I’ve been thinking a lot about this notion of persevering. One of the things I know about myself is that my ability to persevere is directly linked to my commitment to stopping.
We talked before about the constant demands of leading in front, beside, and behind our teachers and staff. My former superintendent once said to me: Kerry, you know, when you retire, no one is going to stand up and applaud you for working all these hours.
Ouch!
After I tended to the sting of that reminder, I realized she was right. This isn’t about how many hours we work. It’s about the IMPACT of our work.
So, my goal in 2021 is to work smarter and build in time to stop. A few years ago, an amazing principal that I coached in Covina-Valley recommended this book. Ironically, I’ve been too busy to look at it. Ugh! What was I thinking? I’m with Principal Travieso on this one. “The Together Leader” is a fantastic resource. The book is filled with so many strategies, protocols, systems and structures that are going to serve me well. But, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the most important reminder takes me back to what we say all the time to those we work with around the country:
What’s your why?
Honestly, stopping to remember the “why” has now removed many things that kept me busy but didn’t tie back to my why and the why of our company:
So, here’s your challenge:
Find your why.
It’s only then that persevering will be possible and will have the IMPACT you desire.
