“Lauren, I know you’re busy, but can we talk for a few minutes?”

That’s a text I received from several teachers this week. Was I busy? Of course. I was in the whirlwind of meetings, professional learning sessions, phone calls, emails, and dealing with the impromptu events that inevitably come up. It’s busy. But here’s the thing: we’re all busy, and busy looks different for each of us. I never say, “I’m busy” to anyone. Because if I say I’m busy, am I implying that you or others aren’t?

Here’s the other thing: what we value, we make time for. That’s it. We are never too busy for the things that matter.

We find the time, even when it seems there isn’t any.

Like moving a meeting that could wait so I could support a teacher through a difficult conversation.

Like running down the hall to catch a colleague who needed my ear to problem-solve an unexpected challenge.

Like jumping on a quick virtual call with colleagues to troubleshoot questions teachers were having about a new resource we’re rolling out.

Like checking in on a new teacher who is finding her footing and making sure she feels supported.

Like reaching out to a friend you haven’t heard from in a while, just to check in and see if they’re okay.

Like a few weekends ago, when my dear friend Sean Gaillard invited me to be his final guest on the #PrincipalLinerNotes podcast amidst a busy day.

Like being a mom, rushing to my son’s track meet and arriving just in time to see him race, phone in hand to capture the moment. Just. In. Time.

Like driving my other son to a basketball practice 40 minutes away and using the wait time in the car to catch up on emails.

As Seth Godin says in This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans, “It’s the hard work of choosing what to do today to make tomorrow better.” Similarly in my book The Leader Inside, I share, “Every path I’ve walked has presented me with a collection of choices that have forced me to summon the momentum inside myself to take action.”

That’s it. That’s the plan. 

We prioritize what matters. 

We take action when it matters.

We make time for what we value. 

We’re here, doing the work. We’re showing up, no matter what others might say. 

We’re making time for what matters.

And in a world where everyone is busy, it’s not just about filling our days—it’s about filling them with purpose.