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.

Making the Most of Our Moments

cc flickr photo by azjd

Yesterday is gone.  Tomorrow has not yet come.  We have only today.  Let us begin.  ~ Mother Teresa

Moments.  Our days are filled with them, yet we often fall victim to foresight -- missing the opportunities that pop up, right in front of us.  It is easy to spend a day, or even a lifetime, looking ahead, wishing time away, and failing to take advantage of the small moments we are granted to be difference makers.  Zig Ziglar had it right when he said: "You never know when a moment, and few sincere words, can have an impact on a life."

Peter Bregman recently wrote an article in the Harvard Business Review, entitled A Question That Can Change Your Life.  The question that he encourages his readers to ask is: what can I do, right now, that would be the most powerful use of this moment?  According to Bregman:

"We're already spending a certain amount of time doing things -- in meetings, managing businesses, writing emails, making decisions.  If we could just make a higher impact during that time, it's all upside with no cost."

So true.  As a school administrator, I can't begin to count the times I have sat through meetings, participated in professional development, supervised activities, or worked on any number of mundane tasks -- a bit mind numb, passing time until I am able to get on with "more important" things.  But, as Bregman suggests, being mindful of these moments, and actively searching for opportunities to make a difference can pay significant dividends.

For me, a perfect example is lunch duty.  At our school, we rotate cafeteria supervision, and Friday is my assigned day.  It's my favorite day of the week.  Not because it is the prelude to a weekend, but because I have the opportunity (during a two hour time period) to interact with many of our nine hundred junior high students.  I use the time to learn names, encourage, visit about what is going on in the lives of the kids, and build connections.  On most Friday's I have many other things to do, but none are as important, or have as much potential for impact as lunch duty.  On Friday's at noon, lunch duty is definitely the most powerful use of the moment.

Be intentional with your moments -- aware of the potential to make a difference.