Holidays are a great opportunity to catch up with family and friends, go for a long walk or a bike ride, read a book or binge watch an entire Netflix series in an afternoon. It doesn’t matter what you do, the important thing is that you take some time to focus on your health and wellbeing.
The other great thing about the school break is that you can start to dream big for the rest of the year.
For me, the first few days of the holidays were always about recovery and recharging the batteries. When I started to feel fresh again, I liked to think about the great things we could do in the next term. I loved to get creative and imagine the possibilities, the new ideas and opportunities that could lie ahead.
Research has shown that when we allow ourselves to find the space and the time to get creative, there are endless benefits to our own personal growth. When we get creative, we become better problem solvers, we become more self-aware, we increase our ability to focus and best of all we can decrease our stress levels.
Creativity and forward thinking can provide us with inspiration, purpose and direction, but it’s more than just looking at the end result. Most people have thought of a concept that is well-crafted or innovative but unfortunately, they rarely get to see their ideas come to fruition.
The biggest challenge isn’t coming up with a new idea, it’s knowing how to take a creative thought and turn it into actionable steps.
To take action, you need to devise a strategy for implementation. How do you empower others to feel part of the process? How do you create an environment where the team felt like they equally own the goal or the dream?
In the school environment, we know that success can be best achieved when we share the collective belief that our actions can positively affect our students, that is when we have high collective efficacy. Finding the balance between sharing your ideas and giving your team the freedom to think and act for themselves will lead to a higher level of buy-in, greater commitment and better performance. That’s your challenge.
So, when you find the space to unwind these holidays, take the time to dream big. Remember, it’s more than just an idea, it’s how you are going to get there and how you will bring others along to enjoy the ride.
PS. A quick note for the Victorian Metro educators reading this. You’re allowed to have dreams too – even now! Sure, the current environment is hard, but I’m thoroughly convinced of your capacity to create and endure once more. The realisation of your dreams is just on the other side of this test. You’ve got this. Dream.
Warm regards,
