Do this one thing, to feel better about your job. (And help your students, too.)

I wish I could remember where I read this tip, I would surely give it credit. It was a tip to those who work at desks, in business, who often say they work all day reading and typing, but feel at the end of every day as if they've accomplished . . .  nothing. In the words of Macbeth, "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day, to the last syllable of recorded time." Yikes! I should have titled this post, "How not to be Macbeth"!

So, here's the tip: even if the employee is alienated from his or her work (meaning that it isn't really meaningful other than the paycheck it brings -- see previous post), IF he or she will stop and ruminate at the end of the day on the progress made, it will bring at least a little sense of fulfillment. And, dispel a little of the what-am-I-really-doing-here spiritual malaise that I guess can be common in cubicle land. The article also advised managers to overtly remind their people about the progress they're making.

You and I have one head start in that we are involved in a great cause, preparing the next generation to be as able as it can be, for the good of our state, nation, and world. Plus, many of us teach curricula that progress from day to day, and it is clear we are farther ahead than a month ago. Still, the day to day can get ya down and down. So, stop and think about the progress you've made lately: the good you've done, the stuff the kids know or can do, that they couldn't a few short weeks ago. Hey - good job!

And why not remind the kids of the progress they've made, too? They're in a day-to-day grind perhaps even more than we are: they get no paycheck and feel as if the future we're preparing them for is light years away. "Hey, gang, let's stop a minute and look at the topics we've learned about. . . ."

Have a productive week as you bless others.

Read this great little story from Zig Ziglar to remember your calling.

Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, in his new book, Born to Win, shares this story about having and remembering a higher purpose for what you do.

“Three men were busy at the same task, and a passerby stopped and asked each of the men what they were doing. The first man said, “I am cutting stone.” The second man said, “I am earning my living.” The third man said, “I am building a cathedral.” All three of the men were involved in cutting stone. The first man saw no purpose or value in what he was doing, and my guess is that his days were long and tedious. He probably went home tired and exhausted every night and dreaded going to work each day.


The second man had a different perspective . . .

Go, You!

"Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come -- and you are that idea." 

 ~ Alan Cohen