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

In September I reflected on how challenge had manifested itself professionally, personally, and as a citizen. Since that post,

Professionally, I have challenged myself:

• to serve in a formal mentor capacity.
• facilitating new experiences, such as our district’s creation of a new mission and belief statements  as well as teacher leadership opportunities.

Personally, I have challenged myself:

• to slow down! After an unexpected leg injury, I have spent the last month in a walking boot, forced to slow down, ask for help, rely on others, and develop more patience.  This was a big challenge for me, but I feel stronger for having lived it!
• my book has a few more pages written, and a new outline, but it’s been a challenge to get refocused on that after the injury.

As a citizen, I have challenged myself:

• to continue to communicate with my government representatives about my beliefs.
• to take a greater interest in educational advocacy through various organizations.

I continue to appreciated that challenge was the right word for 2017. I haven’t thought about a new word for 2018 yet, but I am looking forward to that process in the coming weeks.