As change accelerates at an unprecedented pace, particularly with AI, 2025 calls for something deeper than speed—it calls for thriving. After a year devoted to acceleration in 2024, I find myself drawn to a word that represents not just progress, but flourishing in every aspect of leadership and life. Whether it’s coaching youth sports, lacing up my shoes for morning running, or leading groundbreaking AI initiatives in our district, “thrive” captures the essence of what I aim to achieve in 2025. Thrive also more broadly speaks to me as not just a professional goal, but one that hits my personal goals as well.

This marks the 10th year of my “One Word” tradition. Looking back at 2024 and “accelerate,” it was a year of urgency and innovation. We embraced the challenge of supporting AI across our district and networking with jurisdictions around BC, Canada and the world. We advanced literacy and numeracy initiatives and focused on mental and physical health. The pace was intense but rewarding. While acceleration was about building momentum, thriving is about sustaining and flourishing with that momentum.

Why Thrive for 2025?

Sustainable Innovation

Thriving means not just keeping pace with change, but shaping it thoughtfully. In the fast-evolving AI landscape, it’s about balancing innovation with educational fundamentals. We’ll approach AI integration like I approach basketball coaching – start with the fundamentals (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity) and then layer in innovative tools that enhance these core skills. Just as a strong defensive foundation enables more dynamic offensive plays, strong teaching fundamentals will ensure our AI efforts enhance learning rather than overshadow it.

Collective Growth

True thriving isn’t just about individual success; it’s about collective achievement. Watching young athletes develop skills, seeing educators embrace new technologies, and spending meaningful time with family all contribute to a sense of shared growth. Thriving lifts us all.

Depth and Breadth

Like training for a marathon, thriving requires both speed work and endurance. It’s about growing deeper in our initiatives while broadening their reach. Whether it’s making new learning approaches and tools accessible for all educators or deepening relationships within my community, thriving ensures our progress is impactful and lasting. For example, this year, I am focusing on spending more time in classrooms learning with and from teachers using AI in their classes.

Balance

Thriving captures the delicate harmony between pushing boundaries and maintaining well-being. Balancing district leadership, being involved in youth sports, running, blogging, and family time demands intentionality. For me, this means protecting my early morning runs as devotedly as I guard time for family dinners and summer basketball trips, and approaching my district leadership with equal enthusiasm and presence.

Resilience

To thrive means to grow stronger through challenges. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of educational transformation or powering through the final stretch of a long run, thriving requires adaptability and the ability to turn obstacles into opportunities. My run streak is never boring – I plan to run at least 5 km everyday this year, just like I have for almost 4 years.

Impact

At its core, thriving is about making a meaningful difference. In our district, it’s about fostering environments where students flourish. In sports, it’s about shaping not just skilled players but well-rounded individuals. At home, it’s about nurturing relationships that energize and sustain us.

Moving Forward

As I look ahead to 2025, I’m excited to transform the momentum of acceleration into a year of thriving. Whether it’s crafting my next blog post, leading an AI initiative, coaching a game, or stepping out for an early morning run, my goal isn’t just to participate or succeed—it’s to embrace every opportunity fully and flourish in all I do.

I’m curious – what word will guide your journey in 2025? How does it reflect your hopes and aspirations for the year ahead? Share your word, and together, let’s inspire each other to thrive.

Previous One Word Posts:

2016 – Hungry

2017 – Hope

2018 – Relevance

2019 – Delight

2020 – Hustle

2021 – Optimism

2022 – Focus

2023- Coached

2024 – Accelerate

I used Chat GPT to create the image at the top of the post.  I also used both Chat GPT and Claude in the brainstorming phase of my word selection.  I described what I was hoping to accomplish in 2025 and used AI to help generate potential words from which to choose.