Have you guys heard about The Leader in Me? It’s a program that teaches kids how to be effective leaders, not just in their lives as students, but as adults as well. One of the main components is Dr. Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. As a kindergartner, Bud was exposed to this program as his school piloted it last year.
When we sat in at Parent’s Open House last September, a speaker from Franklin Covey was there, talking about The Leader in Me as well as The Habits. He talked about a lot of things, and to be honest, Hub and I were too busy making jokes under our breath about whether or not the guy could get me a new work planner, and whether he was Franklin or Covey (he was neither) to really pay attention. We ended up hearing a lot about the program throughout the year though, from the mouth of our 6-year-old. Here he was, speaking to The Habits, reminding me (more often than I’d like to admit) to just “Be Proactive”. I started to think, “Wow, these people might be on to something!”, but in true Saly form, that’s about as far in the thought process as I’ve gotten.
I’ve been struggling recently, with the person that I’ve become. I don’t mean that in the sense that I think I’m a bad person, but I realized that I’ve become comfortable, and complacent in my everyday life. I follow the same routines over and over again. Breakfast, drop kids off, work, pick kids up, dinner, baths, bed. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. The routine is necessary; I have a household to run. But not pushing myself, not trying new things, not being that vibrant person that I once was has been taking its toll. I am a shell of that person, on auto-pilot, going through the motions. I manage my routine, dole out hugs, kisses and band-aids, and do everything in my power to meet and exceed the needs of my kids. Of my husband. Of the animals. And really, I am happy to do it. I feel like I was put on this planet to be a wife and a mother. But…BUT! I was also put here to be me, and somehow I have lost myself. And the kids are growing, you know? And once they’re grown, then what? What if I am too far gone to ever get myself back?
And so I’ve been thinking a lot about it lately. How to end to complacency. How to start caring about myself again. How to get that sparkle back in my eye that I was once famous for. But most of all, where to start! And in the back of my mind, I kept hearing a phrase; Habit 2: “Begin with the end in mind.” It’s excellent advice, right? What is the big picture here? What is the ultimate goal? What do I want to accomplish in the end, and more importantly, how am I going to get there? I don’t exactly know the answers to all of these questions, but at least I know what I want.
So now it’s out there, and I’m not relying on anyone other than myself to be accountable for it, but I do hope that you’ll check in with me. Change is on the horizon, and I think—no, I know--I’m excited.
11 comments:
Dude, I like the 7 Habits and I don't care who knows it. I even have a Personal Mission Statement (omg).
Be Proactive is hard for me, because honestly that's not my natural tendency. Anyway, I'd love to hear more as you go along!
Whoo boy am I there with you! But I'm in the "I have no idea" phase and that is distressing.
Keep us posted!
I'm sure you will be able to do whatever you set your mind to! I too, don't know what end goal I actually want to have...
Oh, I love this kind of stuff. I'm really interested to hear what your "end" is and how you get there.
I think you do lose yourself for a few years when the kids are all young. There are so many demands on your time that doing the grocery shopping alone feels like 'me time'. With my youngest at 4 now, I don't feel like having my own activities and amitions is impossible. Like you, though, I would have to make a conscious effort to carve out the time and stamina required.
I think it's a good idea to think of the end result FIRST.
I also think these programs sometimes put too much emphasis on being SUCCESSFUL! and a LEADER!---when there is also beauty and meaning in an "ordinary" life, and when not everyone can be a leader.
I am totally feeling the daily grind right now and despairing at the lack of "me time," with "me time" just being time to figure out what I ultimately want to get out of life.
Good luck in whatever it is you're wanting to do. I can't wait to hear more - I love reading about things like this.
I think it makes so much sense to figure out what your personal end goal is--and it doesn't always have to be groundbreaking leadership--and then figure out to get from here to there. Good luck!
Swistle- Amen.
This is so awesome! I could use with a little more clarity in my own life. Complacency is a nasty bitch, isn't she? I am excited to hear how you progress on this journey.
You're truly my soul sister, I swear it. I admire you so much, having the level of awareness that some people don't even come by, and wanting to do something with that knowledge. That my girl is power. You're amazing and I know that whatever you put your mind to, will bear amazing fruit. I'm here for you too, for whatever you need. I love ya lots, Paprika
(PS: Gingernuts are ginger cookies, kinda hard on the outside and softy on the inside, and delicious with a cup of tea!)
Whew. I don't think about stuff like this enough. You're right, though. Life becomes habit and moving through the motions at times. I think that's when we really need to check ourselves.
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