Today I’m sharing a Summer Submission sent in by my cousin Keely Grace McCarthy. Keely shares a technique she learned in graduate school called “scaffolding.”

She writes…

Scaffolding in teaching is a method in which the teacher adds temporary support for students. These supports can be audio tools, visual tools—truly anything that helps the student broaden their depth of knowledge and create more meaning in their learning. The scaffolding not only helps the student problem solve, it also helps the student to better connect to the world around them. 

Before I started my teaching program, I didn’t know about scaffolding. But now that I do, I’ve been thinking about how I can use it in my own life.

It looks kind of like this: 

I gave myself a goal to exercise three times a week. But going on a thirty minute walk three times a week can get boring. I could try and trick myself into thinking an early morning stroll will motivate me because I love the smell of the air first thing in the day. Buuuut, that trick doesn’t always inspire me to put my sneakers on when it’s 20 degrees outside!

This is when I can use scaffolding. Instead of walking everyday, I can plan to swim for thirty minutes one of the days and take a yoga class another day. I can ask a friend to join me on a walk with the promise of coffee afterwards. Hey, I can even make my dog happy by grabbing her for a walk around the neighborhood. 

If I incorporate more scaffolding into my health routine, I’ll be more likely to stay motivated-and healthy. This useful tool of incorporating additional framework and support into my life not only helps me stick to my goals, it also helps me feel more empowered to make real and lasting positive changes in my life.  

Well, thank you for that Keely!

Team, I talk about this topic all the time, right? While I didn’t have a name for it, I scaffold the crap out of my life. And this felt like the perfect time to bring this up because I want to share something with the Team as we welcome in this New Year.

Here at Confessions I do my best to keep the focus on my own recovery and not tell other people what to do, but it’s important to me to tell you that you are all worth getting as much scaffolding as you need for whatever doesn’t come easily to you. I don’t care if it’s exercise, organization, relationship issues, self image issues, substance abuse, concerns with your overall mental or spiritual health and wellbeing—it does not matter. If you’ve been struggling for a long, long time with something in your life, experience has taught me that the solution is very likely not within me. The solution is almost always going to start by seeking help outside of myself. Please don’t blame yourself for not being able to tackle, solve, or beat a challenge you’re facing. I’d love to encourage all of our TeamConfession family to seek out and lock down whatever help we require to be in less pain, less overwhelm, and less fear. You are absolutely worth it and I know you can do this. Let this be the year where the decision to reach out for more help made all of the difference in our lives.

Happy, Happy New Year Everyone!