I have many favourite George Couros quotes, but it’s as if this one is my life motto right now.

I am undergoing two major changes in my life right now: new house and new job. Both of these changes are huge examples of how I am trying to create something amazing from them.

New house:

We are building our new house (we also built our last house, so this isn’t the first time we go through this process). This change came from the need to be closer to work and to my boys’ school. I couldn’t function anymore wasting two hours of my precious time commuting back and forth while also doing school and daycare drop off and pick ups. We just moved out of our house yesterday and into my parents house because things got delayed at our new house and it won’t be ready for us until the end of October. So, we’re now in limbo for a month. Here are the amazing things I hope this change will provide for my family and I (once we finally settle in next month):

• 8 minute walk away from my school which has so many positives attached to it that I can’t even name them all.
• My two school age boys will now get the bus to and from school, so I no longer have to drive them. They won’t need to be in before/after school daycare anymore because I’ll be able to send them off on the bus before walking to work in the morning and my husband will be home by the time they get off the bus after school.
• Daycare for my two littles is only 5 minutes away by car.
• We were able to make informed decision and make changes to our build to meet our needs based on what we loved and disliked about our old house. Changes: The house itself is a bit bigger, with an extra bedroom. The entrance is more spacious and we have more storage. Oh, and I have a beautiful bath in my ensuite :). Keep the same: We are still on a cul de sac with a big corner lot (important to us with kids who love to play outside).

New school:

Last year, I applied for a position at a brand new school opening up in my division. Unlike my house, the need for change in my career didn’t come from a place of frustration. I actually loved my old school community and it was very hard to leave. But, I knew that this kind of opportunity was so rare and I also knew that being part of this new, innovative school would enable me to grow exponentially. I was beyond thrilled when I was offered a 1/2 French Immersion teaching position. It really was a dream come true. Since that day, so many amazing things have already happen and I continue to be blown away by my experiences with this amazing team of educators. Here are just a few examples:

• Last April, we had our first PD day together as a staff and were so fortunate to have George spend the day with us! He pushed our thinking on so many levels and I think it was the perfect way to prime us for the year to come.
• In May, our staff gathered for an amazing two day retreat of learning and collaborating. This really gave us the chance to get to know one another better and start the process of getting things ready for the grand opening of the school.
• I could go on and on about the amazing state of the art building that is the school, but although these features are awesome and will lead to amazing learning experiences for our students, I’d rather focus on the fact that the staff is amazing! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to someone for help and they’ve taken all the time needed with me. I just told my principal last week that they really did an incredible job building this team! I’ve clearly been beyond busy lately and I am so grateful to be part of a staff who supports and encourages me while constantly pushing my thinking!

Although these examples of change are rather extreme, I also know from experience that little shifts can lead to amazing things too! This is exactly how things started for me… take a small risk, build up your confidence, and bigger, more frequent risks will come! “Innovation is not about changing everything; sometimes you only need o change one thing. That experience can lead to new and better learning opportunities.” (George Couros, Innovator’s Mindset)

Always move forward. Grow, always!

What opportunities are you creating for yourself? What changes (big or small) are you making in your life? How are you growing? I’d love to know!