It’s that time of year again!  Some of us are itching to get back into our libraries and some of us could use another two months of vacation.

I like the hope and expectation that comes with each new school year.  No matter how much I wish I could extend summer vacation, there is something that motivates me at the beginning of the school year to try to start well.  So, I’ve decided to take several actions to set myself up for a successful school year.  I share them with you in hope that some of you will join me.

Create some simple goals

I work better when I have goals I’m trying to achieve.  Goals also help me give meaning to the seemingly trivial tasks we all have to do.  If I can see the task in context of a larger goal, I’m less likely to give up or grow frustrated.

My goals don’t have to be complicated or fully fleshed out.  I usually wait until the second or third week of school to do more detailed planning.  But I do try to come up with a couple of broad, overarching goals at the beginning of every year.  Some examples might be:

• Weeding the fiction section
• Updating the 500s
• Working more with the science department

Get organized

This is particularly important if you’re starting at a new school or if you’re a first-year librarian.  But even seasoned librarians can benefit from tossing outdated files, cleaning out drawers, and tidying up.  Take time to set up your desk, organize paperwork, and create a neat, efficient workspace.  Do it now or you never will!

Pray for students and co-workers

This may be the most important thing I can do this year.  I’m not at a Christian school, so I may not be able to pray with my students and co-workers, but I can definitely pray for them.

In the past, I’ve said I was going to pray for students and co-workers, but I just meant it in a general sense.  I’ve decided this year to pick a specific co-worker to pray for each week.  I’m programming an alert on my computer (you can easily do this in Outlook or Gmail) to remind me each day to stop and pray.  I know that the only way I’ll actually pray consistently is to be intentional and structured.

What actions will you be taking to set yourself up for a successful school year?  Please share them in the comments.