145 Years Old and Getting Better with "The Process"

York Public Schools became an official district 145 years ago today on June 14, 1871. We are so proud of our rich tradition. We are so proud of all the York Dukes that have come before us, what they achieved, what they stood for, and what they endured. We feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to build upon our district's many successes and proud tradition.

I believe that our staff and students understand that we work hard to represent our community, our school district, and our alumni in a positive fashion in everything we do. We simply want to make sure that when our time is up that we've left York Public Schools better than it was when we got here.

I'm proud of what we've been able to accomplish the past seven years in York. However, we can't be satisfied or lose our sense of urgency and desire to get better in everything we do. We try to compartmentalize each year and they all take on their own identity and life. 2015-16 was awesome but it is over. We have to work harder than ever to make sure 2016-17 is phenomenal. Attention to detail, trust, respect for all, and an insane work ethic will go a long way in determining how high we can go this next school year.

Great leaders like Jimbo Fisher often tell organizations and teams to "focus on the process" and the results will take care of themselves. Too often, we get hung up on success, winning, and failure without worrying enough about the "processes" we go through to prepare to be successful. We can't have a successful 2016-17 budget in July. We have to focus on the budget preparation process this July to ensure that our budget is successful when it counts next fiscal year. We can't win another softball district championship in August. We simply have to prepare to do the little things right so that when it comes time to compete for another championship, we're ready because the process has been put into place. We can't win another speech championship until 2017 so sitting around thinking about it now isn't as important as preparing for it now. Preparation is the key. Being purposeful in what you do as you pursue goals is the key. Defining exactly what it is you want is the place to start. Then, you need to put plans in place to get there.

I guess what I'm trying to say is we all have to enjoy "the journey" or "the process" and not lose sight of it due to being so focused on the end results or destination. Enjoy the ride. Chunk it down. Do the little things well so the big things will be successful. Be purposeful in your daily planning as that is what adds up each day to put you in position to be successful when the time comes. Win one day at a time. Heck, win one hour at a time. "The Process" precedes positive results. Embrace it.

Go Dukes!