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Block it Out

Sonja Schappert Howden

Updated: 6 days ago




A wise person once said,


“Do something today that your future self will be grateful for.”  

When the clock struck midnight January 1st, many of us had a list of intentions, resolutions, and promises we intended to see through in the new year.  But accompanying this list needs to be concrete, actionable steps that bridge the gap between our current reality and future vision. 

Small, consistent efforts create lasting change!  The things we do in the moment may not feel like much, but their effect grows over time.  


For me, the trick is to block out space in my calendar to adopt new rhythms, whether weekly, monthly or quarterly, as I pursue my goals and priorities. If you’ve resolved to be a more impactful leader this year, here are ideas you might try:


1. Personal development: Read that book, listen to a podcast, or take that e-class you’ve always wanted to do. How might you make space for this to be a habit?  I find that this investment in me makes me more able to invest in others.


2. Evaluation: How about making it a regular habit to notice the growth in yourself, your teams, programs and organization? I try to also pay attention to my surrounding context, and really enjoy making reflection a regular rhythm. Speaking as a long-term evaluation client with SEED Impact, I recommend scheduling use of your SEED reflection tools, too!


3. Network-Building: For me it has been a game-changer to create space to intentionally build relationships with new partners, donors and other collaborators. We're stronger together. How do you ensure time to cultivate relationships each month? 

 

As with most of our resolutions, there comes a time (sometimes quickly) when the tyranny of the urgent things around us threatens to crowd out our goals. Please join me in protecting the time we set aside.  Each small step repeated over and over, yields fruit. May we all find ourselves grateful we did!



 

Sonja Schappert Howden has been a SEED Impact evaluation client for six years and now leads SEEDing Stronger Together in the Tenderloin of San Francisco.


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