Being a human is tricky. Juggling it all with grace, patience, and knowing that it is all going to have a similar pattern and work out, is a super power. The thing is, we all want that, but we fight it. We tend to run away from the hard stuff because it is too painful. I get that. I used to do this. If it was too overwhelming, I avoided it or got super caught up by the work it would take to get out of it. I turned away and hoped for the best. I wanted the world to stop and see that I was grieving or I was overwhelmed. But the world just kept going. This plan was not serving me, it was sinking me.
If I really look back at all of the hard stuff that I have encountered in my life, there has always been a delivery of the best lesson to follow. It was where I met my people and my community who lifted me up. I just finished reading the book Untamed, and Glennan Doyle states that we should start to recognize the hard in the world (Covid comes to mind) and stand there. She goes on to state that the very thing that breaks our heart is the very thing you were born to help heal. Every world changer’s work begins with a broken heart. That’s us, leaders! We are world changers!
That brings to mind exactly what is going on in our world right now but more specifically to our line of work, as leaders in our schools. We are leading amongst heartbreak right now and that is what should bring us all together. We need to find each other right now because this heartbreak is delivering our purpose. However, with that heartbreak, comes the call to be brave for our school communities, our families, and for ourselves. Bravery needs people too. If you are brave enough to see how much your community needs you and are willing to accept that delivery and seek out the people doing that particular world-changing work, you will find your people. That is what we are doing as school leaders. We are forming the next generation of difference makers, but we are also standing alongside the teachers of the present and guiding them to continue to deliver and to show up amongst the heartbreak. That changes their lives too. There is no bond stronger than a bond that is forged among people who are dedicated and committed to doing the same world-changing work. We all want purpose and connection and heartbreak will reveal both of those things to us. So stand in this heartbreak and don’t let it keep you from doing everything you can. As Glennan Doyle states in her book, “That fire that burned me up for the first half of my life is the exact same fire I’m using now to light up the world.”
We have a massive responsibility as leaders in our school and we owe it to ourselves as well. But we need each other to light it up instead let that fire that is burning in our world take us down. So like everything that I do these days, I come with a system that will help to shine light on our communities amidst a pandemic. I have been at this resiliency, system, and clarity thing for many years and have found some amazing strategies on my own that have really helped me along the way. I have also found some gurus that have become my people. They have lifted me up, showed me a lighted pathway, and generated hope when I needed it the most. As I said earlier, bravery needs people too. And so, I challenge you to find those people, they will become your most valuable bond and superpower. My tribe is made up of virtual and face to face relationships. One of the people who have been showing me the light, is Michael Hyatt. He is a guru in leadership and ways to ignite a community to be more productive and efficient. I recently attended a conference (virtually) of his and he gave me some massive insights on how to keep leading through a pandemic. In other words, how to stand in the heartbreak. These five things were very eye-opening to me and I wanted to share them with you guys today.
- Resist the illusion that your workload is temporary. It is not. You may tell yourself, “If I could just get this thing done and over with, then I will have more time and it won’t be as busy.” The thing is once that thing is done, another one will always take it’s place. Therefore, we need to stop telling ourselves that our workload is going to get lighter because if we look back, it never has so why would it in the future?
- Recognize that not all work is created equal. The people work is the most important. Period… That paper work that we tend to hide behind is NOT as important and therefore should be secondary to what really matters. Yes it needs to get done, but are you putting more effort and time into that (perhaps because it is easier) than being where your community needs you most, alongside them?
- Reduce your non-desire zone activities. Hyatt talks about having four zones: The desire zone, the disinterest zone, the drudgery zone, and the distraction zone. Take a good look at where you are spending most of your time. If it is in the non-desirable zones that you need to look at what you would be willing to give up in those non-desirable zones in order to get to the desire zone. Look at what the jobs are and what outcomes are they getting you in the big picture? Edit your jobs to get more time spent in the desire zone.
- Redesign your day. I talk about this one a lot. My calendar is my best friend. I actually follow a system. I take everything out (personally and professionally) that I need to get done every Sunday for the week coming up. I write it all down in a list. Next, I create groupings (I think of them as containers and I draw boxes and write them down in those containers). Check out my previous blog post, The Leadership Edit, for an example of how I do this. Finally, I edit that list. I get rid of the things that will not give me a clear outcome. I just simply do not do them. Hyatt states that the secret to achieving MORE by doing LESS is to do more of your DESIRE ZONE activities and less of everything else. He says to choose your daily big 3 things to get done amongst the 15 other things. Your priority that day is to get those three things done.
- Recruit a coach, accountability partner, or a community of like-minded leaders to accelerate your progress. Now when you are considering a coach or an accountability partner, you must consider certain criteria. Think about whether they have the right experience to help lift you and guide you. Do they get results for themselves and their clients and can they prove it? Do they do as they say and walk the walk? Suuuuuuper important stuff my friends. If you are around people who are not standing in the heartbreak and doing the work and finding solutions rather than complaining about problems, they are not your people. The last thing to consider is how you will keep in touch with them. Do they offer the right format that works in your life? I have a free template on how to invite and engage people at your table called, Engaging Your Tribe. You can download it here!
Those five things are what I do every day in my life and it has brought immense strength, clarity and the feeling that I am not alone. I have my people. I need my people. I have even created a forum for other like minded leaders to form a community of solution-based leaders. If you are interested, join our private facebook community called Principals and Leadership! We will be there waiting for you!
Now we all know our effort is eeeeeverything! We know the time and commitment that we must put forth to be leaders. We also know that we need to put the same time and effort into our families which is why these 5 things will help us in our personal and professional life because we will go deep with the time that we have. I do these same five things with my personal life and put the same effort and dedication into my me time and my family time. 20% of the EFFORT drives 80% of the results.
Eliminate and edit your time. Say ‘no’ more often if the outcome does not serve your community, your family, or you. Do less of the tasks that are in your undesirable zones. Automate everything that you can. If you have been with me for awhile, you know I love frameworks and templates! Those will save you so much time and energy and can be used over and over again. Develop swipe files for common scripts, conversations, or problems. Create checklists for stuff that needs to be included or get done. Use worksheets to answer questions or create commonly asked question and answer files. Develop frameworks for common teaching strategies like workshop or assessment strategies. These are just a few ideas to help you automate your system. In other words, you need to have a system! Start to create one and then go all in and tweak it so it works for you. Lastly, delegate. However, it is sooooo important not to dump onto someone and leave them hanging. Be there to support them every step of the way but they are the ones responsible. Next, don’t micromanage after you have delegated. This is so frustrating for the other person. Lastly, don’t hesitate. We need to start delegating with support. We cannot do it all. Find your people.
Stand in the heartbreak of this time, my friends. Stand firm and strong because you have a system, you have your people, and you have your commitment and strength. Heartbreak (like this pandemic), can be one of the greatest clues of our lives. As Glennan Doyle states so eloquently, “When we let ourselves be moved, we discover what moves us. Heartbreak is not something to be avoided; it’s something to pursue.” Find the clues, see them, let them tell you more, and then….develop a system.
Want more? Check out my website for all the latest happenings or join my private facebook group called Principals and Leadership.
Or…
Download my free template (system!) called Engaging Your Tribe.
And…
I have a podcast that I do with my students called Even If You Miss. It is a wellness podcast for kids by kids. You can subscribe to us on Apple podcasts or Spotify.
Even If You Miss..... 