Incremental Change

My entry today is a bit longer than usual and if you can stick with me, the message should resonate. Today marks a milestone for me. One thousand days ago, I set out to create a simple streak. The goal was not grand or complicated. It was simply to run, jog, or walk at least two miles in a single workout each day. That was it. Nothing more. And yet this small commitment has carried me through one thousand consecutive days without a break.

When I think about the meaning of this streak, it is not about speed, distance, or competition. It is about consistency. It is about showing up. There were days when I felt strong and energetic, and there were days when I felt tired or overwhelmed. There were days of sunshine and days of rain. There were days when I had little time and had to squeeze in the bare minimum. Yet in every circumstance, I honored the streak.

This streak has taught me that improvement rarely comes in a single giant leap. It comes in steady, almost invisible steps. One day does not look like much. Two miles is not a marathon. Yet when you add up those small steps, when you stay faithful to the process, the result becomes something powerful. That lesson does not belong only to fitness. It belongs to every part of our lives, including the work we do together in education. Imagine what would happen if we each started a streak of our own. It does not have to be about running or walking. It could be a teaching streak. Maybe it is reading aloud to your class every single day, even if only for ten minutes. Maybe it is greeting every student at the door with a smile. Maybe it is sending one encouraging note a week to a colleague. It could be something outside the classroom altogether. A fitness streak. A reading streak. A family dinner streak. The point is not what the streak is, but what it builds inside of us. When we create streaks, we create momentum. Momentum keeps us moving even when motivation feels low. Momentum builds habits, and habits shape culture. As teachers and leaders, the culture we shape is contagious. Students see it. They feel it. They mirror it. When we model consistency and dedication, they learn that goals are reached not by luck but by steady effort.

I have also discovered that streaks are deeply personal. Better is not defined by someone else. Better is defined by each of us. My streak is not about being the fastest runner or covering the greatest distance. It is about keeping a promise I made to myself. For you, better might mean something entirely different. And that is the beauty of it. Better belongs to you. I do not want you to hear this and think that a streak is only about numbers. It is about meaning. It is about proving to yourself that you can take small steps every day toward something that matters. Over time, those steps add up. They add up in fitness. They add up in reading. They add up in relationships. They add up in classrooms.

One thousand days ago, I had no idea what this streak would become. I only knew that I needed to take that day’s step. Today, looking back, I see how those simple daily choices built something significant. The streak now runs my day. I have to move forward. I no longer have to find motivation because with my streak, the motivation found me. So I want to encourage you to consider your own streak. Choose something that matters to you. Start small. Stay consistent. Share it with your students if you want them to join in. Or keep it as a personal reminder of your own capacity to grow. Whatever you choose, let it be your steady path toward becoming better.

Better is not about perfection. It is about progress. It is about the courage to take one more step today, and then another tomorrow, and then another after that. Before long, those steps become a journey. And that journey will be worth celebrating. Though I have known this my whole life, I lived it when I was recovering from a life-threatening bout with the original COVID-19 (The Beast as I called it). As I recounted in my book ‘Upright’, due to the massive damage to my lungs and the significant scar tissue present, my oxygen uptake often expressed as VO2 max, was limited at best. My diminished lung capacity impaired my ability to perform basic daily activities, including walking around the house. I would often have to stop to catch my breath just walking to the kitchen. Walk up the stairs? Forget it. Over a 6 month period, I improved to a point that I could walk around the grocery store at a slow pace, but that simple activity expended energy resources.  

I have come a long way since then but I can remember the feeling. I used to coach myself with every step. I would tell myself, “baby steps”. Move incrementally toward the goal. Get better every day. Some days are better than others, but try everyday to move toward the goal. Incremental change works. It is a proven strategy for sustainable progress over time. I’ll take that any day. 

Until next time...

Dreams

There is a song that has been on repeat in my mind this week. It is by Ryan Shupe and the RubberBand and it carries a message that is both simple and profound. The song is called ‘Dream Big’. Whenever I take time to slow down and truly listen to the words, I am reminded that the message inside them can fit almost any moment in life. It can be a message to students who are just beginning to shape their hopes and ideas for the future. It can be a message from a parent to a child as they tuck them in at night, planting seeds of possibility and reminding them that the world is wide open. It can be a message from colleague to colleague, offered in those moments when work feels heavy and the road ahead seems long. It can even be that quiet pep talk we give ourselves when doubt begins to creep in and we need to be reminded that our goals are still worth pursuing.

Dreams give us direction. They push us beyond the limits we sometimes place on ourselves. They remind us that the future is not fixed, it is shaped by courage, creativity, and persistence. Think about a student who dreams of being the first in their family to graduate college. That dream becomes fuel. It carries them through long nights of homework and early mornings of study. Think about a teacher who dreams of reaching that one quiet student in the back of the room. That dream drives patience, care, and the extra mile it takes to build trust. Think about a parent who dreams of giving their child opportunities they never had. That dream strengthens sacrifice and keeps love steady even in difficult times.

But dreaming big is not always easy. Life has a way of placing struggles in our path. We all carry burdens that can weigh down our outlook. It becomes tempting to settle for smaller dreams, to accept limits, or to let cynicism creep in. That is why encouragement matters so much. The words we speak to each other either build walls or open doors. When we choose to support, when we choose to listen, and when we choose to understand rather than criticize, we help each other keep those dreams alive.

Like anyone, I have dreams of my own, both personal and professional. Some of them I continue to work toward every day. Others I left behind, and those missed chances still linger in my thoughts. That reminder keeps me focused in the present. It pushes me to encourage my children to hold tightly to their dreams and not let them slip away. My oldest son dreamed of traveling the world when he was just a boy. Today he lives in another country, chasing that very dream. My oldest daughter has a vision of owning her own business, and I could not be prouder to support her. My next son talks about studying bioengineering at Stanford or MIT, and although he worries about not being admitted, we applied together because the first step to a dream is daring to try. My younger daughter longs to perform on the stage, and I know I will cry tears of joy when the curtain rises on her opening night. Then there is my youngest son, who has the boundless imagination of a child. One day he wants to be a race car driver, the next day an astronaut, the next day an explorer of lands unseen. My answer to him is always the same: So do I, let’s do it. 

The more I reflect on dreams, the more I realize that supporting the dreams of others is often more fulfilling than chasing my own. To see a child or a colleague step into their passion and to know that I played even a small role in cheering them forward brings a joy that lasts. Whether it is a student finding their way, a colleague who needs encouragement, a child who looks up to us, or that quiet voice inside our own hearts, the message is the same. Dreams matter. They remind us that the best chapters of our lives are still waiting to be written. 

Until next time...

Keep

This week, I found motivation from Shakespeare’s Claudius in Hamlet, "When sorrows come, they come not as a single spy but as battalions." I suppose the more current saying would be “Bad things come in threes.”  We have all heard one or more variations of these sayings at one time or another in our lives. The sentiment is that negative events come at us in bunches. Life has a way of throwing challenges at us, sometimes not one at a time, but all at once. It can feel overwhelming when the setbacks come in battalions. This week I was also given a better answer, or truth, in response. The blessings of life are often found in the struggle. To fold your cards and stop playing is never the answer. To give in to a negative event is to let it define you. Consider the idea of boiling water. While it softens a potato, it hardens an egg. The same adversity produces different outcomes, not because of the water, but because of what lies within. Circumstances don’t determine who we become. Our character does. One bad event doesn’t have the power to ruin an entire day unless we give it permission. Refuse to be affected by the negative, and you will never be infected by it. With that, I jotted down a list, of what I call, ‘Keeps’.

Keep moving forward. Keep positive. Keep devoted to your goals. Keep unwavering in your ethics. Keep laughing, even when it’s hard. Keep your head up and your heart open. Keep learning something new every day. Keep extending grace. Keep your promises. Keep shining your light. Keep encouraging someone else. Keep taking care of yourself. Keep daring to dream. Keep your patience when it’s tested. Keep building bridges, not walls. Keep choosing kindness. Keep faith in the process. Keep resilience in your spirit. Keep gratitude at the center. Keep celebrating small victories. Keep listening more than you speak. Keep finding joy in simple things. Keep being a role model. Keep hope alive. Keep showing up, even on the tough days. Keep giving more than you take. Keep trusting the journey. Keep your curiosity alive. Keep smiling. Keep asking good questions. Keep courage in your pocket. Keep forgiving quickly. Keep seeing the best in people. Keep sharpening your skills. Keep writing your own story. Keep standing for what’s right. Keep humility at the forefront. Keep peace in your words. Keep balance in your life. Keep passion in your work. Keep your eyes on the bigger picture. Keep planting seeds for the future. Keep good care of your knees, you’ll miss them when they are gone. Keep believing that your impact matters.

When the battalions of sorrow march in, do not surrender your spirit. Call on your inner strength, hold firm to your values, and let your character rise to do the fighting. A single bad moment does not have the power to own your entire day unless you choose to hand it that authority. Instead, stand strong in who you are, stay grounded in what matters most, and keep perspective in the face of adversity. Remember that it is never the boiling water itself that determines the outcome. What matters is what is within. The potato softens, the egg hardens, but both sit in the same pot. In the same way, the circumstances of life do not define you. It is what you are made of that makes all the difference.These are the things I often ponder. The difficulty for all of us is in the execution. Words hurt. Actions hurt. Sometimes our students, and students’ parents do both. Yes, your response matters, though we should not let it infect us and our thinking. That will simply lead to stinking thinking. Nobody needs that. You matter more. You cannot help anyone or be there for your students if you are not taking care of yourself. (cue Michael Franti - Sound of Sunshine)

Until next time...