My word of the year is challenge. In January I wrote this about the focus this year:

Here is what challenge means to me and what I hope it will bring in 2017.

• Professionally, I want to challenge myself to continue to expand my skills and grow as a leader
• Personally, I want to challenge myself as a writer, to get more focused on writing a book and using my writing as a form of action
• As a citizen, I feel we will face many challenges in the coming year and I am ready – I feel like these challenges will be a call to action and I’m prepared to take action

Now that I am almost 3/4 of the way through 2017, I wanted to check in on my challenges this year.

Professionally, I have challenged myself:

• by speaking at our Women’s Empower Hour about my leadership journey.
• to attend a 6-day seminar on Women in Educational Leadership through our county.
• to be a mentor, both formally and informally, to other women leaders.
• to create a new teacher leadership academy for our district.
• to continue to explore future leadership opportunities.

Personally, I have challenged myself:

• to get focused on my book writing! I have my outline complete and the first 35 pages are drafted. I’m excited for what’s to come!
• to write an article for the AASA monthly journal.

As a citizen, I have challenged myself:

• to avoid political commentary at work.
• to use my abilities (whether they happen to be time, monetary donations, or communication to my elected officials) to support causes that are challenging the issues I am most concerned about at this time in our country.
• to stay current on the issues without getting so bogged down that I can’t see the through the negative haze.

I think that challenge was so fitting for my word of 2017.

On a related note, I recently had a weekend full of mindfulness, which was my word of 2015. I happen to listen to a lecture all about the value and importance of mindfulness for educational leaders. I was so proud that since 2015, I have continued a number of the healthy habits I created. I have a semi-regular meditation practice. I use mindful breathing regularly. I know how to slow myself down. I don’t go to sleep every night with a racing mind. This is still huge for me! Mindfulness really became a part of my daily life and continues to be important to me personally and professionally.

I wonder what 2018 will bring into my life…

Do you have a word of 2017? What is it? How has it impacted you so far this year?