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Thursday, August 15, 2013

Tomorrow Will Be Better

cc flickr photo by azjd
The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.  ~ Abraham Lincoln
Today was one of "those" days.  Chaotic from the beginning.  In the past, I have compared the experience to playing a game of Asteroids -- frantically trying to shoot down all of the issues before a massive collision occurs.   The longer you "play," the more likely you are to miss the "rocks" hurtling around you.  Today, I definitely took some direct hits.

I was at a district training all day yesterday, so of course, I was behind before I walked in the door.  My email inbox was overflowing.  I had several discipline referrals -- with other issues popping up during the day.  A few parents called with concerns, and to top it off, I had a couple hours of flag football supervision (something I would normally enjoy if not for the 108 degree temperature, and the fact that I was wearing dress clothes).  By the end of the day, I was tired, hot, frustrated, and as you can tell from this post, not extremely positive.

Even in my third year as a principal, I am still really struggling to manage my workload in a way that allows me to be "in the moment" throughout the day.  While I suspect everyone has their struggles, I envy those school leaders who make it look easy.  I don't feel effective when I have "asteroid" days, and when I reflect on the experience, I am appalled at how quickly my focus shifts from people, to tasks -- when I am overwhelmed.  That isn't a good thing.

In spite of today's struggles (and I know there will be more to come), tomorrow is a new day, and I will find a way to make it a better.

4 comments:

  1. I struggle with the same issues and love your comparison to asteroids. Remember how a big rock would just turn into a bunch of smaller rocks, isn't that the case as a Principal!
    I don't have a solution, other that words of advice a former superintendent once gave me when we talked about leadership vs. management. He said "The way you manage shows your true leadership style".

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    1. Hey Kyle...thank you for taking the time to read and comment on my post. I do remember how blasting the big rock would turn it into a bunch of little ones...and you are right, the same thing happens with a lot of the issues we face :) Like your superintendents advice...we will keep working on a solution!

      Thanks again.

      ~ Jeff

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  2. Hi Jeff,

    You are right, we all have those days! You are not alone.

    It is frustrating to be behind before you even get in the door. I have those days as a well. It's difficult when you are required to be out of the building.

    I think realizing the struggle with focus will, in time, help you to refocus where you want to have your focus. If not all the time, at least sometimes. It's a start, right? By the way, it's sounds to me like you were focussing on people throughout your day - students, parents, and more students (football).

    Tomorrow IS a new day. It WILL be better.


    Good luck!
    Tia

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    1. Thanks Tia,

      I appreciate you taking the time to read/comment, and your encouragement. When "those days" happen, I find that I have to be very intentional about slowing down and taking one step at a time. I have to make sure I am completing tasks with purpose. Some days I am successful at doing that, other days I fail miserably :)

      But...in the end, we get the chance to try again the next day.

      Thanks again,

      Jeff

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