The 20 Mile March
As we are all well aware parts of Queensland have come through another snap lockdown. The Chief Health Officer warns us that it is unlikely to be the last one we experience in the months ahead. More working from home, more At Home Learning. Whilst I hope this isn’t the case, it remains a possibility. This sort of disruption can knock us off course or interrupt our momentum as we work towards our goals, be they academic, business or career.
Jim Collins, author of several best selling business books including ‘Good to Great’ suggests that in these times of disruption it is important that organisations (including schools) and individuals engage in a concept known as the ’20 Mile March’. Collins illustrates the concept of the ’20 Mile March’ through the true story of two teams of adventurers and their race to be the first to the South Pole at the start of the 20th Century. In October 1911, two teams of adventurers set off on their quest to be the first people in modern history to reach the South Pole. For one team, led by Roald Amundsen, it would be a race to victory and a safe return home. For the second team, led by Robert Falcon Scott, it would be a devastating defeat, reaching the Pole only to find the wind-whipped flags of their rivals planted 34 days earlier, followed by a race for their lives - a race that they lost in the end - as the advancing winter swallowed them up.
What separated these two men? Why did one achieve spectacular success in such an extreme set of conditions, while the other failed even to survive? Amundsen and Scott achieved dramatically different outcomes not because they faced dramatically different circumstances. They had divergent outcomes principally because they displayed very different behaviours. Collin’s research suggests that the answer lies in the ’20 Mile March’. Amundsen reached his goal and succeeded because of a consistent daily effort of making constant progress every day regardless of the circumstances. Scott failed because he was inconsistent in his efforts – on good days applying himself and making progress; on challenging days making no effort, wallowing in self-pity and complaining about the circumstances.
For our students, success and achieving their goals in their learning is a bit like the ‘20 Mile March’. It’s a long journey, full of challenges like lockdowns along the way. In order to give themselves the best possible opportunity to reach their final goals they would do well to adopt the ’20 Mile March’ approach. Being self-disciplined, focused, consistently engaged, asking questions, acting on feedback, completing the classwork every day; not three or four days out of days; not a huge effort in the last couple of weeks of a class; but every day is like marching 20 miles each day. That consistency will be build a strong foundation, a strong platform, and move them closer to their final goal each day. Being consistent in completing their homework, following a regular pattern of study every night, rather than being sporadic and pulling all-nighters every now and then, is marching 20 miles every day. This will position our students strongly to stay on top of their learning; allow them to build on their previous learnings and give them the confidence to face their exams knowing that you have covered all the ground and down the work necessary. Starting their assignments early, and doing a small but regular amount each day, rather than working all hours into the early morning in the final days before the task is due is doing the ’20 Mile March’. This will reduce the chances of things going astray when circumstances out of everyone’s control like snap lockdowns occur. This 20 Mile March approach to their studies will go a long way to helping our young people achieve their goals.
Tim Kotzur
Head of College
