3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key (True) Confessions

 

On Tuesday, my paperback copies of True Confessions Wednesday arrived. In honor of what I consider to be an exciting development, I thought I'd share three of those confessions that are particularly relevant to me right now.

True Confession #2: I'm a big fan of the small steps approach. This morning, I counted the number of teaching days remaining in the semester: 11. With a stack of papers to grade that's hovering dangerously close to ten times that number (with more to follow), organizing is taking a back seat. But, every day, I generate paper clutter, not the least of which is the pile of mail that must be dealt with. I can't keep things as well in-hand as I'd like, but keeping after it a little at a time means I won't have a backlog of clutter to deal with when the semester is over.

True Confession #20: I love simple solutions. Containers without lids. Colored file folders. Sticky notes. Eye-catching, one-step, drop-and-run solutions are the foundation of my organizing system. The simpler the solution, the more likely I am to use it -- especially when I'm busy and life is hectic.

True Confession #46: I struggle with the transition from one month to the next. More than one appointment has been lost or forgotten in the Bermuda triangle that is the flip of the page from one month to the next. While I still have room for improvement, I'm getting much better, especially since I've identified this as a weak spot in my time management system.

With a little searching, you can read all of my True Confessions here on this blog, in their original home. True Confessions Wednesday, a compilation of all those Wednesday posts, is available as an e-book -- and now in paperback! -- on Amazon.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Key Reasons that Clearing Clutter One Thing at a Time Works

Last weekend, I walked into my office and caught a glimpse of the counter. When did all those piles get there?

Sigh. 

The addition of some time-sensitive tasks to my already full to-do list had inadvertently invited some old habits back to roost. Apparently, my reversion to my drop and run organizational style had created more clutter than I realized. 

I wanted to spring into action but, those aforementioned time-sensitive tasks? 

Still not done. And still at the top of the list.

But I couldn't let it go, so I decided to chip away at it a little bit at a time. I decided that every time I passed the counter, I'd pick something up and put it away.

A few trips later, I was pleasantly surprised to see clear space -- one of the reasons I love this tactic. Here are three key reasons something so simple can be so satisfying.

It's approachable. Tackling the piles one item at a time fits into even the busiest of schedules.

It identifies what has a home...and what doesn't, making it easy to figure out which systems are working and which are not.

Progress is almost immediate. Picking up and putting way even just a few items shrinks the piles and, after a few repetitions, might even yield some clear space.

My counter is still not completely clear, but I've met my deadline so it won't be long until I can dig in in earnest. In the meantime, small steps yielded a payoff that kept things in a holding pattern until I could give the task the time it needed.

Lisa 1, Clutter 0.

STYLE-ing My Way to the End of a Very Different Semester

As the semester picks up speed and careens to an end, it felt like a good time to revisit a post from 2019 and do a little comparing. 

Then:
The semester is drawing to a close and the semi-annual paper blizzard has begun. Fortunately, many of these papers will be returned to my students but, in the meantime, keeping things in order is a bit of a challenge. When it feels like the stuff is overwhelming the systems, it's time to go back to STYLE.

• Start with successes. I have folders for all of my classes, so that's my starting point. When the papers begin to overrun the folders (like when 25 students turn in five page papers), I start stacking and I keep my piles together with paper clips or binder clips that match the color I've assigned to each class. That way, I can see at a glance which papers belong to which classes, even if I move my piles into open-top files.
• Take small steps. When the papers start to pile up, they end up on my dining room table, which is not where they belong. Taking even five minutes at a time to sort, clear and move the piles to a more appropriate location makes a difference not just in terms of clear space, but also in terms of peace of mind. I know. I've tried it.
• Yes, it has a home! Except when that home is too small. Time to pull out an extra file bin and press it into service.
• Let it go! This one will be easy. The majority of the papers will be returned to their rightful owners. What remains can be sorted into file bins that house materials for each of my classes.
• Easy upkeep. Luckily, I've been teaching the same classes long enough that I've developed working systems and, once the paper piles shrink to a manageable size, the upkeep is easy.

Chipping away at my piles gradually, reminding myself that this is a temporary state of affairs, and keeping what comes next in mind helps me make progress and keep my wits about me. As the piles grow smaller (and leave my house), I feel a sense of accomplishment that almost makes this temporary state of affairs less annoying.

Almost.

mmi9 via Pixabay

And now:

With our current hybrid set-up, the paper blizzard is no more and I don't miss it a bit! But every semester brings new challenges, and my current challenge is trying to write the curricular part of my online summer class while teaching three spring semester classes. With multiple irons in the fire -- especially when that's the case -- STYLE is still my friend.

• Start with successes.  As someone with an I need to see it personal style teaching in a pandemic, I may not have hard copies of assignments, but I need hard copies of some things, so I have a system for the papers that do accumulate. When I have the time and energy to use the system, it works. One (almost) daily success is clearing off my desk at the end of each day. Seeing a clear workspace at the beginning of each day helps me to start the day more calmly.

• Take small steps. I've had a steady flow of assignments coming in from all of my classes for the past two weeks and I've come to terms (mostly) with the fact that it will take time to grade them. Each day, I set a target number of specific assignments to grade -- one that's realistic given the other responsibilities of my day, including sleep and down time. It took me a long time to get comfortable with small steps in this particular aspect of my life. Taking small steps when it comes to grading doesn't make everyone happy, but it helps me maintain some semblance of work-life balance.
• Yes, it has a home! If I can only make myself put it away instead of down. Some habits die hard.
• Let it go! Too soon for this one. At the end of the semester, I'll sort through all the folders and get rid of the hard copies that duplicate things I can archive online. For now, this I need to see it girl need her hard copy back-ups.
• Easy upkeep. I hate the situation that got us to this point, but now that I've adjusted to online tools and virtual submissions of assignments, I can't imagine ever going back to that wild blizzard of papers. 

Even if I am the poster child for I need to see it.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Not Wasting that Day Off

During this academic year, part of the plan to keep our campus community safe during COVID has been the elimination of breaks during the semester. Fall break disappeared, and students stayed on campus until Thanksgiving, after which the rest of the semester was virtual. No spring break either, but we do have tomorrow off in observance of Good Friday.

A day off, which also means a three-day weekend. It's been a long time coming, and I'm determined to use it well. Here are three guidelines I've set for myself to make that happen.

Don't overbook. The temptation to catch up on everything can be intense. Luckily, this time around, I've waited so long for a break that I'm happy to set aside the "have to" list in favor of the "want to" list, which brings me to....

Do the things you want to do. This may or may not include school work, just to lighten the load, but will definitely include sleeping in, writing and serious puttering.

Throw in a little organizing so the sense of calm continues. For me, organizing is on the "want to" list. Not only do I enjoy it, but the benefits it offers linger long after I've finished. 

Too often, in our productivity-driven society, we create a to-do list for our downtime that rivals the ones we make on a day-to-day basis, but time off is time to recharge. And, when we do it right, the effects linger beyond the day off.