Mail Call Monday!- Elaine J. Roberts, Ph.D.

I love that I have a schedule for when I want to publish blogs!  I have to admit.. I am LOVING my mail call Mondays.  I have some of the coolest friends who do some amazing things!    Today my guest blogger is Elaine J. Roberts  I met Elaine at Podstock several years ago and have enjoyed her being in my PLN ever since.  I appreciate your kindness towards my classroom, her never ending support, and she is just all around amazing!  Read more about Elaine at the end of this blog.

Success

The first weekend of the New Year has come and gone. There are those who have already given up on their resolutions while there are those who are continuing to find resolve. Then there are some of us who are late starters. Oh sure, you might want to call us “procrastinators,” and you could be right. I’ll think about that. Later.

But I do want to talk about resolve and resolutions. I applaud those who are encouraged by small steps of success. In fact, I’m encouraged by them. They evince resolve.

There are literally thousands of quotes about of “success.” Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. Abraham Lincoln
The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. Vince Lombardi
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as
by the obstacles which he has overcome. Booker T. Washington

We make resolutions every day. We resolve to continue to do something or not do something every day. We deride ourselves when we fail; we are unfailingly guilty of failing to forgive ourselves for a lack of resolve.

But those are successful knows that success is not one radiant event. True success is achieved by small steps. Two steps forward and three steps back. If you look at the selected quotes, you can see that success requires resolve and, according to Lincoln, the resolve to succeed.

How do we measure success? Perhaps based on our resolutions if we have made resolutions that are measurable. People who resolve 10 pounds by a specific time frame, provided the time frame is reasonable, are more likely to succeed and then their success feeds their resolution so that a minor setback is truly a minor setback.
Why? Because they know they can succeed because they have been successful.

So if you have not yet made any resolutions, there is no need to give up on 2013. Start now. Right now. If you have started and failed already, there is no need to give up on 2013. Revisit your resolution to make sure it is achievable and perhaps take smaller aim.

Robert Browning once wrote, “Ah! but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?”

It reminds us to keep reaching. To keep trying. To be resolved. To accept that success comes with hard work. That success requires resolve. And that we just need to keep trying.
Keep reaching.

A little bit more about Elaine:
Accomplished and recognized lead in P-12 educator Professional Development programming and curriculum design with exceptional complementary skills in business and strategic partnership development. Well-established network of professional relationships among educational and development organizations nationwide. Clear and consistent record of leading successes in curriculum design, publication, marketing, and sales. Skilled manager with the proven ability to attract and retain top talent among course and workshop facilitators. Very strong analytical, problem solving, interpersonal communication and presentation skills. Visionary leader with an earned reputation for producing high quality programming spanning the needs of educators from Pre-K through the university level.

Passionate about learning with a focused yet nuanced understanding of the changing dynamics of today's increasingly global and digital classroom. Intuitive and collaborative problem solver able to master new systems, challenges, and responsibilities. Approaches situations and problems with focus yet an open-minded approach, managing diverse ideas and agendas to tease out a solution that meets if not exceeds the expectations and needs of the customer. Works decisively, striving to achieve effective, clearly communicated, and transformative solutions.

Specialties: Professional development, system change, online and blended learning, partner relationship development, P-12, K-12, higher education, teaching
You can follow her on twitter or one of her blogs here or another of her blogs here