Always Let Growth be the Goal!

 Greetings teacher friends! Welcome to another week of my blog. I'm very excited to share my thoughts on the ideas posted on inSpiration Sunday about growth and goals. 

My last few weekly quotes have been focused on growth vs. goals. I admit that this idea was new to me until I heard John Maxwell's podcast. I always thought that having goals was not only natural, but the sign of a strong leader who is ambitious and inspirational. I also thought that achieving goals was always, well, the goal! I learned through the podcast that goals can actually stunt our growth as a leader because it symbolizes and end. As leaders, our work is never done, and we are always seeking growth. Often this can appear like we want to achieve goals, but it's growth that makes the difference. Once I heard that, it all clicked for me. Whenever people ask(ed) me "Why do you do get involved in different groups, and always look for the 'next thing' to do?" I realized that it's not because I have goals that I want to accomplish, but because I want to continue to grow my leadership skills. 

As fellow teacher leaders, let's ask ourselves this week, what growth do we want to have/make for ourselves? What are the areas we wish to grow in? I'm sure we'll find that we have a lot in common, and growing together helps us to build stamina and connections. I don't think it's negative in anyway to have goals, and want to achieve them; in fact, I think it's necessary to have goals. What I've been learning is when I focus on serving others, making a difference, and seeing what I can learn from each adventure I jump into, I always come out the other side having learned something. Like the quote I shared emphasized, I want what I do today impact where I want to be tomorrow, and tomorrow I want to make a difference! I used to feel upset when I didn't accomplish a goal- in fact, I still feel that way. I allow myself the time I need to work through my emotions, and then I reframe my thinking. In fact, that's the main question I ask myself- how can I reframe my thinking for this situation? As long as I tried, served others, and learned something to continue to grow, it wasn't a failure at all, but a victory all it's own. 

This mindset can be challenging and seem superficial- trust me I know! It took a while for me to "catch on" myself, and in fact, I'm still working through it. I will admit that thinking about how I can grow instead of focusing on whether or not I reached a goal has helped me handle situations better as a leader, and infuse positivity into more areas of my teacher leadership life. I try now to not look for a definitive ending to what I want to happen, but the process it takes to get there (and beyond!) I also try to keep learning by joining groups, having conversations, reading, etc., to learn all I can about others who have and can lead well. I know this will help me get to where I want to be in the future as a leader. A great leader is always learning!

Let's work together and support each other along the journey of growth setting, (not goal setting,) so we have one another to lean on. Find a colleague you know this week who is working hard to accomplish a goal, and share with him or her something you noticed about his or her growth. Watch as the magic begins when you talk about how you both have come far in your journey and now have someone else to work with, walk with, and support side-by-side along the way. Growing together makes the difference in the journey. 

Final thoughts: Keep focusing on growth instead of accomplishing goals. Keep reframing your thinking to always give yourself grace and recognize your growth. Keep aiming to serve others and make a difference; since that is the heart of leadership. Keep finding others who support you on your journey, and whom you can support in return. Live, love, lead, and teach, love inspire! 


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