My (un)usual Year 2011
I read this somewhere recently: “The way to reach a goal is to do something – anything – that will get you a little closer. Small steps are better than standing still”. Why this struck me hard & fast is because I was reflecting on the year that is just going past and I began to wonder what is it that I have been doing & done (achieved??, well, maybe!!) in the almost 365 days, 8760 hours, 525600 minutes that makes 2011.
As a policy I never make New Year resolutions (isn’t that a resolution!), I think, any day we take a resolution is the new day & the new year hence. So this is not a time for me to reflect in terms of adherence to the resolution that I have made. Jan to March was a season of kutcheris, dance retreat @ Tennangur & allergies. But come April, we (Prabha & I) were working full steam on the educational project that we have long been nurturing. Travel, discussions, meeting with people, discussions, attending seminars & conferences, more discussions, reading tons of material, planning, even more discussions and in June was born the idea of an international Kindergarten & Primary school at Chennai. By July, a casual conversation led to a decision to kick start on the Early Learning Centre on Vijayadasami in October. Quickly we got like minded individuals to look through our vision, started the in-house training for them, set up the advisory board members, who are our pillars of strength & inspiration.
I wondered if we were in the North Pole, the sun never seemed to set at all. Day melted into the night & night blended into the day and we were burning the midnight oil till wee hours of the morning. Have I ever been this excited! Yes, twice before and it was when my 2 children were being born. Then I realized that this was the third one, and the one that was going to demand the most attention and the one on which we were, as a team backing all our dreams on.
I am a stickler for post-it notes and that industry survives because of me! I have to-do lists all over: kitchen counter, desk at home, refrigerator, bathroom mirror, mobile and even on my laptop cover. I was looking through my reminders and to do lists on my mobile phone (yes, I believe in not using the actual post-it notes: instead I use one sided papers) and realized the tasks that were listed was endless, arduous, a drain, exhausting, challenging: regulatory – building stability, sanitation certificate, fire department certificate, Chennai Corporation stuff, Marketing - website development, getting content ready, designing the logo, name cards, organizing events, marketing work for that, brochure, Administration – forms, database, purchases, teachers’ training, advisory board meetings, presentations, travel, walk-in parents, admission queries,....(boy, I must have missed out on a few for sure)
Well I still have a few that I haven’t yet struck off the list and a few that are work in progress and more interesting events for the kids in the coming year.... but I must say I am enjoying this new phase, THE NEW BABY. Now I look at the growing years ahead with gusto.
And I thought that I hadn’t done anything, but I sure realized that I have done something.... taken a baby step,.... and I have miles to go before I sleep....
Priya S Dixit
December 2011
akshar arbol International School
PS: “What is not started today is never finished tomorrow.”
Wishing you a fantastic 2012.
And look for constant updates & anecdotes interesting things happening at
akshar arbol International School, Chennai
