Welcome Back....

 Labor Day weekend has come and gone. That means most schools across the United States are back in session in some form. We are starting week three this week and it's gone better than I expected. I tweeted this thought this week and it's been pretty spot on...

"If your search for information includes reading books, researching data, & talking with people you respect, you can feel safe about the decisions you make. If your search for information is found in the narrative of main stream or social media, you might never feel safe again."

We all know the importance of acquiring information, but we have to search the correct places to get it. With us being back closer to a traditional pattern of our daily life, there are a few things that I want to encourage you to do that I will be doing as well. 

1. Gain Knowledge (Read More)

My friend Mike Neighbors says it best: "Reading is the easiest way to get close to smart people." Set a reminder to read thirty minutes a day. It'll change your outlook on things and the input you receive from books, blogs, and articles will help you along your coaching journey. If you don't like to read, consider audio books or podcasts. I'll be sharing my personal reviews on books I've read, re-read and the ones I'll be currently reading.

2. Take Care of Yourself

Find a way to be active. Find something that will challenge and change you. I had taken a hiatus from the game of golf while my sons were younger. I didn't find the time to practice or play and I was making sure I was putting them first. When it came time to purchase new clubs I felt selfish about using that money on myself instead of them. (I know a lot of Coaches that can relate to that because they've told me) Now that they are older, and thanks to meeting Gabe from Stix Golf  I'm going to get back to playing because I need that challenge of prioritizing time. It'll push me out of my comfort zone for sure. I, like a lot of you reading this, don't like to struggle or not be good at something. I'll keep you up to date on that. If it's not golf, find something that is intentional-Don't count walking to your classroom as cardio. Be intentional. 

3. Don't Return to Normal or accept "The New Normal"

We all heard and probably said "I can't wait to get back to normal." Some of us have probably even said "This is the new normal." Let's look at two things. All of us should return better than we entered the shut down. Some people treated it like a sentence. I and some of my friends used it as a sabbatical. I tried to learn as much about myself, the game of basketball, business, anything I could read. It was a chance to hit reset. 

In Tim Elmore's latest book "The Pandemic Population"  he describes what we are going through as a Blizzard, Winter and an Ice Age.

Main Idea: We Can't allow a blizzard to turn our winter into an Ice Age. 

As an Educator/Coach/Administrator/Leader we have to fight for our Students' safety but also fight for their experiences. It is important to remember that above curriculum or the scoreboards are the experiences that come from being at school with their friends, being involved and participating in whatever interests them. Those memories and lessons will last longer than anything else. I don't remember a lot of the lessons I learned from class but I remember being in the classroom with those Teachers. We need to encourage and be understanding. We need to do everything possible to ensure this generation has a safe, traditional experience.  

So welcome back. Saddle up.