this 15 year veteran is ready to quit ...

The other day, a Ruckus Maker reached out.

Year 15 in education. Year 3 as principal.

And one month into the school year, he said:

"I've never been more drained in all my time."

Here's what he told me:

He starts each day with a plan.

Then the day happens.

And the plan gets abandoned.

He's got access to great resources (he's in The Ruckus Maker Mastermind), but instead of implementing one thing deeply, he jumps to the next resource, then back, then forward again.

Before he knows it, he hasn't gotten anywhere.

Sound familiar?

Here's what I told him:

You don't need more resources. You need to get back to basics.

Think about a shadow board in a garage.

You know — where every tool has an outlined space on the wall showing exactly where it belongs.

• When the hammer is missing, you know immediately.

• When the wrench isn't in its place, it's obvious.

There's no guessing. No wondering. No thinking required.

The shadow board shows you exactly what should be there.

And when something's missing? You know precisely what to fix.

School leadership works the same way.

There are foundational tools that should ALWAYS be in place:

• Your personal boundaries

• Your ONE priority for the quarter

• Your weekly planning ritual

• Your delegation system

• Your celebration habits

• And more...

When these basics are in place, you lead with clarity and confidence.

When they're missing? You feel exactly like my friend — drained, scattered, and ready to give up.

That's why I created the Back-to-Basics Checklist.

It's a one-page resource that works like a shadow board for school leaders.

It shows you the essential "tools" every Ruckus Maker should have in place across three stages:

• Lead Domino (Self-Leadership)

• Ripple Effect (Culture)

• Big Picture (Systems)

When you look at the checklist and see multiple boxes unchecked, you'll know immediately:

You don't need more information.

You need to return to basics.

Keep Making a Ruckus,

Danny

P.S. Swap chaos and anxiety for confidence and clarity with the “back to basics” checklist.