Can't I Sprint the Entire Marathon?
Today I visited another school district to find answers to some questions I have about language acquisition software. For all practical purposes, this district is our next door neighbor. However, I was shocked by how incredibly different it is from our own despite it's relatively close proximity to WC. At first I was highly intrigued by the differences. It was something new, and the brain adores novelty. I took a lot of notes and started thinking about how I could implement some of what I saw in my position. Next thing you know, I was maniacally making mental plans to overhaul EVERYTHING. After I left and returned to my familiar environment, the reality set in. The more I thought about how much work it took to make those differences and the effort required to maintain the contrast, the less I thought I could actually do myself. By the time the day was over, my fire had wasted to mere embers. After a few days I will revisit my notes to determine one or two things I can successfully implement, and then I'll attempt to improve myself and my position.
The experience reminded me of a quote someone I admire shared with me a few months ago when I was in the midst of a brainstorming session designed to change the world, all by myself. He told me "Remember, you are running a marathon, not a sprint." As a runner, this is one sports analogy I can actually understand, and it absolutely is relevant to my career. Because I'm passionate about my role, I tend to get worked up and excited about all of the things I want to do to make a difference in my students' lives. Initially I want to DO IT ALL RIGHT NOW, but this job isn't a sprint. My mission is a marathon, and I'm only on the first mile. If I exert myself too much during the first mile, I will not finish. Instead, I must pace myself. I have to attack each mile one step at a time. I have to do what I can when I can, and slowly make improvements along the way. I know this, and doing so keeps things in a heathy perspective. But, that doesn't mean I don't wish I could just sprint the entire marathon.
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