“What happens to you at the edge? Does your focus stay locked in? Do you maintain effort?” – Tim Kight

My edge . . . the place between where I am comfortable and what I can do today . . . is an almost daily location. I find my edge all the time. I push myself – my job pushes me. In my three plus years as the Hilliard Superintendent I’ve passed my edge some days . . . I have faltered, I have fallen, and I have failed.

When my default behavior takes over . . . when I lose focus and feel sorry for myself . . . I am unable to maintain effort and succeed.

When I remain discipline, when the team provides strength and support, I not only succeed at the edge but I redefine capacity. The joy in living and learning at the edge is we redefine our capacity each and every day.

There is great joy in performing better today than I did yesterday. There is tremendous productivity when our team refines what’s possible . . . when we redefine the edge.

“You can’t know your purpose without a relationship with the one who created you for a purpose.” – Jon Gordon, The Seed

In Rich Warren’s Purpose Driven Life the question, “What on earth am I here for?” provides the framework for a spiritual, faith-based look at purpose. For each of us, this is a personal journey. This journey, guided by individual faith and taken with those closest to us, leads us down a continual path of defining, and redefining, our purpose here on earth.

One of the joys in my life is I get to live my purpose each and every day. I am confident, and secure in my work and service as an education leader. My job isn’t just a career . . . it’s a calling.

Are you living your calling? If not, it doesn’t necessarily mean a change in career, but more a change in perspective. Maybe you haven’t found the purpose in the work . . . maybe you need to reconnect with faith in the foundations you’ve created and the one who created you.

“Adversity requires you to make a choice: react on Default or respond with Discipline. The choice, not the adversity, is what matters most.” – Tim Kight

We know that we will face adversity in our lives. We face adversity – to differing degrees – each and every day. The events in our lives that present challenges provide opportunities. We can either step up and act with purpose or we can react by default. In many cases our default reactions make situations worse . . . we either ignore the adversity all together or our default exacerbates the challenge.

When our default response to an event is ignoring the situation all together, we permit the adversity to continue and to grow. Each of us can look back on a situation we should have addressed earlier, only to have the adversity worsen over time. From avoiding a critical conversation with a colleague to witnessing a bully in action without mustering-up the courage to stop the behavior.

When our default response is angry, emotional, or defensive we fail to play a role in the solution. Only through discipline action – only by taking the time to evaluate options, get our minds right, and stepping up – can we lead as part of the solution. The choice is up to you.

“Team members that love and appreciate each other enhance their chemistry, grit, and performance.” – Jon Gordon, You Win in the Locker Room First

In almost every facet of our lives we achieve more together . . . we are stronger in teams than we are alone. This isn’t new . . . going back to the 3rd century BCE as shared in Ecclesiastes, “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up.”

The chemistry, the culture of any organization is created by the team: by the willingness to work together, to serve with shared vision and purposed and to commit to the team leads to more success and greater performance.

One of our goals – part of our values as a district – is to provide young people the life skills to work in teams. Life isn’t about competing against others; it is about being better each and every day. Life is about helping each other up.

“Trust is the highest form of human motivation.” – Stephen Covey

Trust takes time to build, but can be lost in an instant. Trust is built on consistent experiences between individuals. How people experience you determines the level of trust you build with them.

It isn’t about what you say; it’s about what you do. It isn’t about what you proclaim to believe; it’s about your core principles guiding your actions.

Are people experiencing you as the person you want to be? Are you true to your core beliefs while embracing a growth mindset with the world around you? Do you desire to lead others? If so, build trust first . . . the rest will follow.

 

 

“You don’t know anything if you don’t know yourself.” – Brian Kight

 

Self-awareness is essential in success.  We strive to live our purpose and we work to maximize our talents.   We overcome weaknesses and we build relationships with those who make us better.

 

Knowing yourself . . . being self-aware . . . permits you to understand your biases and perspective, thus creating an opportunity for empathy from others as you put yourselves in their shoes.  It all starts with recognizing your perspective first.

 

Knowing yourself also means understanding how to keep yourself at your best.  You must be aware of your EDGE . . . you must know how to maintain balance so you are at your best each and every day.  Burning the candle at both ends, unhealthy life habits, and self-destructive weaknesses cripple even the most talented among us.

 

Think about you . . . reflect on you . . . and take appropriate action so you are at your best as you serve others.

“Excuses are attempts to avoid the psychological discomfort of accepting responsibility.  It never works.  Excuses weaken you.” – Tim Kight

 

Our self-talk is extremely important for our individual state of mind.  We naturally try to convince ourselves of ways to avoid discomfort.  We all know people that are able to convince themselves of anything; it’s as if they believe the excuses they create for themselves.

 

Our self-talk can also be used to reach elite level of performance.  Our self-talk, rather than making excuses can push us towards success.  We have a choice.  We can either make excuses and talk ourselves into taking the easy way out . . . OR we can embrace the discomfort in the journey ahead and push ourselves to the EDGE of our abilities.

 

It’s important to remember, pushing to the EDGE doesn’t mean we don’t take time for relaxation, for rest, and for enjoyment.   Pushing to the EDGE often means embracing the discomfort of saying “no” to things in our lives, to make time for our families and for ourselves.  No one can live the entire time at the EDGE . . . it is knowing when to push and making time to relax.  It’s about the balance . . . this is part of our individual challenge.

 

“The goal in life is not to be better than anyone else.  It’s to be better today than you were yesterday.”  – Jon Gordon

 

This is the foundation of our Passion for Growth.  For each of us, life is about improving ourselves from day to day.  Yes, there will be times that we fail . . . times we have a day that doesn’t live up to our expectations.  It’s natural; it’s part of our journey.  The key is to refocus, gain balance, and continue faithfully on your journey.

 

It isn’t about competing with yourself; it is about extending yourself to your limits.   It is about looking back at yesterday and reflecting on opportunities for improvement today.  It is about taking a great performance today . . . and making it even better tomorrow.

“A good attitude costs you nothing.  A bad attitude costs you everything.” – Tim Kight

 

Take a moment to think about how you want others to experience you today.  As you interact with the people in your life – the people you encounter in the coming day – and decide right now the experiences you want to create for them.  Each of us create Events – create E’s – for the people with whom we interact.

 

You have a choice – you can create positive events for others or you can create negative events for others.  Your attitude is the determining factor.  A good attitude makes any situation better.  There is no situation that a negative attitude improves; there is no situation that a negative attitude provides new opportunities.  It is your choice – be positive.

Everyone wants to DO what the great ones DO but very few are willing to do what they DID to become great.  – Jon Gordon, Training Camp

 

Success doesn’t come without effort.  In order to move from “where you are” to “where you can be” you must be willing to reach the edge of your comfort zone.

 

You must have a mindset focused on being better today than you were yesterday.  You must be ready to succeed tomorrow.

 

You must sustain your focus – to be committed and connected to the process.  It’s about practicing, training for success, and living at the edge of your comfort zone.  It’s easy to be average; it takes work to be great.

 

You can’t be great alone . . . it takes teamwork, critical friends, and accountability.  It takes being coachable – and being willing to coach.  It takes putting in the effort, doing the work, and having the mindset to become great.