• 2014…Inspire
• 2015…Fearless
• 2016…Empower
• 2017…Champion
• 2018…Incessant
• 2019…Simplify

One word. It seems incredibly minoot, but has exponential power. I discovered One Word that Will Change Your Life (Gordon, Britton, Page) in the fall of 2014, and have started each year with the action plan since reading it. If you haven’t worked through that process, I encourage you to give it a try!

2019 was a big year for me. My word was SIMPLIFY, and I lived it. I downsized many aspects of my life to establish some balance. The loss of my father in the summer of 2018 triggered so much pain, along with some childhood trauma I had refused to face, never remembered, or healed from. I became a workaholic, spending some days 12 hours at school, only to come home and continue to work. I couldn’t separate myself from it…it was like an addiction. God revealed to me that something had to give, and began working on my heart in December. My word became clear to me, and I began 2019 looking at life differently. I went back to the basics: what I could control, and what I couldn’t control. It was a struggle, and difficult to hide from the people who know me well. It brought clarity to my world. I lived my word in 2019, molding myself into someone who could take a break, get a nap in, or sleep late on a Saturday. In the past, those things made me feel so much guilt. I didn’t feel valuable unless I was working on something school related. Ultimately, I did this to avoid feeling anything, and to avoid facing my own struggles. I even transitioned into a less demanding title for the new school year. Being a principal had become my identity, so the process of transitioning was terrifying. I had to trust God and take a leap of faith, reminding myself daily that titles don’t make leaders, nor do they define who we are.

20/20 Vision in 2020

2019 was a year of purging, and provided insight to some next steps that won’t be easy, but so incredibly worth it! I am afraid of rejection and failure, but what I have learned over the last two years is that it is okay to be afraid.

Brave does not mean the absence of fear, but that we do not allow fear to hinder us from becoming who we want to be. 

It is clear to me what I must set my mind on in 2020, and I will be BRAVE.

Wellness

It is time to take care of ME. I am not focusing on a specific diet plan or an amount of weight to lose. I am focusing on being well.

• Drink at least 50 ounces of water daily
• Protect my body by monitoring food and portion intake
• Walk and/or jog 500 miles in 2020
• Continue to make rest a priority (a mastered SIMPLIFY goal in 2019!)

Personal Growth

I need to support others because it helps me thrive.

• Focus on family and friendships
• Intentional Gratitude and Kindness
• Grow spiritually through scripture
• Begin writing  a devotional for school leaders (insert scared emoji face!)

Professional Growth

• Commit to the submission of articles for publication (yikes!)
• Blog more consistently for reflection
• Pursue speaking engagements and presenter opportunities
• Learn more about entrepreneurship and consulting possibilities through a leadership mentor/coach

Some of these goals seem simple and attainable…a couple of them are! There are a few that make my stomach do flips! I will be BRAVE. I can learn outside of my comfort zone. I can face challenges. I can continue to do things I love on a daily basis and also stretch myself in other areas.

I am going to fail and make mistakes. That is the purpose of BRAVE. The voice is behind me, and it will guide the way.