Tag: Focus
Identity-Based Decision-Making
Often we contemplate our decisions based on benefits and costs. It’s a practical methodology. But it’s not the only way to make decisions. Another way is identity-based decision-making. This is an approach that helps you avoid distractions and stay focused on your vision. It’s the idea that you take on identities throughout life and during…
The Genius of Persistence
The genius of persistence is that it buys time: Time to garner feedback Time to adjust Time to reapply and employ Time to decide when to go and when to stop Time is our greatest asset, and it’s bought by the genius of persistence.
Circles of Influence and Concern
There are ideas, processes, and people that are within your circle of influence. Those are deserving of your time and energy. Then there are those ideas, processes, and people that you might care about or are interested in, but they lay outside of your circle of influence. These are within your circle of concern. Your…
Restarts and Planned Ends
The end of the year is a great time for restarts. In reality, any time is great for a restart. The reason we often think of the end of the year as a time for new goals, new habits, etc. is that it’s a planned end. It’s anticipated. Unanticipated ends make for chaotic restarts and…
Do You Ever Just Not Feel Like Doing It? …a secret.
I know I do. Sometimes I just don’t want to do it. That project, that repetitive task, or whatever that job is that has lost its pizazz. Here’s the secret. When you don’t feel like doing it, that’s the sign to do it. Act. Don’t delay. Then when you’re finished, you can evaluate whether or…
Three Powerful Letters
Y, E, S are three powerful letters, but they’re not as empowering as these three letters. These three letters form a word that initiates learning, sets momentum in action, and provides evidence for decision-making. What are the three powerful letters? N O W Now. Whatever it is you’re wanting to learn… Whatever it is you’re…
Good Enough Continuum
The trap of perfectionism is on the same continuum as the trap of laziness. Basic dictionary definitions from Google state: “Perfectionism: refusal to accept any standard short of perfection. Laziness: the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy; idleness.” All tasks fall along this continuum. Let’s call it the Good Enough Continuum. It’s…
Distractions on Leadership Teams
It’s simple for a leadership team to be distracted from focusing on their plan. Here some causes: Agendas from different stakeholders that don’t align with the district/building plan. New, but not necessarily better, ideas that create divergence. Lack of data that highlight the small early successes. Pressuring from local politics. Here is one solution to…
Tricky Little Sophistication
We have a problem in education. Academics. It’s both our strength and weakness. Academics have a way of making us feel right – making us feel assured. These feelings don’t always lend themselves to the best dispositions for leadership. Most often they create blind spots. Worse, academics have a way of placing value on sophistication.…
Houston, We’ve Had a Problem
The problem could have turned fatal. The solution was created from a handful of “household” items. There’s a message in it for educators. When you listen to the original audio, you’ll hear the sense of calm that prevailed. The incident started with a loud bang, and the crew initially thought they struck a meteoroid. After…
A Collaboration on Focus
“Every human being enters each day with a finite amount of mental energy. Once that energy is gone, it’s gone for good.” – Daniel Bauer This is one of many insightful quotes from a recent collaboration on staying focused as a school leader. We created this for you as a part of a blog crawl.…
Saying No This Summer
The slower pace of summer break allows a better chance to examine baggage. You know, that stuff that you grabbed along the way because you needed it or just wanted it – the programs, the habits, the time grabbers. But now it’s time. Time to say no to all the good, so you can say…
Six weeks out
Six weeks until the end of the school year. Time is your scarcest resource. It’s running out quickly, and you know the many demands placed on time here at the end. So how will time be prioritized so that the year is finished strong? How will time be maximized for a good launch into the…
Three Things Within Your Control
There are three things completely within your control: Energy Effort Engagement Each of these is desirable when committing to a project, during the hiring process, or when building a team – probably more so than skills or knowledge. Skills and knowledge are relatively simple to gain. Energy, effort, and engagement are not so simple to…
Blockades and What to do with Them
There are four things to do with a blockade. Let the blockade deter you. Remove the blockade and make progress. Zoom out to see how it fits within a larger perspective (is it really a blockade?). Leverage it in ways that allow you to make greater progress. What is blocking you from doing your best…