That Never-Ending List and the Ball Blocking Your Door

There’s this neverending list of things you're expected to complete, improve, undo, insert, plan, fix, dismantle, discontinue, and start, all before the school year is even in full swing. And let’s be honest: time never feels like your friend.

But what if it could be?

Time can work in your favor, if you can find it, claim it, and lead with intention. Yes, the weight of leadership is heavy, and the responsibility seems to land squarely on your shoulders... or does it?

Picture this:

You walk into your school building and there it is this massive ball sitting right in front of the door. It’s blocking your entry. Behind it? Everything and everyone you need to reach: students, teachers, parents, district staff, even that 10 a.m. meeting. But the only way to get to any of it is to push that ball out of the way.

You lean in, push hard, and finally move it just enough to squeeze by and make it to your office, but now you’re drained. You’ve used up the mental and physical energy you needed for the rest of your day. You made the meeting, yes, but your mind is still stuck at the door.

That ball? That’s your list. And you were never meant to push it alone.

What if you had a team assembled not just in name, but in purpose? A team aligned to help move that ball together. Imagine the momentum you could create. The space you’d open. The energy you’d conserve. The impact you could make.

Now reflect:

Are we holding ourselves to the expectations we set for others?
What are our collective goals and do we all know them?
How are we tracking progress toward those goals in real time?
Are our meetings building momentum, or just checking boxes?
What do I want to see in my school and how can I be that vision?