The edge of panic: how to learn by taking risks | Victor Saad | TEDxUnisinos

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What risk would you take to learn, grow, or change something in your world? In 2012, Victor embarked upon an unconventional journey to design his Masters through twelve experiences in twelve months – an endeavor he and his friends entitled The Leap Year Project. His discoveries led him to begin exploring new forms of higher education through a new initiative called Experience Institute. But, more importantly, it helped him grapple with the roles that comfort, learning, and panic play throughout our lives.

I think everyone has these three zones.

Their comfort zone, their learning zone,
and their panic zone.

And I think our most defining moments,
and our greatest lessons

come when we take risks to move

from comfort into learning

and maybe, to the edge of panic.

Now, I'm on this stage,
because I did not go to grad school.

Instead, about five years ago,

after working with middle school,
and high school students,

when I was curious about the intersection
of for profit, and for purpose businesses.

I was almost going to go to a traditional
grad school to get a master's in business.

But the costs were too high,
and the style didn't fit me.

So, I decided I would try to design
my own education.

By doing twelve projects in twelve months
around the world.

I would source these projects
by talking to companies in design,

business and social change.

And I would try to find one project I could
complete over the course of the month.

I would fund my year by creating a newsletter
that my friends and family could subscribe to

at ten dollars a month.

And I would share my learnings
with them each month.

Now, as I was travelling to
fulfill this idea,

I had met all kinds of amazing people.

Who started talking to me
about the ideas they had,

to learn in a different kind of way,
or to create change, to take leaps of their own.

So, I created an invitation
for those people, to send stories

about the leaps they were taking,
the risks they were taking,

to learn, grow, and create change
in their communities.

And I promised that if
at the end of the year,

I had enough stories, we would take
those stories and make a book.

And at the end of the year,
sure enough, we created a book

called "THE LEAPYEAR PROJECT",
of those stories.

And this kind of became my dissertation.

I also needed a place to graduate.

Some way to end my year.

And there was a TED conference
happening in Chicago.

So I put a cap and gown on,
and that was my graduation.

And in 2013, after this was all over,

We launched a school, a place where
people could come and design

their education through experiences,
in their field of study.

We called it the "EXPERIENCE INSTITUTE"

I even got to meet Oprah.

Now, this is pretty traditional.
Me trying to explain

some sort of audacious idea
to someone who is

much more successful and powerful.

And really probably doesn't
actually care about what I'm saying.

This is a good picture of that year.

Now, that was one of the most
transformative years of my life.

I learned about my industry,
the things I cared about,

and about myself.

And "Experience Institute" has been
my life's work,

inviting people of all ages
to design their education

through experience and mentorship.

But, I think those photos,
they are all beautiful,

and they show energy and excitement.

I think they only tell one part of the story.

Photos like this help
give another picture.

When I was in Orange County,
trying to find a place to stay,

not sure where I would stay
and finding a couch and a garage

of a friend of a friend.

And having to sleep
there for a while.

And what you don't see
is the number of ants on that couch.

Or the motorcycle that would
start every morning at 6:30.

And that would be my alarm.

Or downsizing most of my things,
getting rid of them, selling them,

so I could afford the year,
and so I could stay light.

And carry nothing more than
just a couple of bags, since I travel.

Getting to the end of the year,
and realizing that

writing a book, preparing for a TED talk,
and trying to start a school

is really overwhelming.

Now, I ever since sleep here,
I've been exploring the risk it takes

to move from comfort into learning.

and the transformative impact it has
on an individual's life and career.

What I never expected to find
was the role that panic plays in learning.

It's the space where you come
face to face with your fears.

And not just your fear's
bloated versions of those fears.

Things that don't even really exist.

It's a part of learning that's necessary.

But it's rarely discussed.

Now for a second, lets go back
to those zones.

There's an influential psychologist
named Lev Vygotsky.

He talks about the zone
of proximal development.

the comfort zone isn't necessarily
about your resources, what you have.

It's about your abilities.

About not being challenged.

You know what you know,
and you're right in the middle of

what you know.

And doing just that, there isn't
really a sense of challenge.

In the learning zone, there is a challenge.

But you don't have everything
you need to meet that challenge.

You may have pieces of it.

But you need other people
to help you piece those things together.

And if you get that help, you will succeed.

If you don't get that help, you will
zip right through to the panic zone.

And the panic zone is where you feel
alone, overwhelmed, afraid.

You've lost confidence here.

You can't learn here.

You don't function well.

This is the head in hands moment.

And the only way to
move back from panic,

is to have help to get
into the learning zone.

But normally, we just want to shutdown

and go all the way back to comfort.

Now, learning is where our most
transformative moments happen.

When we meet somebody
who is incredibly helpful.

Or when we overcome a challenge.

If I were to ask you when you
learned your most valuable lessons,

you would talk about a challenge.

You would talk about someone
who helped you through that.

But comfort isn't a bad thing.

In fact, the goal of learning,
is to expand the comfort zone.

This is where we become
more confident, more comfortable.

As we move through life.

Whatever it throws at us.
And not getting to the panic zone.

So, if that's the goal of learning.

If what we're trying to do,
is figure out how we can be people

who are more confident,
no matter what life throws at us.

How do we expand
the comfort zone?

How do we push
back the panic zone?

Now, the grand paradox is that
the only way to expand comfort,

is by leaving it.

So that's what we
have to figure out.

Designing the leaps that move us
from comfort into learning.

And when those leaps are
necessary in our lives.

How do we make space for them,
in our education systems and our workplaces?

So I have three hunches.

It starts with discovery.

Now, discovery is just
a matter of asking questions.

The question you have
as you move through the day.

About how to make something better.

About how to increase
the thing that gives you hope.

What are those moments that
you want to improve something,

make something,
or change something?

Those questions begin pushing you
to the edge of comfort,

in trying to figure out what
things you might want to do next.

Now as those questions
in hopes surface,

the thing that happens next
is you begin exploring.

What is it you could do?

How do I learn?

In defining those projects.

Now, for some people,
school is the risk they take.

They move into that setting.

But for others, the question is

'Should I try to build something?'

'Should I travel, or do a research project?'

or 'Should I just try to work
with an expert in the field?'

The more specific
that project becomes,

the more parameters,
the time frames,

the deliverables.

The more other people can
start seeing what you're doing.

And you can invite them into it.

Which leads to the second thing.

That you need to bring other people.

You need to invite other
people into learning.

It's not a solo project.

There is going to be times
when you don't know what to do.

And you're going to need the help of others.

During "LeapYear", I found myself
not only needing companies

to give me a chance
to work with them.

To learn with them.
And to create with them.

I needed my community
to guide me through times

when I got stuck,
or to support me emotionally.

This included everyone
from my own family.

My mother, to mentors and friends.

This photo, the story
of this photo,

isn't that I hit
the panic zone.

The story of this photo is that
someone took the photo.

They were in the room with me.

Right?

They were the people who
walked me back from the

panic zone, into the learning zone.

And helped me finish
at the end of that year.

Now, I think there is something
more to community

than just emotional support.

I think they become our audience.

They become the people who
validate, and celebrate

the things we learn.

Which leads to the third hunch.

How do we share
the projects we go into?

The things we're
learning and doing.

For me during "LeapYear",
it was nothing more than

a weekly blog post,
monthly newsletter,

and at the end of the year,
creating a book and a presentation.

But for you, you don't need
a big book or a stage.

What you need is
just regular checkpoints.

Places where people can
see what you're working on.

Can give you feedback.

And can celebrate
when you finish.

Discover. Invite. Share.

So, I didn't go
to grad school.

But, I designed one of the most
transformative chapters of my life.

My comfort zone expanded.

But maybe more importantly,
I learned how to navigate

Between comfort, into learning,
and to push on the edge of panic.

Now, 2016 is actually
another leap year.

And I think in Portuguese,
they call this "ano bissexto"

Right?

Where there's an extra day,
and there is a title to the year.

And I was curious,
what would happen if

people in 2016 decided to
design a project of their own.

To move between
comfort into learning.

To design a leap,
however big or small.

And if we do,

whether you're in high school,
or college, or in a workplace,

whatever leap you take.

What would happen to learning?

What would happen to the
education space, when we realize

we can create learning,
we can design it,

just by taking a few leaps?

So, what leap will you take?

(Applause)