Three Resolutions and One Word

Teaser:

The New Year is a great time to refocus and gain some clarity, but New Years’ resolutions feels to me like something that sounds good in theory but doesn’t work in practice. At least it hasn’t for me. Instead of resolutions this year, I’m using one word to help me keep my priorities straight, and three intentions that, if I work them daily, will lead me to my major goal of 2026. I’ll apologize on the front end if this episode comes off as narcissistic. I feel a bit awkward talking about myself and diving deep into how my brain works, but I’m doing it this way because I think if you can see what I’m doing and why I’m doing it, you will be able to take these practices and adapt them to your own lie and leadership. Notice the word “adapt.” Please don’t copy. Rather, think about how your context and needs are different from mine and how you might tweak the core ideas to better align with how your brain works and what your schedule allows.

Sponsor Spot 1:I’d like to thank Kaleidoscope Adventures for sponsoring today’s show. Lots of companies can help you organize class trips, but Kaleidoscope helps you organize adventures – because isn’t that what student trips should be? Kaleidscope is a full-service tour company offering a range of adventure opportunities and they excel at customizing trips based on your unique context, needs, and goals. Kaleidoscope offers exceptional travel experiences for students (and their group leaders). Thinking about student travel? Reach out to Kaleidoscope using the link in the show notes.

Show Intro

Celebrations:

·      Caveat

·      I can walk without a limp! And Christmas and New Years (families both born into and chosen)

Key Points Part 1

·      Two “secrets” to being a great leader:

o   Be present

o   Priority management

·      One word – overview

·      One word helps us be more intentional

·      Sharing previous one words

·      How this year’s one word shapes my priorities and daily actions

Sponsor Spot 2:●      With IXL, you get a personalized online learning and teaching solution that helps you improve achievement, empower teachers, track progress, and more. This one platform for K to 12 helps teachers accomplish what normally would require dozens of other tools.●      As students practice skills, IXL automatically adapts to ensure each learner is always supported and challenged at the right level. IXL also provides every student with a personalized learning plan to help them close knowledge gaps effectively.  ●      As a school leader, you’re always looking for ways to make it easier for teachers to do great work. Why not take the load off your teachers so they can do their best work? IXL can help.It’s no wonder that IXL is used in 95 of the top 100 school districts. Ready to join them? Visit http://ixl.com/assistant to get started.

Key Points Part 2

My three 2026 intentions are the daily actions that should help me achieve my goals.

My goal is to remake my body to maximize the time I have left to hike.

A key measurement for the goal is: Complete the 71-mile High Sierra Trail in August of 2026. The High Sierra is a stunning trail through the southeast Sierra Nevada range in California. It ends at the summit of Mt. Whitney (elevation 14,505), the highest peak in the continental United States. I am used to hiking mountains, but at 5,000 feet, not 10,000 feet. Half of the trail is at altitudes high enough to cause altitude sickness.

Notice my goal is not to hike the High Sierra Trail. It is the measurement. Do not mistake your measurement for your goal!

Three intentions I need to hold to achieve my goal:

1. Build my days around movement. Movement is the most important thing.
2. Move in different ways (resistance training, yoga, biking, hiking, water-aerobics) every day
3. Consume media that encourages me to move. 

Notice:

●      These intentions drive actions I can take every day

●      If I act on these intentions each day, there is a very high likelihood of meeting my goals

●      They keep me focused on movement and combat my own distractibility

In goal setting and strategic planning, the biggest mistake I see people consistently making is they do not operationalize the goal. They develop plans and benchmarks, but fail to identify the daily practices and actions that will inevitably lead to success.

Summarizing (The big takeaway)

Special thanks to the amazing Ranford Almond for the great music on the show. Please support Ranford and the show by checking out his music!

·      Ranford’s homepage: https://ranfordalmond.com

·      Ranford’s music on streaming services: https://streamlink.to/ranfordalmond-oldsoul

·      Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ranfordalmond/

·      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ranfordalmond/

Sponsor Links:

IXL: http://ixl.com/assistant

Kaleidoscope Adventures: https://www.kaleidoscopeadventures.com/the-assistant-principal-podcast-kaleidoscope-adventures/

Close

·      Leadership is a journey and thank you for choosing to walk some of this magical path with me.

·      You can find links to all sorts of stuff in the show notes, including my website https://www.frederickbuskey.com/

·      I love hearing from you. If you have comments or questions, or are interested in having me speak at your school or conference, email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn.

·      If you are tired of spending time putting out fires and would rather invest time supporting and growing teachers, consider reading my book, A School Leader’s Guide to Reclaiming Purpose. The book is available on ...