Hack:
ABC – start at the very beginning

The solution, I believe is “ABC”. We need to teach Life Skills and we need to start “at the very beginning” (from “Doe Ray Me” in the “Sound of Music”) so people are personally responsible for their own well-being and creating new sustainable long-term systems and solutions.

Here’s how. We need to teach Life Skills from Day One, when kids are born. I say “We” because it’s a partnership, it our kids, our families, our communities and our Government, we can make our organisation, “NZ” fit for the future. People are our biggest asset and NZ’s intellectual property. Let the best country on earth have the best people.

Life Skills

The basic tools are:

1                    Health,

2                    Communication,

3                    Business Skills,

4                    Communities and Partnerships and of course

5                    Education.

Let’s expand these:

1                    Health (and Science) – Lets build the Brain and the Body.  

A child’s Brain builds pathways and networks this starts at conception. The more repetitive education, loving and caring a child gets from birth combined with the right feeding and sleeping programme, the greater the brains networks and bigger the brain. Fairly simple. Networking doesn’t start when you are 40. Parents need to be taught how to be parents and we need to learn psychology.

 The body – lets treat it like a Porche not a racing car. Its more expensive than a Porchse – anyone had hip or heart operations lately? You are what you eat. Feed it right and work it right. It starts at conception. Your body needs unheated oil to keep the joints working – just like a car. Basil and almonds are brain food, had any lately?

 Sport and exercise is about fitness and teams. We were taught at Law School “Children in Sport stay out of Court”.  Kind of makes sense doesn’t it? Imagine the effect on crime. Imagine our kids asking what the word crime means.

2                    Communication – That tool used from birth to death. Let’s talk. What about the empathy, respect, negotiation and how to listen and learn.

Why do we A.S.S.U.M.E. (Yes – you know what the letters mean) people are geniuses at it. We aren’t as good as we like to think. Any wars going on? Broken relationships affect people beyond belief – some never get over it. Tell yourself what you like, but the effect on children and their decisions is even harder. Let’s dance, even better – lets laugh. Laughter is the best medicine.

3                    Business Skills – Basic budgeting, balancing the books – whether it’s at homes or running and managing businesses. The importance of spending less than we earn, investing and compounding interest, mortgages versus renting, taxes, what is an asset and liability and no a car is not an asset – let’s discuss depreciation....... We all find out a little late after gaining a few bad habits that are hard to change. Imagine what we could achieve if we start at five years old.

4                    Communities and Partnerships – It’s about teams, whether it’s our partners, our children, or our communities. Research proves the power of teams exceeds individual’s efforts and the ability of communities to motivate, support and empower. Retirees are an untapped source of knowledge, skills and support. Let build communities involving everyone using the strengths of diverse cultures sharing the knowledge we have.

5                    Education – this includes the 3R’s and values as well as teaching the above. 

The above are all inter-related and will create a competitive advantage for our people and our country through cooperation from involving the greater community.  We can combine the paradoxes of logic about ourselves and our environment and creativity to create a better environment.

                                       “ We shape our environments then our environments shape us”

                                                                                                                                 Winston Churchill (1874-1965)