START HERE | Navigating the In-Between Blog
No one ever seems to talk about the “in-between”.
The sometimes boring, often challenging, space between realizing that you want to make a change and actually living that new life.
From books & movies to social media pages & scrapbooks, it feels like this time is quickly montaged over and barely referenced in the world around us.
The problem is that most of life is the in-between.
So, when we don't talk about it, and how to navigate through it, we create a false sense of reality where everyone who succeeds is either lucky or perfect.
It may be motivating to just focus on the end results, but I think many of us are tired of feeling like everyone else is "adulting" with ease and we're the only ones struggling to navigate from where we are to where we want to be.
If this is you, you're not alone. Let's do this together...
Welcome to the Navigating the In-Between Blog!
Once a month, you will find a new post with thoughts & resources meant to inspire & encourage you along your Iterative Autonomy (IA) journey.
Additionally, I’d like to humbly suggest that you consider dedicating some space in your “capture vessel” of choice* to record the ideas that stand out to you in this blog and other resources on this website & beyond. (*More about capture vessels here.)
This idea fits with what I call “building your personal compass”.
Everyone makes decisions all day long about their next steps, ultimately defining their life’s path.
But not everyone truly takes ownership of those decisions and fully engages with the process of building the life they choose.
Before we have the awareness that autonomy is a thing, it’s like we’re using a compass built by others. It points where they think we should go.
When you build your personal compass, and actively use it to navigate the in-between, you can fine tune it to continuously point in the directions that align with your present self.
Whenever it's helpful, you can visit the Navigating the In-Between Blog (and upcoming manual) to find a growing, curated collection of ideas & resources to help you gain the clarity & confidence to keep moving forward on your IA journey.
If you have ideas or content for a blog post, please share them with me using any of the forms on my About page.
My Mission & Commitment
I believe an Iterative Autonomy (IA) practice will not just benefit children and parents, but all of us.
Without autonomy, we aren't really a world of individuals, we are a finite collection of echo chambers.
Without iteration we are denying the truth of change, the one thing that we can depend on to happen in this world.
My practice of autonomy allyship & advocacy is an iterative one as well. I welcome constructive feedback from those who have knowledge, experiences, perspectives and ideas to offer that are different from my own whether they align with my viewpoints or not.
I want to get this right and the only way to do that is to always stay open to better ideas and deeper understanding.
On my FAQ's Page you'll find a few answers to questions that have come up.
You can reach out directly using any form on my About page (anonymously if you would like) or in the comments below to share anything else that's on your mind.
Thank you for helping me to grow!
Meet the Author
Melody Baran | Iterative autonomy LLC | Owner. Creator. Curator.
Iterative Autonomy is a practice of self-discovery based on my experience as an educator.
It’s my answer to the question: What can we do to set ALL people up to succeed?
I'm Melody, creator & curator of Iterative Autonomy, and trust me I DO know it's a mouthful, but it's also a way to define both the entire human experience AND how to live life to the fullest in just two words. This is why I feel so strongly about their value and potential to effect positive change.
I've been a classroom teacher and I've owned & operated two education-based companies. For the last several years, I've had the privilege of stepping away from all of that & researching, from every angle I can think of, how we might approach education differently, so that EVERY child becomes an adult who knows themselves well & knows how to achieve any goal that they choose to pursue.