When in doubt…
Make lists!
I spent 20 minutes writing down every little thing I could think of (and just realized I missed a BIG ONE that is a deadline from Superdean, although one colleague has not yet given me the information for her share).
Then I put the “things I really need to do this weekend” in a different color. Most of them are teaching-related, because it’s midterm week, and I just realized I missed out a few of those, like “grade last discussion” and “add class participation grades for last week”.
Some are financial things I really need to do, because they are reimbursements I really need to get off my credit cards.
But except for ten individual things to make my house livable for the week (I separated each thing, so that I can clean the stove, but leave the fridge for later –rather than have the “clean kitchen” thing that has so many tasks involved), I realized that my three-page list could mostly be tackled in small bits, and some of the weight that I felt has been lifted by knowing that some hurdles really are movable. Yes, I need to vacuum. No I don’t need to mop all the floors TODAY. Yes, I need to do laundry. No, I don’t need to iron anything to get through this week.
Sometimes, just taking the time to think things through is worth it.
Bugger. Just realized I didn’t put down gym time or practice time. Next iteration. BUT THE PAPER IS ON IT. TWICE.
This sounds much too familiar. Also, I can tell I’m ageing, because in my mid-twenties I’d make one of these plans and realise halfway through the day I’d forgotten to allow any time for eating. That no longer happens…
I always think of eating as a default (unnecessary to list), but if I don’t put down the gym, it’s because I mean it.
I have finally, in my advanced middle age, gotten all my calendars talking to each other via the innertubes (though I broke the links at some point in August and had to work to redo them). That makes my life-outside-the-house much easier.