The Other Serenity Prayer

The Other Serenity Prayer

     I came across the "Other" Serenity Prayer this weekend.  Wow.  The timing of Facebook stalking your words and readings sometimes is creepy, but it does often present you with something you really need.  I needed this.  Taking on this Aspiring Principal's Program has been overwhelming to say the least.  There are moments that I have truly questioned if it was what was best, personally, professionally, and family wise.  My type A, OCD, dyslexic, heart on my sleeve self has struggled to give what I feel all aspects of my life deserve and many tears and much anguish has been shed in the process.  However, this brought so much back into focus.

     It's okay not the make the perfect decision, as long as it is the best decision I can make with the information I have at the time, in the best interest of students.  It is okay to hit bumps in the road, I am not perfect, and no one expects me to be.  It is okay to breathe and be me.  In the moment.  

    This week I have really focused on not second guessing myself. Not over-analyzing every movement and decision.  Every night, I have set aside time to reflect on my day.  If that reflection leads me to need to change something about what I did that day, I take that one the next day.  But I am slowly learning to trust myself and just go with it.  

    So in doing that, my person to take my team has been chosen.  We have talked and started laying out a plan for her.  Our meeting next week has a rough outline and a plan.  We've set goals, got a plan, and I am feeling much more organized.  I do LOVE a good organized plan! Going to tackle each day and week as they come, working hard to maintain my focus, trust myself, and breathe.

Building Capacity

Building Capacity

I've always stated to my staff "My job is to make your job easier".  I strive to take things off of their plate, to work diligently not to add more.  So when tasked with putting someone in charge of a team I lead while I am away, I have struggled with looking at it as an positive, a growth opportunity, and not as adding to their plate.  (Yes, I know it truly is a positive! For both of us!)

Even as I sit here tonight, I have yet to reach a conclusion as to who this person shall be.  There is, as there always will be, the natural choice for anyone that looks at the group.  But they are already tasked with so much, so does that truly push my skills for building others?  How does one identify the person to lead on this journey?  Do I take the easy route, one I know that is safe and will get the job done?  Or do I challenge myself and someone else, to reach for more?

Where does one turn when in need of guidance?  Google, of course!  No seriously, I do often start there to at least narrow down what my question really needs to be.  In looking for answers, I came across this article- 7 Ways to Identify Leaders Among Your Employees.  While not presenting anything earth shattering, it did give me some mindful questions to ask when considering the members of my team.  So I'm off to make my pro/con list, ponder these questions, and see if I can develop a plan....