As 2014 begins, we all start to make plans and goals for the new year. In addition to making my normal short-term, run-of-the-mill resolutions, I began to consider my long-term vision and goals for my life and career. I wanted to include the“big-picture” additions because I recently had the opportunity to be part of a book study facilitated at my elementary school to help increase positive energy and purpose within our building. We had the privilege of reading The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon. He emphasizes “ten rules to fuel your life, work, and team with positive energy.” These guidelines help to focus your visions and goals (individual, team, or building-wide), and how to move towards those goals with positivity and purpose. The ‘bus’ is your life, outlook, and demeanor: your approach to your life.
Taking the individual route, I was especially enchanted with Rule #2: Desire, Vision, and Focus Move Your Bus in the Right Direction. Because I’m still relatively new in the education field (it’s my second year teaching), I feel my vision and goals, while very worthwhile, were previously for the short term: complete courses, experience student-teaching, get a job, make it through the first school year etc…
Within our group activities we were asked to write down our visions for our lives and for work/career. I was truly stumped. It seems really silly, but I kept thinking over and over:
When was the last time I thought about the long-term?
What do I want to do with my life?
Where is my life going?
Yeah, I LOVE teaching, I love what I do, I can’t imagine doing anything else – I feel fulfilled and still full of passion.
But where does that go?
How do I continue to build on that?
When I was finally able to wrap my head around some ideas, I followed the suggested activity and wrote down my visions and goals. The book emphasizes the benefits of sharing your visions with others, but also the practice of writing your visions down as furthering the realization of these goals. Keeping your goals in mind, and even posted on your desk or somewhere to glance at easily, will help keep you focused and help to realign your view for the big picture when things start to get out of control, or the little things start to pile up. Reminding yourself why you are where you are, where you’re going, and how you are accomplishing the goal can be very beneficial. Your reminder could be a simple word, a simple saying, a singular goal, or a list of your visions. So instead of (or in addition to) your normal resolutions, try writing down your vision, posting it somewhere you can easily glance at it, and see how that focus and positivity guides your year!
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What are you resolutions for the new year? What keeps you focused?
How do you help yourself move towards your goals?
Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.
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