Self-doubt is a lonely place to be

In front of you is a 10 feet high perfectly manicured hedge.  As green as can be.  It almost glistens in the sunlight.  It is a part of a complex maze.  Dotted around the maze are 'stations' where at each one is a locked door that gives access to more of the maze.  There are over twenty stations.  What a challenge.  In the middle?  A safe, with a three digit thumbwheel.  Inside the safe? Well, let your imagination run wild; that is what is inside the safe.

To unlock each door, you have to solve the riddle at the station.  Some are mental arithmetic or a cryptic puzzle; others require a steady hand to complete a task; you have to score a penalty against a real keeper on one of them! Oh what fun, or so it seems.

It is possible not to achieve the task, in which case the door remains shut.  In those instances, you can always try finding another station.  You never know, the next one might suit your natural abilities better.

How long will it take to get in the middle?  Good question.  That is going to depend on your endurance, ability to open doors and persevere.  Don't underestimate the tasks though.  Loads of people fall into that trap.  They think it is going to be all so easy; they believe they already possess all the necessary skills. This will be a breeze.  Or so they think.

Let's keep our eyes on the prize for a moment.  It could be a chilled G&T, a  million pounds, the latest Apple gadget - imagine what your prize is.  There is no guarantee you will get in the safe - the odds are against you picking the correct sequence of three digits, but it is real, it really will open if you are right.

Off you go - goooooooood luck!

Think for a moment how that journey might go.

You start to sense where your strengths and weaknesses are.  The longer you are in the maze, you can pretty much tell within seconds which stations you are likely to achieve and which you are not.

There is a problem.  

You realise that a particular type of task is preventing you from progress.  Even when you go off to find another station, that tactic has been used to the max, but now, you do have to dig deep - there is no alternative.

Self-doubt creeps into your mind.

You get feelings of helplessness, frustration, anger.  Your motivation levels begin to wade once you start to realise you have reached your natural level of ability.  Your mind starts to wonder about others you know have got into the middle.  You start feeling a sense of injustice and even bewilderment that they have achieved the tasks but you can't.  

The sunshine starts to hide behind clouds.
It begins to drizzle.
You take a deep sigh.
Your head drops.  You feel lonely.

If only you could get into the middle.  There must be a way of getting in the middle that does not involve these stupid tasks.

Is it possible to climb the 10-foot high hedge?  Is anyone watching?  Would it hurt too much if you climbed up and jumped over the other side?

Who says that the safe will be there anyway when you get in the middle?  There will probably be some technical reason why you aren't allowed to break the lock.

You've heard there is a maze that has only ten stations in it.  The prize isn't quite so grand as this one, but you know plenty of people who have decided to go for the other maze.  It's a thought.

Who is the judge on these tasks anyway?  Who decides whether you achieve the task satisfactorily?  You start to wonder if there is some conspiracy going on here.  It might be possible that some back deals are going on unbeknown to you.

You are feeling confused.  You doubt yourself and your will power.

Suddenly, after the fifth consecutive unsuccessful attempt at the tasks, a friendly helper comes around the corner.  He smiles at you and says "Can I give you a hand?"
"Yes please, would you mind?"
"Not at all."

He starts to show you how you can practice the task.  He gives you advice about some drills that start easily but gradually increase in difficulty.  He starts to make the day brighter.  You begin to realise that you can improve with some focussed practice.  It's not easy.  Sometimes, it is quite complicated and at times pretty frustrating.  With time though, effort and a bit of grit, you unlock a door!  Yippee!  That makes you feel good.  Oh, how you are grateful to that friendly helper.  He helped you to understand how you can continue to achieve tasks even when they are initially beyond your ability.  You feel good.  You sleep well that night.
 
You are excited to see what that new door will bring.  Will it lead directly to the safe?  It is doubtful as you've only completed a handful of tasks and there are over 20 in total.  Tomorrow brings another day.


The thing is, "tomorrow" brings more challenges,  some of them increasing in difficulty.  One of the best messages we can give our pupils is to believe in themselves.  They will work hard in our company.  The journey they are on is a series of challenges of differing degrees of difficulty.  We must do everything we can to maintain hope and activate effort in our pupils.  We are emotional creatures, and perceived failure affects all of us in many different ways.  Self-doubt is a lonely place to be.