The holidays have come and gone, filled with family and friends and fun. It was a time to purposefully unplug, to reflect and to disconnect from the digital world so I could focus on the real world. 2018 taught me that time is probably my most precious, and sometimes wasted commodity. I spent a lot of time worrying about things I had no control over. I willed my way through difficult situations and instead of reaching out, I dug deep inside. Good for the short game, not so great for the long game. But in the end, I am exactly where I need to be, right here, right now.
Every year, I set a word of intention. Sisu, my word last year evolved into simply surviving what seemed impossible. Sisu at its core is a Finnish concept described as stoic determination, the tenacity of purpose, grit, bravery, resilience, and hardiness. I spent the first half of the year crossing one challenge off my list and then tackling another. When I graduated last May, I stood there right after being hooded, wondering what was next. People expected me to know, and for weeks after, the first thing anyone said after congratulations were now what? I didn’t have a clear answer. I kind of waited for the skies to open and opportunities to come raining down. Instead, there still is this uncomfortable space and awkward silence when people ask me what’s next.
Fast forward to today, the first day of 2019. In setting my intention for this year, I have chosen the word opportunities. When opportunity knocks many people miss it because it looks an awful lot like work. I am not afraid of hard work, in fact, I pretty much don’t know how to live a life that isn’t based on several to-do lists and a steady stream of coffee. But this year the shift to opportunities is less about taking advantage of things that come my way, (I am pretty good at that), but instead creating opportunities for my own personal and professional growth. I am great at fitting into a system or situation, and making it work, making it better. I want to explore deeper what it would mean to create new systems and support others in creating a shared vision. I want to take on a new form of leadership.
I want to use what I learned in my doctoral studies to make a real difference in education. It means going deep into my own leadership goals and development, seeking out mentors that might help me take on new educational roles. It means blocking out time to work on personal goals as well as creating a powerful program for my students with me right now.
It also means looking at things that happen in my life as opportunities to learn and to grow. It won’t be easy, and it will probably be uncomfortable and even a little scary. I am giving myself permission to set my own path, to be even more purposeful in my decisions. I have learned a lot in my over three decades in education, and it’s time to come up with a way to share that knowledge, create that program, to set my own ideas out into the world in a more global way. So stay tuned friends, the opportunities for all of us will unfold as the days pass, what we choose to do with that time is up to us.