I was pretty excited when at the age of 55 years
old I was sitting in a session with Mark Treadwell and he said that age 55 - 60
were the most productive years in a person’s life. I decided then and there to
make the most of this period of time and be as productive as possible. I also
really liked what he said about things falling out of your head being a sign of
great intelligence; because if that is the case, then I am incredibly
intelligent. Things like spelling, homophones and possessive apostrophes are
definitely falling out – and I have always been pedantic about these things.
You might notice this at some point in my posts. Please do not judge me.
Well, recently I turned 58 years old and I
wonder whether, in spite of my vow, I really have been as productive as
possible. Life and overwhelming busyness somehow seem to have got in the way. Schools
are very busy places; principalship even more so. This was brought home to me
when an associate principal, who was doing my job for a few days, bemoaned the
fact that she did not get anything on her list done in that time. She had thought
she was busy as an associate principal, but could not believe the constant
interruptions that required her immediate attention when she sat in my chair.
The work we do during the day is necessary, but not necessarily productive or
always positive as we react to everything that is thrown at us.
That is why I have to work early in the morning
or even through the night – to try to get the sense of being productive and
having control over my time and workload. I love working within the cloak of
darkness, when the rest of the house is still and silent. I feel short changed
when someone else gets up early and patters around the house. My bubble has
been broken and life imposes itself once again. People think I am mad because I
work in the night, but in my busy life, that is when I am most productive and get
the most joy from what I do. It allows me to reset, gain perspective and approach
the future with confidence and the right attitude.
Fortunately as you grow older, it seems you do
not need as much sleep as you once did. However, I know this is not a
particularly healthy way to live a life – especially when you then go on to do
a big day of work and family living and there is no respite. I am tired.
For years, the Board Chair and my mentors/coaches
have been encouraging me to do more of my work offsite to find the time to
focus and get in flow; and as much as I have wanted to do this, it has never
quite seemed doable or the right time.
“So the urgent drives out the important; the future goes largely
unexplored; and the capacity to act, rather than the capacity to think and
imagine, becomes the sole measure of leadership” (Competing for the Future,
Hamel & Prahalad, 1994, p. 5).
However, towards the end of last year, my coach
and long-time mentor, Dr Jan Robertson, challenged me to make 2017 the year
when I finally did what the Board Chair has been encouraging me to do - step
back a little, work off site more, and take time to think, imagine, and write.
So here I am, on a beautiful, calm, early
autumnal day, with time and space to think and imagine, explore the past,
present and future and be productive (in a less manic way!). It is the right
time for me – my two youngest children have both left home for university this
year. While family always places demands on parents, I am now freer than I
have ever been since my eldest child was born in 1984. It is also the right
time for Amesbury School. Staff are more than ready for increased leadership
and are more than capable of running the school and responding to the daily
challenges that present themselves. This is an opportunity for them to grow and
develop; and is essential for succession planning.
I plan to share my journey - the thoughts, feelings,
revelations and imaginings, particularly in relation to leadership and education (my great
passion) but from time-to-time on life in general - on this Blog, with the hope
that it might just make things better for someone in some small way.
