Happy New Year! I read recently that it’s officially past the acceptable time to say this after January 7. I don’t know the reason for that timeline, but it is still January, and we are officially in a new semester, and new calendar year. I am not a New Year resolution maker or keeper. I came to grips with that many years ago. Setting a new resolution, when I couldn’t remember the last one I set, seemed pointless. But I do admire people who set goals for a new year. A family member has set a goal of 25 hikes with their friend this year. They’ve committed to each of these being in locations they’ve never hiked. I love their plan.
Last year, rather than a resolution, I chose a “nudge” word that was designed to help me develop a mindset for the year. This influenced me and helped me set a vision, rather than a goal, for 2024. Tara Parker-Pope, Well+Being editor for the Washington Post, suggests that picking a “nudge word” can be more helpful than a resolution in developing a new mindset. Through a series of categories with a vast number of choices, the reader narrows down the list to discover “a topic that reflects your values or an area of your life that needs attention.” The category that I chose was “Growth.” From there, an additional culling of choices led to the word that would “nudge” me toward positive change. That word is “Journey.”
Part of that journey brought me to Tucson last July. It has been such a privilege to be able to be here to learn from and grow with The Gregory School community. Schools are dynamic places that are never the same two days in a row. It’s one of the many things I love about school life. Several years ago I traveled to Reggio Emilia, Italy. The teachers in the schools there at one of the presentations I attended so poignantly described their philosophy of the value of children’s experiences in school. One presenter said, “School isn’t preparing children for life. School is life.” So very true. It’s what happens here each day that matters. Every advancement, every setback, every failure, and every success has value. We grow every day. The change isn’t always tangible on a daily basis, but it’s happening. I love that I’ve been able to see and be part of that change in students, families, colleagues, schools, and myself. I never see that what I’ve learned is enough. There will always be people who know more than me. And I want to surround myself with them.
And so, I’ve chosen to focus on growth as my vision again in 2025, and hope that this growth will continue to nudge me to see that the challenges, the trials, the pitfalls and the successes, are all part of the beauty of the journey.
Whether you choose “resolutions,” “goals,” “nudges,” or “none of the above,” I hope 2025 is a memorable journey for you.
Cheers to a new year!
