TL;DR:
- Make yourself a priority.
- Find ONE THING you can do for yourself every day.
The new year has started. And if you are anything like me, you’ve made a resolution and are excited and focused on it! All too often though, we lose sight of those resolutions—our goals—and let the busyness of our lives get in the way. Sound familiar?
I’ve decided that this year will be different. Period. I’ve decided that I need to be MY priority because…well, who else is going to prioritize me?
This year I thought long and hard about what I wanted to focus on in 2023. I found some quiet time over the holidays to be silent and to think, read, plan, and reflect. Here is what I came up with.
Personal goal: Get healthy.
I have not done a great job of caring for myself. I am so focused on my job that meal planning and exercise get put on the back burner. My goal is to do ONE THING every day that prioritizes my health. Going to bed early, going to the gym, planning my meals, not having that second soda…all choices I can make to work towards a healthier me. One choice at a time.
I've decided that I need to be MY priority because...well, who else is going to prioritize me? Click To Tweet
Professional goal: Be present in classrooms.
Believe it or not, this has been a goal of mine every year as an administrator. Some years I have done better than others. The first semester of this school year I have not done well with this! I am currently reading the book “Now We’re Talking” and it is helping me refocus. Do I know I should be in classrooms every day? Of course! Do I know that teachers need me to be in classrooms each day? And students need to see me in classrooms? Yes! And yet that seems to be the first thing to go when there’s paperwork to do. When I become overwhelmed. When things get hectic.
On our first day back from break I emailed my staff to let them know about my resolution for getting into classrooms more. I communicated my goal of getting into every classroom every two weeks. It’s week 2 and guess what?!? I’m well on my way to getting into every classroom!
Studies show that only 9-12% of people keep their resolutions. This year I refuse to be a statistic!
I will focus on ONE THING each day and I will celebrate my successes (big and small) with that ONE THING!
What Will YOUR One Thing Be?
What about YOU? What’s ONE THING you can focus on to improve your health? Your quality of life? Your job performance? And how will you hold yourself accountable?
References
About Robin Shrum
Dr. Robin Shrum is an elementary school principal with a passion for learning and growing, and doing what is best for kids. She has been in education for 27 years – as a teacher, teacher leader, assistant principal, and now, principal for the past 9 years. She recently completed her Doctoral Degree in Administrative Leadership, and wrote her dissertation on new teacher retention. Her focus as an educator = People first! She believes that leadership is an action, not a title, and that there are opportunities for learning everywhere, every day! Robin has been a member of the VASCD Conference Committee for 8 years, and plays an integral part in the planning of one of Virginia’s best educational conferences. She can be found on Twitter @PrincipalWWR
