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What are you choosing to focus on as you complete your next step?

For the second time in my career as a school Superintendent, I had the pleasure of handing one of my kids her High School Diploma. If I am fortunate enough, I hope to hand diplomas to my last two kids. The first two moments were special to me as a dad and a school leader. As my children received their diplomas, I thought of how fast time goes by. A graduation is a moment we realize our achievements, and it is also the moment when we have a sense of anticipation. As a parent, I am happy my kid graduated, and I am excited to see what they do next. If you have been in education long enough, you see these moments too. Our kids are done, and summer has arrived. We will be looking to spend time with family and going to cook outs, but we will also be thinking of next fall sooner then we may admit. So, what is next, and what are we doing to get ready?

Some of my readers may feel this post does not apply to them, as they are not in education. Do not let my introduction stop you from internalizing the information I hope to share. Your next step is something you too should be considering. We all have another step to take in our own plans. As I spoke at graduation, I shared with my Seniors what they needed to consider while they move on from High School to pursue their dreams. I have taken some time off from writing my blog and sharing my thoughts, so I could ponder my next steps. It has been almost a month since I last shared with all of you, and I used that time to deal with work and all the end of the year stuff that happens in schools. Most importantly I have been doing a lot of reading, self-evaluation, and contemplating my next steps. What I discovered was that I wanted to start many things to improve in a variety of areas. This was too much. I needed to narrow down what I hoped would help me become better. We take on things at times and fail to finish them because we lack commitment, or it just does not work. I always say, “Clear the Muddy waters”. When we take on too many initiatives at work or personally, we tend to muddy our focusing abilities. Focus on what is important and what makes you happy.

Our ability to focus changes throughout the year. We get caught up in life and work that we fail to see the little things that bring us joy. For me, I love seeing my youngest happy when I do not have a meeting to attend at night. Your family is the one constant in your life that you must pay attention to and find time to enjoy them. My religion is important to me. It has been an area of focus for me recently, more than in the past. Diet and exercise should be on all our lists. We need to focus an many things to take our next step; whatever that is? In doing this we should make clear cut decisions as to what we should be acting on. Simplify our process or take baby steps to make your next step a success.

         Are you aware of the next step you should take for yourself?

         Are there things you could stop doing to move closer to your goals?

         Are you truly focused on what is important?

Take care of you. If you are in education, take some time this summer to recharge and forget work for a while. If you are not in education, find a time that you are able to recharge. I hope this simple post, of reminding you to focus on small things to advance in your next steps was helpful. My hope is that my recent experiences will help you make great decisions for yourself and your plans for improvement. Thanks for checking in with my blog, and please leave your thoughts below. Have an awesome week and I hope you find your joy today.

Steven C. Bucks-Leading Conversations