As a working mom, I find that I really have to be creative to find pockets of time for myself, so I can keep my “tank” full. Sometimes, life is so busy that it is difficult to fit in those things that are crucial to my own physical, emotional and social well-being. I have learned to read my body and gauge my state of mind, so that I can keep up the crazy pace of life. Like others, there are times when I feel overwhelmed and exhaustion sets in, but overall, I am pretty in tune with my needs. I try to eat well, exercise when I can and feed my spirit often. For me, this often means listening to motivational and/or spiritual teachings on the way to work. I listen to podcasts, MP3 downloads and/or CD’s and try to use my time in the car to my advantage. Instead of seeing my commute as a waste of time, I cherish this alone time as it gives me a chance to unwind, think things through, meditate and recharge. It is this “fuel” that feeds my spirit and helps me to face the demands of everyday life. It is also this “feeding of my spirit” that helps to me create a vision for my life and think beyond today and focus on the bigger picture, always striving to improve every aspect of my life. I already have a great life with a wonderful husband and children and many blessings, but my spirit of excellence always pushes me forward continually problem solving and determined to be the best I can possibly be. I know I can be a better wife, mother, teacher, blogger, neighbor, friend – you name it, there is room for improvement.
I am not perfect, of that I am certain, but I am committed to pursuing excellence and at times that can become quite overwhelming. As I said previously, I can read myself well and lately I could sense that my tank was draining faster than I could fill it. It is for this reason, that I knew I needed a good strong dose of excellent teaching to give me the turbo boost I needed. I decided to book one of my personal leave days and attend the annual Leadership Conference at Springs Church. Springs is our home church and I had heard several of the guest speakers before and I knew I would not leave disappointed. The great thing about a Springs Conference is that unlike most conferences where I walk away with one or two useful points or strategies that I can apply, I am left with pages of information and life strategies that I can apply to my own life today. The speakers were so incredible and Dr. Sam Chand had me belly laughing most of the day. He is truly gifted and his ability to share his incredible knowledge in such a straight forward and humourous way is what ranks him as a top speaker world-wide.
There were so many great points, but I thought I would share a few of the points from his presentation:
1. For all of you teachers out there who are attending SAGE workshops today, here is Dr. Chand’s note taking tip. Beside each point you write down, use the acronym ACTS to help you categorize your points with an A, C, T or S. This helps you to move from just hearing the information, to actually applying it to your current situation.
A – Action (something you can apply right away)
C – Concept or Thought (a great thought, but no action required)
T – Think it Through (a point that you need to ponder and reflect on)
S – Strategy (the “how to’s” in the presentation)
This system for note taking allows you to categorize what you’ve learned and take action right away. You can use this when reading a great book or when taking notes at a seminar, class or conference. What a great idea!
2. As a leader (mom, dad, CEO, committee chair, PTA, etc), you need to communicate in a way that is understood by all. Often, we can be vague (ie have this done by next week) and we need to be much more concrete and specific to avoid anxiety for the “doer” of the task and disappointment for the leader when expectations are misunderstood. You must communicate the following in all that you ask of your team:
WHO does WHAT by WHEN.
No detail is too small to follow this system. It creates boundaries and ensures that all parties are on the “same page”
I had such a great day yesterday and look forward to another day full of awesome teaching and learning today. I can already tell that my “tank” is full and I feel great. I hope these points can help you in all that you do at home, church or in the work place.
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