That probably isn’t surprising. As a university leader, much of my job involves identifying problems, finding solutions, and figuring out how we can do things better. There are enrollment numbers to watch, budgets to balance, students who need support, and systems that don’t always work the way we wish they would.

But here’s something else you should know about me. I absolutely love being a university leader. I love working with students, building community, and finding ways to make our university better. Over the years, I’ve learned to be intentional about where I put my attention. It’s easy to get caught up in everything that needs fixing, but I make a conscious effort to notice and celebrate what’s good, too.

Recently, it was homecoming week at Weber State University, and it reminded me why I love what I do.

The football game was fantastic, especially pulling off a win in the final few minutes! But what I enjoyed most about homecoming wasn’t necessarily the game. It was watching our campus come together and seeing people genuinely enjoy being part of Weber State.

More than 40 departments worked together to create opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to celebrate. People who don’t normally work together shared ideas, pitched in, and made things happen. There were conversations, laughter, and a whole lot of Weber spirit. I loved seeing it all come together.

I love building community. I love bringing people together and watching what happens when they connect around a shared idea. And I feel incredibly fortunate that I get to do that as part of my job.

This approach to life and leadership is something I’ve spent years thinking about and studying.

For my doctoral research, I explored what I called a spirit of abundance and a sense of enough. I wanted to understand why some people experienced gratitude, joy, and fulfillment even when life was difficult.

What I found interesting was that these individuals experienced plenty of difficulties, just like everyone else. But they seemed to be much more intentional about noticing the good things happening in their lives, even when things were hard. They found reasons to be grateful and opportunities to experience joy, even when their circumstances weren’t what they had hoped for.

I think about that research often in my work.

Higher education has plenty of challenges right now. Financial pressures, changing expectations, growing student needs, and questions about our value are real. Some days are exhausting, and there are certainly times when the challenges seem to outweigh the successes.

But I also think about the students who are balancing work, families, and school because they want something better for themselves. I think about the faculty and staff who take extra time to help a student navigate a difficult situation. And I think about the friendships and connections that happen on our campuses, sometimes because someone simply created an opportunity for people to come together.

I don’t want to get so caught up in everything that needs improvement that I miss those moments.

I also don’t believe gratitude means being satisfied with the status quo. One of the ideas I’ve wrestled with most in my research and my own life is that we can have a sense of enough while still striving for more. At first, that seems contradictory. How can I be satisfied with where I am and still want something better? How can I celebrate what we’ve accomplished while knowing how much more there is to do?

I’ve come to believe that I can be genuinely satisfied with where we are today and still want us to accomplish more tomorrow. I don’t see those things as contradictory anymore. I want to celebrate what we’re doing well, and I also want to keep asking how we can do better. I think there’s room for both.

I don’t think wanting more has to mean what we have isn’t enough. I want us to keep growing and improving. But I don’t want our happiness, our sense of accomplishment, or our appreciation for one another to always be waiting on the other side of the next goal.

Homecoming is a good example. I’m proud of what we created together, and we’re already talking about how to make it better next year. I can enjoy what happened without pretending it was perfect.

Maybe that’s why I love this work so much. I get to spend my days around students discovering who they are and people who care deeply about helping them get there. We don’t always get it right, and we certainly don’t always agree. But last week, watching students, colleagues, and community members laugh and celebrate together, I felt grateful to be part of this place.

We have plenty of work ahead of us. I’m excited about that, too.

Ali Threet is the vice president of Student Access, Success & Enrollment Management at Weber State University. She leads student recruitment, retention, and support initiatives for more than 33,000 students. This commentary is provided through a partnership with Weber State. The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent the institutional values or positions of the university.