Ditching the Good Student Mentality

I’ve been thinking about the huge gap between what we’re taught in our traditional education system and the real-world. In school, you're given specific instructions, parameters, and grades as measures for success.

We are basically taught, "Follow these instructions and you'll be successful in life." But then you step out into the real world and you're like, "Wait, where are the instructions? I can’t find the syllabus!"

In school, success is all about getting good grades. And how do you get good grades? By following the rules. Memorize the facts, regurgitate them on a test, and boom! Straight A's. But in the real world, it's not that simple. There are no set parameters or rules that define success.

In fact, success in the real world is all about critical thinking, being able to adapt to changing circumstances and coming up with innovative solutions to complex problems. And I probably don’t need to tell you, that's not something you can learn from a textbook or a standardized test.

The real world is not a multiple-choice test. It's a choose-your-own-adventure book. You need to be able to think on your feet and come up with solutions to unexpected problems.

Let's take a look at a real-world scenario, shall we? You're on a job interview, and the interviewer asks you a question that you weren't prepared for. What do you do? You can't just pick A, B, or C like on a test. You need to think on your feet, come up with a creative solution, and communicate it effectively.

I’m definitely not saying there isn’t value in education. Knowledge is power, for sure. But it's not enough. It's like trying to build a house with just a hammer and a few nails. You literally need more tools in your toolbox.

OK, so where am I going with all of this? For sure, there are ways to help bridge that gap for kids. We continue to improve and evolve there. My larger point, though, is for those of us already in the workforce.

The “good student” mentality can manifest in different (and not always constructive) ways. There’s the people-pleasing aspect that was learned through pleasing teachers for good grades. There is one-track mind aspect of one way to accomplish a certain task, by following a certain set of rules.

On the people-pleasing front, we’re often conditioned to seek external validation vs our own. And when our personal values and priorities don’t line up with those of a boss, a partner, an organization, or society, it’s so much more difficult to find happiness and fulfillment.

When we’re working on a given task or project and we’re basing it off a specific set of instructions or checklist, we can get sucked into the black hole of perfectionism and never-enoughism (yeah, I make up words.)

As with any other barriers for our fulfillment, the first step is awareness. So, if any of this resonates with you, start taking some baby steps today. Ask yourself, what if? What if I get clear on what’s important to ME and have THAT be my North Star? What if I give myself permission to NOT be perfect?

It’s important to be aware of how the "good student" mentality can hold us back. People-pleasing and one-track thinking can prevent us from reaching our full potential and finding fulfillment in our work. By becoming aware of these tendencies and actively working to shift our mindset, we can begin to prioritize our own values and approach tasks with a more open and creative mindset.

** If you find these brief insights on finding joy in work helpful, please re-share with your network or teammates. **