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This week we answer a question from a listener who says:
“I’m an assistant principal with four years of experience. This has truly been a rough year and tough four years at my school. I know God is using this experience to prepare me for what’s coming, but I am exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. I am being pulled in so many directions trying to help and support everyone, and it is taking a toll on me. Someday I want to step out and apply for principal positions, but how do I move forward when I find myself being too tired in my present work to even find the energy to update my resume or other application materials? Do you have any suggestions?”
Listen to the entire episode for context and more takeaways! Here are a few of our thoughts:
Will thoughts:
- Please know you are not alone. Hang in there as you wrap up school. This is the hardest time of the year. Ask others on your team for help.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. Give yourself the kind of grace you’d give someone else if they were in your shoes.
- Give yourself permission to have a day or two of meetings with yourself. This may mean taking a couple of personal days off, or even appointments with yourself at work to finish tasks. Use this time as permission to work on goals you want to reach, not anyone else’s goals.
- You may just need a couple of solid days to sleep, rest, and play. Sometimes this helps re-think with a new perspective.
Jen’s thoughts:
- Self-audit- measure your job satisfaction
- Measure your effectiveness
- What does this exhaustion tell you?
- Productive focus wheel
- “How many days do you have left”
- Would anything change if you were a principal?
- Step back and think about your work
- What led you here
- What are your end goals
- Write them down!
- Track backwards to what will get you there
- What keeps you?
Final thoughts:
This is a job that is never easy. Leadership is not easy. Don’t get caught in the comparison games.
Other links to resources mentioned in the show:
Seeing to Lead podcast episode with Chris Jones and Jen Schwanke
The HAPPINESS BOX from Sam Horn’s SOMEDAY is Not a Day in the Week Book
Closing out the year admin list from William D. Parker
Want a last month teacher checkout list? Email will@williamdparker.com to request a sample.
