If you were asked today to name an experience in your life that you would define as a peak moment, what occurrence would you share? Let’s consider the opposite end of the spectrum and name a moment you would describe as being in a pit. Lastly, take a second to recall a time where you experienced a transitional moment such as a job change. Offering Heath and Heath’s definition that a “defining moment is a short experience that is both memorable and meaningful,” would you not agree that the three events that came to the forefront of your mind might be considered Defining Moments in your life?
Let us first examine the idea of peaks in our lives and what psychologists call “the peak-end rule” where when people are asked to “assess an experience…they seem to rate the experience based on two key moments: (1) the best or worst moment, known as the ‘peak’; and (2) the ending.” For example, when I was a young girl, our family traveled for two weeks to the mountains out west, camping in a blue 1976 Ford Econoline van for all but one night. Of the 14-day journey, my memory focuses on only two of those days which could, depending on your perspective, be defined as a peak or a pit. I’ll let you decide.
Attempting to paint a picture for you, a typical night would find us arriving at a campground, setting up a tent over the picnic table, emptying the van for the four of us to sleep three in the back and one child between the front and back seats. On this particular night in Kansas, we arrive at the campground in a torrential rainstorm which offered some unique challenges. No longer having the option to empty the van, somehow mom and dad re-sorted items inside and made a stack of luggage and coolers against the back doors and I slept on top of them. The constant deluge caused a leak in the back doors so throughout the night, mom emptied numerous buckets of rain to prevent my bed from being soaked. Certainly, a defining moment for me on this adventure out west, whether you choose to classify it as a peak or a pit!
As you read this post, I imagine you are reflecting on personal family vacations that had their own Defining Moments, but what Heath and Heath challenge readers to consider relates to the idea that we should be cautious to not allow “relentless routines” to “grind down peaks to bumps…How do you build peaks? You create a positive moment with elements of elevation, insight, pride, and/or connection.” For educators or members of any organization, creating elevation to a moment means you would actively do three things: “First, boost sensory appeal. Second, raise the stakes. Third, break the script. (Breaking the script means to violate expectations about an experience.”
So, whether you are considering a naturally occurring moment such as the rainy night in Kansas which defined a moment or addressing ways to create elevation in a classroom, understanding what raises the experience is important. Considering the fact that Gen Z is visually oriented, I’ve attempted to consider ways a lesson might be Instagrammable, visually appealing. Using the escape room concept (more information here), the sport facility class now covers the security concepts by solving clues to unlock puzzles in an active learning activity. Heath and Heath suggest “one simple diagnostic to gauge whether you’ve transcended the ordinary, is if people feel the need to pull out their cameras [Instagrammable].” So, my hope is that this Amazing Classroom activity boosts sensory appeal by using their hands to manipulate puzzles and locks; raises the stakes by setting a time limit and competing in teams; and breaks the script by introducing course content in a fun and different way. We might have to wait 10 years to see if this is a forgotten moment or a defining moment for college students, but for now, the activity is fun.
Southwest Airlines uses wise cracks to create peaks and defining moments, John Deere invests in a First Day Experience, Kristen Pickens (SAAC President) uses community building events within athletics, and parents create unique opportunities for learning, especially during a coronavirus social isolation period. If we are to contemplate the power of defining moments, I opine that we should focus on how to create peaks, conquer pits, and celebrate more transitions in life.
Examining your current situation, are there ways to create peaks and conquer pits within your sphere of influence? Please share in the comments below. In a future post entitled First Day Experience, we will discuss the importance of celebrating transitions.
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Flourishing @ Life 