If you read the title and started signing to Elton John’s song, then you are my kind of person! That is exactly where the title of the blog post came from. This song has been one of several of my anthem songs for the last 3-4 years. It’s a great song for when you are feeling like you’ve been hit with some blows and then have come out of them on top. Or, for when you aren’t sure you are going to come out on top, but need to pump yourself up! I especially love to sing it really loud in my car (like belting out loud)! If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend. Feels real good!
This title was chosen as it really captures my journey (but just you wait till you see the next blog title…and yes, it’s a song title too!). As I alluded to in a Facebook post a few months ago, I’ve been on an interesting journey the past few years. This journey started as many do, in the workplace. I had decided I was ready to move on from my last position. It was time. I was ready for a change. You must be thinking “she’s already written about this”. Yes, yes I have. I made the change. Got the new job. Started the new job. End of story. Ha! Nope! Not by a long shot.
While the new job was exciting, exhilarating, and all the other E words…it was also exhausting! I spent my first summer of that new job working 60-70 hour weeks and my fall wasn’t looking much better. As late fall came and then early winter, I knew I wasn’t doing well. I was mentally run down, worn out, and frankly, more burnt out than I’d ever been. I asked myself “how could this be?” I had this amazing job where I was literally creating a new school! I loved it, but was also maxed out. I was in a fog and honestly didn’t know what to do. I was tired. I was getting sick often; pretty much every month. I had gained weight (even more than I had already gained from just being a principal the prior 6 years). And I was now having troubles not only falling asleep, but staying asleep. Something needed to change, but I honestly didn’t even know what to do or where to begin. I was so overwhelmed.
One day at the beginning of winter break I was scrolling Facebook absentmindedly and came across a post from a “friend”. This wasn’t someone I actually knew, but was someone I had recently followed that was suggested by an actual friend of mine. She was a life, health, and wellness coach and also offered activities such as hiking groups that focused on mental health. Up until then I had never really looked at much of what she posted. But for some reason that day I stopped and looked, and I mean really looked. I read about the services she provided for coaching. I then went to her website and before I knew it, I had messaged her asking about coaching. Next thing I knew, we had a meeting set up for the next week, which happened to be winter break, at a local coffee shop.
I was a little nervous about the meeting, but was also hopeful. I knew I needed help. I knew something had to change and I knew that I didn’t know how to make the changes. The path I was on was bleak and everything felt bad. I went to the meeting feeling like crap. I was tired and run down, even though it was half way through winter break and I should’ve felt refreshed! I brought my checkbook without even knowing how much it cost because I had a feeling going into this that this was going to be what I needed. I shared my heart and soul. And within minutes of talking and listening, I was sold. I knew this was the answer. I needed someone to help guide me. This started a journey that I’m still on over 1.5 years later!
Getting a life coach has been one of the best decisions I’ve made. Many have asked me “why didn’t you get a principal coach, or someone that coaches educators?” The reason is that I know how to do my job. In fact, that is part of the problem. I don’t know how to stop and I give my job everything I have. I needed someone who could help me in learning to balance my life. Someone to help me with my mental and physical health and wellness. My career is a part of who I am, but it is not the most important part; however, it had taken over my life and that needed to stop.
Has it been hard working with a life coach? Absolutely! Has it been a fast journey? No! It’s been a long, arduous journey of learning more about who I am, what I want, how to say no, how to take back parts of my life, asking for what I want, and so much more. There were times I thought I was on one path and then the path changed. However, today I am in a much better place physically and mentally. But, today’s blog is not about that…that will come later!
For today, I’ll leave you with this…when I met with my life coach for the first time in December 2021, these are some phrases I said to her:
“I don’t feel healthy and I make bad choices.”
“My husband and kids are worried about me.”
“I’m not enlivened by my job. I feel burned out and I don’t know what career is right for me anymore.”
“I’m always tired. I have a bad sleep schedule.”
“I’m resentful of my job.”
“I dread Sunday nights and the thought of going to work.”
“I want a 4 day work week the most!”
Now, please remember that this was December 2021 and I am in a much better place now. I really love my job now! I can honestly say that today and I don’t dread Sunday’s anymore. I work with the best people and truly have the best job in the district. However, I was so burned out back then and living an un-balanced and really unhealthy life where I couldn’t see the joys of my job. I’ll share more about how I transformed what you read above into the person I’ve become today. Are things perfect? Nope. Are they 90% better? Yes!
I’m Still Standing,
Stephanie 🙂
The Positive Principal
The Positive Principal 