The Four A’s for Today’s Lifestyles

In past centuries, mastery of the three R’s – readin’, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic – was commonly viewed as essential to effective learning and communication. However, the nurturing and building of the “Four A’s” have also become essential to developing skills relevant to thriving in the 21st Century. This is true for both students and adults as they share concerns about finding ways to balance life’s demands while keeping pace with challenging daily schedules.

What are the Four A’s?

1. Attitude is how we present ourselves to the world.
   Developing the skills to share our sometimes conflicting opinions in a respectful tone and pleasant manner contributes to a more balanced environment and easier interactions with others. Our choices about how to present ourselves will impact every situation we encounter and everyone we meet.
2. Attention is what we focus on.
   What we attend to establishes our priorities. We can easily feel overwhelmed if our attention is constantly challenged by competing priorities (e.g., family relationships and caregiving, financial and physical well-being, professional development, work or school performance and relationships, and community). Learning to focus our attention on defined priorities in different areas of our lives is now an essential skill.
3. Action is the process of doing or moving toward an outcome.
   Rather than only thinking about something, taking some action, even one step, moves us steadily closer toward a goal. When our priorities are identified, creating an action plan and visualizing the outcome helps us to maintain focused attention.
4. Accomplishment is the result of attitude, attention, and action all working in concert.
   It can be a step taken on the way to a larger objective, a change in health or relationship, or a week of focused attention on a particular project. Accomplishments demonstrate the results of our time and energy. Incomplete goals can contribute to frustration and anxiety.

For many of us, time is the new currency, and learning to balance competing demands on our time is a daunting challenge. By being aware of our attitude, attending to defined goals, and taking the necessary actions, we increase our accomplishments and establish a sense of balance and direction.