OBS FAQs: Finding Time to Organize

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The past year and a half of hybrid teaching has done a great job of unceremoniously shoving everything out of its way, my writing included. I'd planned to introduce this new feature in January, but it, like so many other things, it just fell away, postponed for a "better time."

Well, that time is finally here. This week, as I took steps toward making my writing a priority again, I thought about a question we often ask ourselves when it comes to organizing.

How do I find time to organize?

We all know that the end result will be a time saver but life always seems to intervene. In the last year, life not only intervened, it left quite a bit of chaos in its wake. 

So. How do you take the time you need to create order?

• Make it a priority. I know that sounds like an admonishment, but it's not because I feel your pain. I desperately wanted writing time, but there weren't enough hours in the day -- at least not enough hours during which I had the energy to concentrate on the task at hand. When I finally realized that I was using my best hours on other things, that was the nudge I needed. One (or several) of those things could be moved out of prime time one day (or more) a week so I could put writing (organizing) first. Sometimes, it's as simple as a shift in the schedule. Other times a little creativity, delegating or outsourcing may be in order. Or maybe a little takeout while I spend the time I'd have spent cooking writing (organizing) instead.

• Go public. I took the first step toward this months ago when my writing accountability partner and I agreed that Zoom meetings were better than no meetings at all. We're pretty good at being both carrot and stick for one another, knowing when compassion is needed and when a good, swift reminder is the better approach. The thing this week that pushed me forward most of all? Signing up for a virtual writing retreat through my college. I participated last summer and got soo much done. Prime time writing (or organizing) + accountability = success. And small successes often nudge us to larger ones.

• Remember that taking small steps works. I'm teaching a summer class, so there's no way I can attend every session of the virtual writing retreat but I know from last summer that it was fun, motivating and it had an element of socializing as well, so I hated to say no. Saying yes meant setting my perfectionism aside (I must do every session every day!) and committing to the sessions I could attend. 

• Commit (in your own mind). I know from last summer that the schedule for the writing retreat is flexible and I can add or subtract sessions as I need to without reducing my public credibility, but I also need to make a commitment to myself. The first step was marking that week out in my calendar. Next, I had to make a promise to myself: no appointments will fill what looks like blank squares on my planner page unless there is absolutely no other choice. Finally, I took out a pencil and (lightly) marked a great big W (for writing) in each of those blocks. No blank space? No room to add a commitment because that time is already spoken for.

• Do the prep work. The writing retreat is two weeks away. In the meantime, there are elements of my summer class I can take care of so I don't have to do them that week, freeing up more time to attend additional sessions. If you're going to schedule a block of time to organize, be specific (and realistic) in terms of what you want to accomplish. The night before (or the morning of if you're a lark like my husband), make sure everything you want to work on is in one spot. Then, when it's time to dig in, you won't waste precious time.

Why didn't I do all of this in the last year and a half? Because everything else that was going on managed to consume all the energy I had. Some times are like that. In those times, I rely on small steps. Write the blog post even if it's late. Grade part of the stack of papers. Make a list of what I'll do when life eases up and I can somehow locate some creative energy again. Every step forward is a step in the right direction. 

So. How will you find time to organize?

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Creating a Routine that Works

This week, I started teaching my first-ever fully online summer class. The prep has been ongoing for months, side-by-side with my spring classes, requiring enough work that I felt as though I was teaching an additional class. In the recesses of my brain, a little engine was chugging along, whispering a reminder to prepare (don’t forget to work on the summer class), and growing more urgent as the start date for class approached. Finally, last weekend, I woke up in a hotel room in Connecticut with the most urgent reminder of all. 

Summer class starts tomorrow! 

But…what does that even mean?

Suddenly, I realized this was different from any other start to class. The only place I had to be was in front of my computer and I could show up whenever I wanted. Creating the modules and assignments had been the hard part and the lion’s share of that work was already done.

My time was mine again.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been reading about time, or maybe it’s because I feel as though I’ve had so little of it lately but the beauty of this opportunity to rethink my routine is not lost on me. I don't yet know what my days will look like, but here are three things I want to keep in mind.

Body clock: Listen to it! I’m not an early riser, and there’s no need to be, no matter what time the rest of the world sets its alarm.

Boundaries: Set them early. I have a tendency to stretch time (if that’s even a thing) and tell myself it’s not really that big a deal if I start half an hour earlier than I’d like or stay half an hour later and, before I know it, all of my free time has been eaten away.

By the book: Experiment with specific time frames for doing certain tasks, like grading completed work and answering emails. In Time Smart, Ashley Whillans talks about clock time people and event time people. I’m the latter – one who prefers time frames rather than specific times. If I plan to do certain tasks in certain time frames, I’ll quickly have a routine with flexibility built right in. 

We should all be so lucky as to have the chance to rethink time. If you had that opportunity, what would you do?

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys to Peaceful Packing

About an hour ago, I finished compiling the last of my spring semester grades. Two classes are in, one will be input either later tonight or tomorrow morning. With the exception of one incomplete, that brings spring semester to a close, just in time for the first summer session, which starts Monday. In between, I have my daughter's graduation, postponed to this weekend from this time last year.

Would it surprise you to know I haven't packed a thing?

Well, that's not entirely true. I put my makeup bag together today when I put my makeup on. That way, when I put on my makeup tomorrow, I'll know immediately if I forgot to put something in the bag. There's also a pile of items on my bed, pulled from the clean laundry I was putting away this morning.

I'm a pack-as-I go kinda girl, which is a pretty perfect fit for my I need to see it personal style.

I'm behind schedule a bit on my usual pre-pack, because this week was all about getting grades done, but I'm actually right on schedule, based on the tentative time frame that's been running in my head since Monday. So, as soon as I finish writing this post, I need to go up and actually put some outfits together. Again, I've been running ideas through my head all week, so I'm optimistic that this is all possible.

If you're a planner, this post is probably making you twitch and, for that, I apologize. It's important to note, however, that everyone's definition of "planning" is a little different. As long as everything important makes it to the final destination in one piece, which form of planning is used to get it there is, in my opinion, irrelevant, unless someone else is depending on me to be a part of their planning. Luckily, we're all old enough to fend for ourselves around here.

Here are three key elements to my personal packing plan.

• Pre-pack. I have duplicates of most of my personal items and the kinds of Mom things (toothpaste, bandages, tissues) that people usually ask for. These are packed year-round so all I need to do is grab the right bag and toss it into the suitcase (after a quick check that everything's fully stocked).
• Pre-plan. Long before I've packed a thing, I'm making lists and running clothing combinations through my head. As I do laundry (pretty much always a given the day before we leave), I lay out what needs to go in the suitcase and put the rest away. 
• Prepare. This is the actual packing part. Once I have everything laid out on the bed (what did you expect from someone with an I need to see it perosnal style?), it's time to transfer it to the designated packing container. These things are connected. Until I have it all laid out on the bed, I don't know which packing container I'll need.

tookapic via Pixabay

I can't say I never forget anything but I usually arrive at my destination with the most important items, along with a few that never make it out of the suitcase. I'm not usually an overpacker (I leave that to my husband), but I typically pack an extra set of clothes and an extra outer layer in case the weather is unpredictable. Oddly enough, the recognition that, in most cases, I can buy anything I've forgotten, has made packing less overwhelming. 

I'm not sure that packing will ever make my list of favorite things but preparing ahead of time makes me dread it less and makes things go more smoothly when I finally stop procrastinating.

Now, if you'll excuse me, it's time to lay out some clothes.

https://amzn.to/2V7b29u

In addition to writing about organization, I also write novels. 

This book, the second one in a series of sorts with the same characters, is on sale this weekend. 

 

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Organization Beliefs that Make Things Harder than They Have to Be

I don't know about you, but I'm certainly good at getting in my own way when it comes to organizing -- or at least I used to be. Finding my styles and working with them (instead of in spite of them) was a BIG step in the right direction, as was learning to organize with STYLE. But there was another part of organizing that was as ingrained in me as my styles.

My implicit beliefs about organization. Here are three I'm learning to kick to the curb along with the clutter.

Perfectionism. Life is busy and ever-changing, so expecting a perfectly organized house or even a perfectly organized space to last more than 30 seconds is unrealistic. Enjoy perfection while it lasts, but don't spend every free moment pursuing it or trying to reclaim it. There are better ways to spend time.

An all-or-nothing attitude. This one is related to perfectionism, but has more to do with how we dig in. When we look at a space in need of a little (or a lot of) TLC, we think we need to set aside a day, or even a weekend to restore the entire space all at once. Taking small steps and making progress a little at a time is not only less overwhelming, it's also more practical. A complete overhaul often leaves us searching for everything we put out of sight when we assigned new homes to all those items that had previously been visible. Doing things a little at a time gives us a chance to adjust and build on our new habits.

Believing that neat = organized. Anyone who's ever thrown all of their desk miscellany into a deep drawer or stashed things in whatever space was available when company was en route knows that "neat" and "organized" are two different things. Sure, tidiness is a goal, but so is being able to find what we need when we need it.

Look around you. Find your successes and, when the day is finished, plan your next small steps. Learn to let go of stuff you don't need (like the attitudes above) as a matter of course, find homes for the things you want to keep and make easy upkeep -- not perfection -- your goal.

Now go put your feet up because, after all, what's the point of pursuing organization if it doesn't leave us a little time for fun and relaxation?