January 13, 2010

taking the reins

One of my goals for 29 is to complete a successful year as president of the Denver Jaycees, of which my term began a few weeks ago. So far, this goal has involved a lot of time-consuming tasks and brain-strain. Nevertheless, I have a good feeling about things at this point.

However, tonight is the first "real" test as I'll be leading my inaugural general membership meeting. And, although I've met with my board on a number of occasions and have gained a general sense of comfort speaking and conducting a meeting with them, tonight's meeting has me feeling all kinds of anxiety.

Beyond the feelings related to my presentation skills and my overall knowledge of the organization, I also hope all of the new information introduced tonight doesn't overwhelm the membership. I really want this is to a great year for the chapter, one that establishes a foundation that can be built upon for years to come, which is where the inundation of materials stems. Realistically though, I know that not every plan for the year will come to fruition and I have to constantly remind myself that this will be acceptable. I am only one person and my board is only one board and we are all human beings who have other areas in our life beyond the Jaycees.

Tomorrow, I, along with three other Colorado Jaycees, will be heading to Tulsa, Okla., for the Jaycees Leadership Academy. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of what it takes to be a leader in the Jaycees organization. Additionally, the trip will be a great opportunity to expand my Jaycees networking.

As for tonight, I'm fairly positive it will be a successful meeting and all of this worrying is a prodigious waste of energy (as is usually the case). It all really boils down to my instilling a little faith in myself and worrying less about what everyone else thinks. In the words of Adlai Stevenson, "It's hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse."

No comments:

Post a Comment