It can be tiring this questioning of what is happening now? What can we expect in the future? What are our known unknowns?

No doubt you have been asking these necessary questions in many aspects of your life. However, the new normal will require us to also find a new balance for our mindset and to get the preoccupation with uncertainty into perspective… so how will you do that? Despite the virus being here to stay into the foreseeable future, to regain perspective.

I am doing three things that are helping me to find the new balance. I thought I’d share them with you in the spirit of perhaps creating an opportunity for you to reflect and gather your thoughts.  

Firstly, I thought it important to go back to fundamentals to gain clarity about purpose in my career. Two questions resonated with me:

• Before you became a parent and a serious adult with responsibilities, what inspired you, what did you want to get out of your career? 
• What have you been doing this year when you have felt true to yourself? 

In considering these I have been able to focus on the drivers that are not about solving operational challenges. Step back refine purpose, change what needs to be changed and create the next steps. 

Secondly, look for opportunities where I can involve myself and support others to strengthen culture. Whenever I think Scotch culture, I think of the robust environment we are a part of. As a community we work with our students, staff and parents together. I believe as a culture we take the hits, respond to the challenges and grow in the moment. We need to articulate and learn from each formative moment this year more than ever. We can do this by adopting an altruistic mindset. Reach out and do something for someone else.

In SA our response to the Bushfire crisis is defined by our altruism. I don’t want to lose sight of that and resolve that if I can then I will. I have been the recipient of wonderful support this year and passing it on matters.

Finally, most of my days seem to be about dealing with current and future risk mitigation. To be honest I sometimes find Risk Assessments to be the bane of my life! But today I have been working on my Fun Assessment for this weekend. 

It’s all about regaining our perspective and reminding yourself that there was life before Covid and there will be after. The new normal must include a conscious effort (and one which we regularly remind our students about) to Find Your Thing!

Dale