3-2-1…Happy New Year!

Since I was little, I was excited to scream out those three magic words, “Happy New Year”! There was something about the thrill of staying up later than normal, getting dressed up, and drinking carbonated grape juice from a wine glass. As I got older, I still get that same excitement in the anticipation for the upcoming year. The conversations switch from the weather and sports to include the conversation of new year’s resolutions. What shall I pick this year? Exercise more? Eat less? Call family more often?

This past year, I read Gordon, Britton, and Page’s book, One Word that Will Change Your Life. The book describes the failed attempts at keeping a new year’s resolution, and the power of defining your goal in one word. Through a process to look in, outside, and up, I committed INSPIRE as my One Word.

I publicly shared my commitment with other educational leaders to hold me accountable to challenge me to inspire others. You can read my blog here: My #OneWord for 2015 is to “INSPIRE”. I chose three ways that I would get inspired, so I could be an inspiration to others:

• Seeking the Best in the World. This year, I planned on finding those same opportunities to meet and talk to the best educational leaders to get that same inspiration.  While I may not be able to meet the “best in the world” face-to-face, I have met many educational leaders who have inspired me, and I will take on the challenge to continue creating opportunities to be inspired by them.  I committed to connecting with other educational leaders digitally through Twitter and Voxer. I have also attended EdCamps, and even my first NASSP Ignite Conference.
• Surrounding Myself with Other Enthusiasts. For 2015, I committed to surrounding myself with other enthusiasts.  This year, I planned on creating opportunities to have positive conversations with others on how to improve, learn, and grow.  I am staying clear of the people who zap my energy or create negativity that is counter-productive. While we can’t control the changes happening with assessments, standards, and evaluations at the state and national levels, I can control my attitude and who feeds my thoughts.
• Sharing My Talents. This year, I planned on sharing my talents with others.  I created a few networks with other educational leaders and am committing to helping in any way I can.  I know that through relationships and supporting one another, I can inspire others.  I want to not just answer questions or provide advice from other leaders, but inspire others with my thoughts, attitudes, and actions.

While we are more than halfway through the calendar year, I challenge you to create your own “one word” and set your “new year’s resolution” for this upcoming school year. With the same kind of excitement for the upcoming year and the goals set to make this one even better than the last, announcing your one word to your staff, family, and friends can shape your decision-making strategies and mindset. Whatever the word you choose, you are modeling the commitment to setting high expectations to support and lead student learning and staff development. As the new school year approaches, what will be your “one word” resolution?