What did you think when you read the title? Did you agree or is it something you generally don’t believe. Hope, while considered positive, is often thought of as a passive thing and reserved for something you don’t think will become a reality.

But consider your Vision Statement. Is that something you hope for? And yes, it isn’t currently your reality, but if you don’t believe it is possible to achieve, you will never reach it. The truth is, as cliché as it might sound, if you believe it, you can achieve it.

So how do you make hope happen? Strategy.

Hope, according to studies, is characterized by Goals, Pathways (the way to to goal), and Agency (capacity to get the goal), In her article, What Leaders Misunderstand About Hope,  Paula Davis provides strategies for using these in four parts. I have added my interpretation for our education world.

Provide role clarity – You aren’t leading a team, as Davis discusses, so the clarity is for you. What is your supposedly unachievable goal? Why is it so important? Who will benefit? Who are your potential allies? This will help you focus on a path, however slow, to reach your goal – your Vision.

Use micro-goals to build momentum – When the end is so far away, it is hard to believe you will get there.  Keep your hope alive by looking for milestones and for small wins to celebrate. When I am walking, I frequently have micro-goal to keep me moving. It is sometimes as small as getting to the next driveway. Consider this sample Vision. “The Library Media Program cultivates independent, lifelong readers fosters critical thinking skills, teaches the effective and ethical use of information sources, and promotes equitable access to all forms of information media.” What have you done that shows your students are actively doing leisure reading? What learning experiences have you taught that shows students are using information sources ethically?  These are your micro-goals.

Track progress – Notice what you’ve achieved along the way, the bricks that are building this path. For me, keeping a success journal reminds me of what I have achieved and inspires me to continue. If it helps, celebrate these successes by sharing them. Include it in reports to your principal and show them the progress being made. Share it with your PLN. The more widely you share it, the better you will feel and the easier it will be to believe your hope will become a reality.

Find mastery experiences – Davis says when you learn new skills, it changes what you believe you are capable of doing. Learning by doing is a powerful contributor to success and builds hope. Look to webinars offered by your school library professional associations or from some library specific social media can give you the opportunity to grow.

These are stressful times for librarians, in out of the library, and it’s hard to hold onto hope. Make working on getting closer to your Vision a priority remembering that hope can boost productivity. Seeing what you can accomplish may stir what was a dying ember of hope back to life. Remember to track and celebrate your achievements, even when small, and keep your administrator informed so they see you as the leader you are. I don’t hope – I know you can do this.