Time

Anyone who has children who have either been in Little League or are experiencing it now knows what I am talking about when I say the word "time".

I have 3 boys, only 2 of which are in Little League right now.  I can only imagine what thousands of other parents across the nation experience who have multiple children involved in sports or any other extracurricular activity. I love my kids being involved and feel it is incredibly important for our children to be involved, but it is time-consuming!

So, why do we do it?  Because our children love it; we do it for our kids.  We sit in rain, cold, heat, wind, and any other weather element I can think of because we love our kids and want them to experience the very best.  We will buy the best equipment, fill up the minivan 2 times a week to transport the kids to practice and games because it is imperative our children build teamwork and resiliency skills. We want them to create memories, build friendships, and learn to work as a team.  When it comes down to it, we will do some pretty crazy things for the betterment and development of our kids.

Being a mom of 3 boys, educator, principal, and high school principal's wife is absolutely wonderful!  I wouldn't wish for anything different.  Many people ask me, "How do you do it?  How do you find time for it all?"  My answer is, "I don't know. I just do."

For me, doing what is best for kids is my pursuit every day.  Time is not an excuse.  I could sit back and list the many reasons why I cannot do something for my kids or my school.  There are only 24 hours in a day.  I can't add any hours to the day; we all need to sleep sometime (while I can think of at least 10 educators who I swear do not sleep).  But, I quote Eric Sheninger, "We make the time."

To me, our kids, our schools are well worth the time.  Time doesn't bother me when I know it is for a good cause.  When I'm passionate about something, time flies.  

“When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute.  But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute - then it’s longer than any hour.  That’s relativity!” ~Albert Einstein

All the work is worth it when we see what kids are able to create and achieve. Honestly, I don’t believe I could sleep at night if I knew I didn’t try my very best and take advantage of every minute to do what I feel is in the best interests of our children.

I don’t consider myself as a master multi-tasker.  However, I do believe it is critical to prioritize.  What is my goal today?  What is the purpose behind my tasks for the day?  Let THIS be the guiding question, then there is ALWAYS time for what is best for our children.

Each morning, I make my post-it “stack” of to-dos. Each task is on a different post-it. After I make the stack, I prioritize the stack - most important on top.  How do I determine the most important? I ask myself these questions: Does it involve helping kids?  Does it involve helping my staff?  Does involve communicating with my parents?  If I answer yes to any of these questions, it is on top.  Yes, those managerial tasks are mixed in the post-it stack, but I don’t always set them as a priority.  I will get them done, but that is not why I do this job.  I want to make the MOST of my time, and doing what is best for our children is always my guiding question.

After a task is completed, I crumple the post-it and throw it out.  There is something quite gratifying about that part! And here is where I am a bit crazy.  I do have a larger set of post-it notes that are my “always to-dos”.  These activities are always a part of my daily stack, always at the top.  Being visible in the school, reading with my kids at home, and sharing or collaborating with others are always at the top of my list.

At the end of the day, I can say I accomplished a lot and know it was for the betterment of children, both at home and at school.

I’ve decided the next time someone asks me, “How do you have the time for all that you do?”, I will simply say, “I make the time because it is what is best for ALL the kids in my life.  Time is not MY excuse."

So, make the most of the time each and every day, ensuring the goal and purpose behind it all is for our children.  When that drives you, anything is possible.