We are hiring a new superintendent in our community, and I've been thinking about the questions we're asking the candidates, including this big one:
What does success look like for you?
So here is my "success Slice" on a bright & sunny Saturday*, thinking about some of my most important roles in life:
* As a mom: raising my children to be loving, curious and brave in the world -- in intimate relationships and in the big and bold actions they take
* As a wife: loving deeply and trusting deeply, through the hard days as well as the celebrations and supporting kindness, curiosity and bravery in our family -- work we sometimes do together and sometimes on our own
* As a daughter/sister/sister-in-law: being present (this is my biggest growth area right now, deserving of a reflective Slice)
I am also a friend, an instructional & leadership coach, and a community volunteer. Tomorrow's Slice will reflect on those success ideas.
I've read somewhere that writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them. (And I don't know if typing counts!) But articulating these for myself (even just the work of defining my roles!) has been a helpful discernment. I need encouragement to stand still in the space of reflection, rather than rush to action. Tomorrow, I'll stand still again.
*but not posted until the windy, cold evening
What does success look like for you?
So here is my "success Slice" on a bright & sunny Saturday*, thinking about some of my most important roles in life:
* As a mom: raising my children to be loving, curious and brave in the world -- in intimate relationships and in the big and bold actions they take
* As a wife: loving deeply and trusting deeply, through the hard days as well as the celebrations and supporting kindness, curiosity and bravery in our family -- work we sometimes do together and sometimes on our own
* As a daughter/sister/sister-in-law: being present (this is my biggest growth area right now, deserving of a reflective Slice)
I am also a friend, an instructional & leadership coach, and a community volunteer. Tomorrow's Slice will reflect on those success ideas.
I've read somewhere that writing down your goals makes you more likely to achieve them. (And I don't know if typing counts!) But articulating these for myself (even just the work of defining my roles!) has been a helpful discernment. I need encouragement to stand still in the space of reflection, rather than rush to action. Tomorrow, I'll stand still again.
*but not posted until the windy, cold evening
Your success slice is intriguing. You really reflected on your life and connected it to the bigger picture of selecting a superintendent. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteGood question to ask. You have given this some thought and come up with beautiful answers.
ReplyDeleteI ask myself that question a lot. It seems I do it more now than in the past. Is that the price of getting older? I see that you are quite successful. Yet, you, as most women, me included, are our own worst enemies. A friend shared this with me on Saturday:
ReplyDelete"Voices in our head:
You’re not a good enough mom, thin enough, soft spoken enough, you're too emotional, too loud, too much.
Voice of Truth: You are enough.
Thanks Jenni for sharing this and Carol, I hope this speaks to you as it did to me.
Stand still again - great definitions of success and a great question to ask of your new incoming leader!
ReplyDeleteI ask myself this question a lot! Sometimes it has nothing to do with my perspective however. There are others that color the definition depending on what area of life we are talking about.
ReplyDelete