Director’s Desk – December 2021

I find the end of a year to be a time for and of reflection. This year in particular, I am reflecting on what it means to grieve, living with uncertainty as we continue to plod through a pandemic, and wondering how the year ahead may be different.

Last year, I was introduced to a tool called YearCompass. They had me with the tagline “New Year’s resolutions don’t work. YearCompass does.” And they were right. I downloaded the digital version of their short workbook, set aside two hours on a Saturday afternoon, and got to work. I reflected on 2020, celebrating things I’d forgotten about, and acknowledging areas where I want further growth. I wrote and wrote. Then I stopped. The next day, I completed the section on my dreams for 2021. And I then promptly forgot about it for the next six months.

Sometime in summer, I pulled out my YearCompass workbook. I was a bit surprised to see that I had made progress on many items, despite not remembering to pull out the compass to check in. It made me wonder at the power of the written word coupled with intention. Later in the year, a colleague (thanks, Jillian!) introduced me to My Next 90 Days. This judgement free planner was just the type of commitment I needed at the time – short term and succinct, allowing me the space to collect my thoughts and determine how I wanted to end the year.

As you reflect on your year, the second in this altered state of living due to a pandemic, you may already be considering lessons learned and new possibilities for yourself, your library or organization, or even our profession at large. I encourage you to make time for yourself, grab a pen and paper, and write down your intentions. What do you want to leave in 2021? Write it down and say goodbye. What practices do you want to start or carry forward into 2022? Write them down and get started with intention. And don’t be surprised when I ask you to pull out your list next summer to let me know how you’re doing.

Be well, 
Nancy

View the rest of OhioNet’s December 2021 newsletter here.