#BlogElul Day 1: Prepare

I don't always do well with the daily blogging; in fact, much of the time I start off with good intentions, but get weighed down by job/personal/physical/Ellie-face demands...

How can you ignore that face???

When I realized it was Elul on Saturday night, I was determined somewhat to double down and treat this month with slightly more intention than I normally have in the past. I may not blog every day (I mean, I'll try...but don't get your hopes up!). 

Today's theme is Prepare. I feel like with this move, I've spent much of the past few months preparing: to find staff, onboard them, work with a great H.O.T. on Orientation, create staff meeting agendas, find ways to not get lost, head to police stations, fire stations, north campus, west campus, preparing for the next things that are coming down the pike (High Holidays being less than a month away doesn't not phase me). 

Double negative!

Perhaps this is why I really appreciate that #BlogElul starts with "Prepare"--it means that there has to be a sense of intention for what comes next. After a day of engagement intensive training with 5/7 of our awesome brand new interns following the heels of a lakeside havdalah and campfire, I'm spending a lot of time these days thinking about the why of what I do. It's not just that I love Simon Sinek's golden circle, it's the idea that if you're not sure of why you do what you do--if you can't get down to the essence of it, it's often not worth doing (and most likely you won't do it well). 

And so I find myself in an interesting perpetual state of preparation: thinking of the "whys" behind the work, the emotions behind the energy, the passion behind the performance. As we enter Elul, I'm constantly learning more about what drives me (and what doesn't) and aiming to work backwards, think strategically, and prepare myself for whatever comes back. With the new year coming later this year, I'm lucky enough to give myself more time for prep, scheduling "me" time, resting, and coming back stronger than ever.