The Grind

"As long as you're having fun, that's the key. As soon as it becomes a grind, it's over."
-Barry Gibb

It is that time of the year where we are eyeing Spring Break and the promise of a full week of relaxation-- a break from the grind. The kids know it. We know it. Everyone knows it. The spring semester is the part of the school year that can feel the most like the dreaded "grind". That idea that you are just showing up every day exerting maximum effort for minimal gain. 

Athletes talk about it in terms of off-season workouts and sticking to strict dietary regimens to be game-ready when the season starts and then throughout the season as they settle into routines of preparation, competition, rest, and repeat, all the while staying focused on a singular goal that never quite seems as close as you would want it to be. That is the grind. 

It can be exhausting and demoralizing to find yourself working hard every day without seeing the payoff. In education, the payoff is sometimes very hard to see. With some students, we may not get to see the full fruits of our labor until many years later. So are we working for the weekend? Spring break? Summer vacation? What prize do we fix our eyes upon to keep us motivated? I think it has to be something more than our next break from work. If the only thing you enjoy about your work is getting a break from your work, maybe you need to find a new line of work. No, I know that each and every one of you are here because there is something that calls you to do this work. There is something in it that brings you joy. Whatever it is for each of you, I would encourage you to celebrate it. Let it be the fun that is the key. 

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