Today’s my birthday. The last 365 days have been full of creativity and curiosity. In honor of this rotation, here’s the first draft of what I intend for the year:
- Protect my personal time
- Zoom in, zoom out
- Stay teachable
First, protecting my personal time is essential to me, not just an introvert, but so I have a rich, inner life. When I was training for the marathon, this dedication to running practically every other day led to a physical boundary. I didn’t check my phone much.
I still love my friends, family, and loved ones. But I also need to practice bigger goals for – and with – myself. So, my intention for the next year is to sit with myself to really see what I want and need. And then do it, whether it’s running, going to church, or just reading.
Next, zooming in and zooming out. I’m a naturally detail-oriented person. I love getting to know people and projects through asking questions. But this can lead to research mode. In other words, this investigation occasionally prevents action.
So, this intention is about balancing the grind with my values. Instead of getting caught in the weeds, lately what’s worked is asking myself, how is this helping? This question is particularly useful for the in-between times, as I can zoom out and see the day, week, month, even YEAR clearer.
Last, I intend to stay teachable. Absolutely, I still view myself as an educator, it’s a core responsibility of a librarian. But I also recognize there is still so much I don’t know. Ignorance is seldom bliss, dear friends. Education is the path to action.
So, I’ve signed up for another dance class, starting next Tuesday, hopeful my nervous energy will transform into joy. I’m researching memory associations, finding my niche within legacy work in oral archives and digitized records. I’m speaking Spanish every day, so intend to keep learning languages.
Happy birthday and happy YEAR ahead. How can you start today?