, may be found in the failure of educational institutions to teach their students how to organize and use knowledge after they acquire it.” This comment builds a great case for project based learning. If you don’t see the “why” behind what you are learning, it feels like a pointless waste of time.

Mr. Hill further goes into the concept that general knowledge is somewhat useless. He notes that a person should focus on their greatest gifts and then outsource their weaknesses to a mastermind team. This was such a profound statement! Within our school, Eagles who are good at a certain skill can sign up to mentor a student who might struggle in that area. This provides an opportunity for Eagles to exercise their greatest gifts while giving other Eagles the chance to develop a “master mind” team to help them solve their problems. Learning to collaborate and play to your strengths is a solid plan for success. Often as parents we tend to focus on our child’s weaknesses and how we can improve upon their flaws. Instead what would happen if we focused on augmenting their strengths? Mr. Hill noted that a person’s greatest asset is their ideas. “The great leaders of business, industry, finance, and the great artists, musicians, poets, and writers became great because they developed the faculty of creative imagination.” Ironically many of history’s most impacting people never went to college – Abraham Lincoln and Bill Gates immediately come to mind. It is the human imagination and ability to dream that is our most powerful asset. A goal of an Acton education is to ignite curiosity and creativity.

In summary, my vision for our school culture is very much defined in the hero’s journey. Learning, growing our strengths, and making the world a better place by using our inherent uniqueness and creativity. “The person who stops studying merely because he has finished school is forever hopelessly doomed to mediocrity, no matter what may be his calling. The way of success is the way of continuous pursuit of knowledge.” Napolean Hill