As we wrap up the school year, plan for summer learning, and simultaneously look toward the fall, it can feel like we’re living in three seasons at once. Educators are carrying a lot and trust me, their plates are full, and they are not hungry. And yet, here we are, still showing up, still dreaming forward.

This week, I sat in a room filled with curriculum leaders from across the region I work in. We talked candidly about the risks we’re taking to make meaningful curriculum shifts, even when the timing feels hard. We talked about being kinder to ourselves while we persevere, about the temptation to do too much, too fast, because the work matters so deeply. I shared a line from my friend Meghan Lawson’s book, Legacy of Learning that constantly grounds me: “Small moves make a big impact.” In my own book, The Leader Inside, I say it this way: “It’s the small wins that add up to big things.”

This week also took me beyond my own district. I had the opportunity to visit another school community to observe how they run their student news program. What I saw was nothing short of inspiring: a group of high schoolers showing up at 6 a.m. every day…not because they have to, but because they want to. They write scripts, operate the teleprompter, rotate through editing and reporting roles, and collaborate with purpose. Why doesn’t the early hour matter to them? Because they’re deeply committed to something they love.

When I asked what they’ll take with them beyond high school, their answers weren’t about technology or media skills (though those were evident). Instead, they spoke about friendships formed, obstacles overcome, the courage to keep iterating, and how the experience helped shape the people they are still becoming. They found belonging, purpose, and even a spark of interest in fields they hadn’t considered before. That kind of learning doesn’t always show up on a rubric but it’s real, and it’s lasting.

These moments of reflection reminded me of Jenny Wood’s Wild Courage, a book I’m currently reading when I need a little grounding and motivation to keep moving forward. As we close out this year and prepare for what’s next, here are three takeaways from Wild Courage to carry with you:

1. Redefine Success on Your Own Terms.

“High performers establish their own definition of success and work steadily to achieve it.”

“You don’t need permission to be great. Set your own bar”—Tina Fey reminds us to set it high. Whether you’re refining curriculum, leading summer PD, or planning for fall instruction, don’t let the ambitions of others limit your own. We regret the moves we don’t make more than the ones we do and fail. Failing to take risks can keep you from growing.

2. Let Curiosity Be Your Compass.

“We are interested in others when they are interested in us.”

Draw confidence from curiosity. When you shift your focus from what you want to get to genuinely learning about others, you relieve the pressure to be perfect. Authenticity comes into action when we take our attention off ourselves. If you’re on the fence, lean in. Be brave. Ask questions. Ask for help. Perfection is impossible, but connection is everything.

3. Make Excellence a Habit, Not a Performance.

“Make excellence a mechanical process.”

Let action drive your progress. Take small, steady steps toward the impact you want to make. Let past wins fuel you, not limit you. Ask yourself: What would feel scary today but make you proud tomorrow? Air on the side of action. Success hinges on trying again and again and again.

At the end of the day, ambitions hide on the other side of fear. But you don’t have to wait for permission. You don’t have to be an expert to contribute. This is your life. No one else’s. Take the wheel and drive the car.

Moving Forward

The truth is: the work is hard because it matters. Keep showing up. Keep asking questions. Keep taking small steps forward. Because those steps? 

They’re where wild courage and small wins live.