Assistant Principal - Mission - Staff and Student Wellbeing

As Semester One comes to an end, it seems timely to take a moment to think about the year so far, take stock and look forward to the remainder of 2021.

The Cambridge dictionary defines this as, ‘to take stock (of something) is to think carefully about a situation or event and form an opinion about it, so that you can decide what to do.'

Taking stock can be about finding personal happiness and discovering your life purpose. Make some time where you can really think about where you are and what's happening around you at the moment. You need to sometimes give yourself time to step back and evaluate things, otherwise the day to day stuff will be overwhelming.

Do you ever take the time to have a go at taking stock of things in your life? Sometimes, however organised we are, things can overwhelm us, and taking stock is what's needed to get back to a sense of normality as quickly as possible.

Usually we stray off course due to something out of our control taking up our time more than usual – a family emergency, illness, holidays even. Or we can simply lose track for a few weeks as life gets busier and we can’t stick to our usual routines for a while.

Whatever the reason – it can be really difficult to get back on track.

The mountain of backlog can feel burdensome, and too much to bear – and we end up feeling down/stressed/procrastinating etc….

Who wants that?

We all get in this mode at times, and the only way to come out of it with some sense of sanity is to draw a line in the sand and take stock.

If you can take stock of your life – there are so many benefits:-

• You gain a better perspective on what's niggling you constantly
• You can start to add these items as “TO DOs” into your diary – one a day would be a great place to start
• You can see what you can delegate to others to get through things more quickly
• You have a better understanding of where you are, and where you want/need to be
• You gain more head space as you aren’t constantly thinking about things that need to be done

So take some more time right now and prioritise these things over all others. Use a day in the upcoming break to really go through everything – or tackle things over a weekend – whatever fits your life the easiest.

Step back. Pray. Ask God for vision and perspective. Consider His Word. Remember His power, provision and plan. Move beyond self-led reactions to Spirit-led responses. The late pastor and theologian A.W. Tozer wrote, “Sometimes when we get overwhelmed we forget how big God is.”

Until next term, stay safe and attached is a prayer that I have found to be useful.