A. R. Smith Studios

One of the joys of sabbatical is having time to read again – reading both for professional development and for rest. I have 3 main books on my list for this sabbatical time and a couple of others that may end up on the list as well. 

It is interesting how things cross our paths… how we are exposed to and/or introduced to new authors, concepts, and/or ideas. I love synchronicity and serendipity, and I frankly think they played a huge role in the development of this list. My relationship with books is one of finding clues that lead to new authors, and then doing it all over again…continuing to find clues upon the path, picking them up and reading it to the next clue. 

My coach trainer recommended the book “Transitions: Making Sense Of Life’s Changes ” by William Bridges. I have downloaded the audio book and begun reading it. It is speaking to my transition period as I change roles & job responsibilities at work. And transition into and out of sabbatical season. I found in my last sabbatical that the most crucial pieces of the experience were the transitions into and out of that season. There is a lot of detoxing to take place as things start to reset. And then there is ramp-up needed. 

As I have been listening to various podcasts and following various youtubers regarding decluttering – physical objects – I encountered the author Dana K. White who wrote a book entitled, “How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House’s Dirty Little Secrets.” Though the book focuses on house management, it has really struck a cord with me and the need I have for developing routines & habits. Another book on my list is Atomic Habits by James Avery. As I engage in my sabbatical fully, I recognize that my life lacks structure without work parameters. And I would like to have parameteres that are just a part o fmy life with or without work obligations. 

The other thing that has struck me from this book is the idea of a “project brain” and how that contrasts with habits and routines. I will be exploring this idea in another blog post (or perhaps a series), but I think there are definitely areas of growth for me here. I look forward to bringing these topics into my upcoming coaching sessions (and my artwork, too!).

There are a few other books that I’m interested in reading, perhaps. Including – “The Lazy Genius Way” and “Onward: resilience in educators.” I have the workbook for “Onward” but am interested in reading the book itself. 

What books are on your list? Are you interested in reading together?? Are you in a transition?? 

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Questions to Deepen Our Practice:

• What are you consuming right now? 
• What thoughts and ideas from others are challening you now? 
• What are you curious about? 
• What do you want to explore further? 
• How would you describe your relationship with reading/books/podcasts?