“I’m busy.”
There may be no answer that ignites frustration within Kasey more rapidly than those two words. Usually, it’s the answer I give when she suggests doing something I deem a less valuable use of my time than whatever else I have planned for myself. Sometimes there’s merit in my words; I legitimately have some important things I need to get done at that specific time. However, what’s wildly more common is that I’m in the middle of doing something I simply want to do more than I want to do whatever’s being suggested.
While that’s an example from my personal life – I hope at least a few of you can relate to it – the professional parallels are clear. In fact, this becomes most dangerous when we subordinate the things we must do for the sake of doing things we prefer to do. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’re guilty of doing this much more often than we realize.
There’s a lot that can and should be said about this topic, but today I simply want to focus on the use of our time as seen through our calendars. In the world of education, we’re at the beginning of the year and, like every year, leaders at every level need to think through how they’re going to manage their time.
For most of us, we use a calendar to schedule our time and parse out our responsibilities. If we’re willing to dive a bit deeper, our calendars reveal that we schedule the things we prioritize, and we prioritize that which we most value in our hearts.
So, I wonder, what is your calendar telling you? “It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: ‘What are we busy about?’” (attributed to Henry David Thoreau)
If I say people are my priority, where are they on my calendar? If I say that developing others is important, where’s the time I’ve protected to develop them? If I say that being available to others matters, have I planned enough white space to be responsive to their needs? If I say that being visible matters, how much time am I spending where the work is happening? If I say that my health matters, is it part of my daily plan? If I say that my family comes first, have I structured my life in a way that allows that to happen?
Annie Dillard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author, once wrote, “How we spend our days, of course, is how we spend our lives.” The little blocks we drag around on our calendars make up our days, and those days become weeks. Weeks turn into months, months into years, and years into our lives.
Circling back to Kasey’s frustration with me when I tell her, “I’m busy,” I think what she’s actually responding to in that moment is the meaning behind my words, which, of course, is something else matters to me more right now than you do.
As leaders, sometimes that’s appropriate. Sometimes, things genuinely need our attention in the moment. Sometimes, though, it isn’t. Maybe that’s why those words are seemingly so frustrating.
So, again, I’d invite you to take a look at your calendar. Don’t look at it merely as a productivity tool, but also as evidence for who and what you value. Does it resemble the great life we all want to live?
Remember: Our calendars reveal our priorities. And our priorities reveal our hearts.
#ChooseToBeGreat
Angelo
CHOOSE TO BE GREAT 