Real change occurs not with a flash in the pan but with steady engagement. An automatic investment of a small percentage of your income, attending an exercise class every week, consistently sharing about your reality with your staff or family, sitting down to a regular contemplative or meditative reflection every evening--these are the keys to significant progress.
--David Allen, author of
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity
One of the things I enjoy about the summer months is the permission we give ourselves to assess last year in anticipation of the new year around the corner. There seems to be a bit more bandwidth to go "up a level" in our thinking and to look at things from a less hectic perspective. This is where some of our big, exciting dreams live. We dare to explore new ideas, new programs, new initiatives, and things we are going to "get right" this year.
I would like to offer one idea for consideration: maybe the biggest positive changes don't always come in the form of a grand new program or offering.
Sometimes, real and lasting growth comes from simply doing small things consistently.
Likewise, consistent
negative
behavior can have an equally powerful impact on our community. Sometimes, the small things that go unchecked can create the worst problems.
Perhaps we need to "think smaller" this summer and try to focus on consistency in some areas of our lives, leadership, and school communities. To those ends, I offer two questions for reflection:
What one small thing, if installed as a regular activity, would potentially have an enormous payoff for you and your community?
What one small thing, if removed, would be equally valuable to you and your stakeholders?
Don't hesitate to let me know if you would like to explore this further. I hope that you are having a wonderful summer--don't forget to take some time to "think small!"
With peace and blessings,
David+
