As you contemplate the end of this calendar year and the start of the one ahead, I'd like to encourage you to adopt a motto for 2026.
Last summer, as I was preparing to start my two-year journey as Dean of the Class of 2027, one of the kids in the class (Hi, JK!) recommended that I have a motto for the year. Their former dean (Hi, KH!) used "Both things can be true" as a basis around which to organize her programming for their tenth-grade year. I like the idea that a motto gives us a direction in which to aim our efforts and a reminder when we've lost our way.
The photo above shows the back of my laptop. On it, you can see the cool Class of 2027 sticker, and if you zoom in, you'll see the year's motto. (Also, because we sometimes need more reminders about what's right to do in the middle of the night, the sticker glows in the dark. Cool, I know.)
For the 2027s' eleventh-grade year, that same young man came up with an image for a sticker. In it, the 7 looked like an upward arrow, and I thought, "Show up. Stand up. Step up." Our class motto was born.
Here are some of the ways it makes sense to me:
- Even when life is hard, the least we can do is show up.
- We should show up for our friends, for our appointments, for ourselves.
- Showing up for one another demonstrates support.
- When something's not going well, we need to stand up for ourselves, to seek help and guidance.
- If we're in a position of power, we should stand up against injustice inflicted on others.
- Being a stand-up citizen means following a productive, beneficial plan.
- When people need our help, we should step up to offer it.
- We can improve the results we get in life by stepping up.
- When things need to be done, we should step up.
Can you think of other ways this motto works? Do you have a personal motto that guides your choices? Do you change mottos each year? What other reactions do you have to the idea of having a motto? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
I absolutely love mottos!!! I think that “Show up. Stand up. Step up.” is a great motto. Especially in a world that’s feeling increasingly isolated, it’s so important for people to be present with each other and engage with their community in meaningful ways.
I hope you continue with the mottos in the future and maybe even more deans will adopt them. My elementary/ middle school also had a guiding motto for each school year. They would start every all school meeting with it and it would serve as a framework through which to approach the academic year. They have a plaque in the dining hall with every years’ motto inscribed on it and the quote would always go on the first page of the yearbook. I really loved that tradition and the way it brought our community together.
Today, though I don’t have a yearly motto given to me by my school, I give myself a guiding quote for each month. I do a lot of bullet journaling and I always put the quote at the top of the page where I set my goals for the month. I like month more than year as it allows for more specificity and for me to change my priorities depending on the needs of that month. I also quite enjoy the task of searching for the perfect quote.
Now that I’ve rambled for far too long, I should definitely get back to work. I hope the start of the festive season is treating you well! Tell everyone over in CT I say hi!
You have NOT rambled on too long…unless this month’s motto is “say less” or “get back to work.” Even if those are your mottos for the month, I’m grateful for your thoughtful post. Do you remember your school’s yearly mottos? Have any of them resonated enough to become mottos for you? Were you the person who told me about the A.Word.A.Day emails? I love the quotations the author of that project puts in their daily missives. I’ve taken many of those as quotes for my email signature line.
Okay, now it’s time for me to get back to work. I wish you well!
I use words of Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka from a poem “Contra spem spero.” Her character is in a terrible situation and yet she says: I laughed to not cry. It wasn’t just a sad note, but rather a life motto. Even in situation so terrible that crying is the only possible response, she refused to give up and was laughing instead. I don’t change this motto every year and it has been with me for over 5 years now. And yet it keeps inspiring me and pushes me to go forward no matter what. It relates me to people who red Lesya’s poetry long time ago and had the same feelings. In many senses, the motto isn’t just a phrase I repeat, but rather a grounding element in my consciousness. Regardless of what happens in my life, I can always return to it and do what it says; laugh even when cry is warranted.
I love this line as your motto. It’s so important not to allow the world’s situation to defeat us. There are so many times when laughing or crying seem the only options, and I too prefer to laugh.