Volume E-1 | Practice Handbook (Part 1): Family, Education, Healthcare

This is an English translation of 中文原文

Opening: From Theory to Practice

In previous volumes, we discussed principles and methods.

This volume discusses application: in the three most vital areas of family, education, and healthcare, how to implement these principles.

Let’s begin.

Scenario One | Family/Team: How to Hold a High-Quality Family Meeting

Problem: Why Do Family Meetings Always Become “Fighting Sessions”?

Many families try family meetings, but they often turn into “fighting sessions”:

• Everyone expresses emotions, no one solves problems.
• Discussed for a long time, no conclusion, no follow-up actions.
• Next time encountering the same problem, still the old pattern.

Why? Because there’s no structure.

Solution: Four-Step Family Meeting Method

Step One: Transparent Window-Scale (5 minutes)

Before discussing specific issues, first clarify:

• Window: What’s our information source for today’s discussion? (For example, last week’s household expenses, child’s report card, recent family atmosphere)
• Scale: What standard do we use to measure good or bad? (For example, is it “whether money spent is worthwhile,” or “whether everyone is happy,” or “whether it helps child’s long-term growth”)

Make these two clear, many arguments disappear.

Step Two: Set Frequency and Rounds (10 minutes)

According to family affairs’ change speed, set alignment frequency:

• Rapidly changing matters (like child’s learning state, tight family finances): meet weekly.
• Slowly changing matters (like long-term planning, moving or job changing): meet monthly.

Then, each meeting, give everyone 2-3 minutes to speak, take turns, don’t interrupt.

Step Three: Mirror-Test Review (10 minutes)

For important decisions (like which tutoring class for child, whether to change jobs, large expenditures), do a “role swap”:

• If I were the child, what would I think of this decision?
• If I were my spouse, would I think this decision is fair?
• If we swap positions, would I still insist on this decision?

If everyone feels “can accept even after swapping positions,” then pass. If someone feels “unfair,” continue discussing.

Step Four: Closed-Loop (5 minutes)

Break each decision into specific five-minute actions:

• Who’s responsible?
• When to do it?
• What to check next meeting?

Write on whiteboard or family chat, visible to all.

Example: Deciding Whether to Enroll Child in Tutoring Class

• Transparent Window-Scale: Information source is “teacher’s feedback + child’s grades + family budget.” Measurement standard is “child’s long-term growth, not just short-term scores.”
• Set Frequency: This is medium-speed changing matter, discuss monthly.
• Mirror-Test: If I were the child, would I feel forced? If I were my spouse, would I feel too much financial pressure?
• Closed-Loop: Next week, dad consults two tutoring agencies, brings back materials; two weeks later, whole family discusses with child about their real needs; three weeks later, make final decision.

Key Indicators

• Within 48 hours after meeting, no one argues about this matter again (dispute rate drops).
• Committed actions completed on time (on-schedule rate rises).
• Looking back, everyone feels this decision benefited the family (net increase rate rises).

Scenario Two | Education: How to Help Children Establish Long-Term Learning Habits

Problem: Why Do Children “Forget After Learning”?

Many parents find: children learn well normally, but after exams, forget everything.

This isn’t because children are stupid, but because learning methods are wrong.

Solution: Three-Step Learning Method

Step One: Build Graph and Set Parameters (Draw Knowledge Map with Child)

Draw what to learn this semester into a diagram:

• Which are basic concepts (must master first)?
• Which are advanced content (built on basics)?
• Which are difficult points (need repeated practice)?

Then, mark each knowledge point’s “memory half-life”:

• Easy to forget (like vocabulary, formulas), short half-life, need frequent review.
• Hard to forget (like understanding-based concepts), long half-life, can space out reviews.

Step Two: Schedule and Reproduce (Make Spaced Repetition Plan)

Don’t “learn and toss,” but:

• After first learning, review once within three days.
• After second review, review again within one week.
• After third review, review again within one month.

Each review, don’t just “look again,” but “actively recall + practical application”:

• Close book, can you retell?
• Can you use this knowledge to solve a new problem?

Step Three: Mentor Alignment (Find Learning’s “North Star”)

Children need a “mentor pointer”: not necessarily a specific person, but a “learning North Star.”

For example:

• For learning math, North Star can be “able to use math to solve practical problems.”
• For learning English, North Star can be “able to fluently read English novels.”

Each week, check once: am I closer or farther from this North Star?

If closer, direction is right, continue; if farther, method is wrong, adjust.

Example: Helping Child Prepare for Final Exam

• Build Graph: Draw this semester’s math knowledge into a tree diagram. Basic concepts (fraction operations) → Advanced content (fraction word problems) → Difficult points (multi-step word problems).
• Schedule: After learning fraction operations, three days later do 10 review problems; one week later, do comprehensive application problems; one month later, do final mock exam.
• Mentor Alignment: North Star is “can independently solve life’s fraction problems.” Each week ask child: can you use fractions to help mom calculate discounted price?

Key Indicators

• Final exam grades improve (external test error drops).
• Knowledge forgetting area decreases (can maintain long-term).
• Child feels mastery over learning, no longer feels “learning is useless” (initiative improves).

Scenario Three | Healthcare: How to Manage Chronic Diseases

Problem: Why Do Chronic Diseases Always “Recur”?

Many chronic diseases (like hypertension, diabetes, anxiety disorders), good when taking medicine, relapse when stopping.

Why? Because most people only did “treatment,” didn’t do “diagnosis” and “recovery.”

Solution: Three-Stage Control Method

Stage One: Diagnosis (Find Root Cause, Don’t Be Fooled by Appearances)

Don’t only look at “symptoms” (high blood pressure, high blood sugar, low mood), find “root cause”:

• Is it lifestyle problem (diet, exercise, routine)?
• Is it psychological stress problem (work, family, interpersonal)?
• Is it hereditary/constitutional problem (needs long-term management)?

Can through:

• Keep logs (when do symptoms worsen? when do they ease?)
• Consult doctor (do systematic examination, rule out other diseases)
• Self-observe (correlation of emotion, sleep, diet)

Stage Two: Treatment (Minimal Cost Solves Core Problem)

After finding root cause, don’t “fight on all fronts,” but “grasp main contradiction”:

• If main problem is diet, focus on improving diet, exercise as supplement.
• If main problem is stress, focus on stress reduction (change job, adjust expectations, learn emotion management), medication as supplement.

Treatment goal is not “one-time cure” (many chronic diseases can’t be cured), but “with minimal cost, control condition within acceptable range.”

Stage Three: Recovery (Establish Mechanism, Prevent Recurrence)

After condition stabilizes, don’t “forget pain after healing,” but establish long-term mechanism:

• Regular monitoring (like weekly blood pressure check, monthly blood sugar test).
• Establish habits (like daily 30-minute walk, weekly meditation).
• Early warning mechanism (if indicators start worsening, immediately adjust, don’t wait until serious).

Example: Managing Anxiety Disorder

• Diagnosis: Record anxiety attack times, contexts, intensity. Discover mainly “work pressure + sleep deprivation” causes it.
• Treatment: Short-term medication eases symptoms, meanwhile adjust work rhythm (refuse some unnecessary tasks), improve sleep (sleep by 11pm nightly).
• Recovery: Daily 10-minute breathing exercises, weekly yoga, monthly chat with psychological counselor. If notice anxiety increasing again, immediately check: did I stay up late again? Did I take on too many tasks again?

Key Indicators

• Symptoms controlled within acceptable range (diagnosis accuracy improves).
• Medication amount and side effects reduced to minimum (treatment cost drops).
• Recurrence frequency decreases (recovery mechanism effective).

Conclusion: From Scenarios to Methods

These three scenarios cover the most vital areas:

• Family/Team: Use “transparency—mirror-test—three-corrections—closed-loop” for meetings, reduce arguments, improve execution.
• Education: Use “build graph—schedule—mentor alignment” for learning, reduce forgetting, improve sense of mastery.
• Healthcare: Use “diagnosis—treatment—recovery” three-stage method, reduce recurrence, lower costs.

These methods are not theory, but immediately usable practical tools.

Take one scenario, try it, you’ll find: many seemingly complex problems actually have structured solutions.

And this is the first step of wisdom landing.