Right here, right now, as the kids at school would say.
That organizational stuff eludes me.
I just can't do it.
It's Spring Break.
I'm not going anywhere.
My house is a disaster.
And I should be cleaning.
I need to go through my closet
and give away a bunch of stuff.
I need to go through the drawer
where I keep all my receipts
and do taxes.
I need to clean out
two teacher bags
the wheeled crate I use to present.
And I need to do yard work
Rake up a bunch of leaves and gunk
I need to pay bills.
I need to clean out my car.
And it all seems totally overwhelming.
That organizational stuff eludes me.
And then there is the errand stuff.
I need to call the apartments where Isaiah lived in Phoenix.
I need to call Public Service and Comcast in Phoenix.
His lease is finally up.
And I need to turn off everything.
I need to call my insurance company.
And take the car for an oil change
And figure out why the brakes are making a funny noise.
I need to call to find out what to do
about the squirrels that seem to have moved into my attic.
And get estimates on the tree in the backyard.
But that organizational stuff eludes me.
And then I need to go over to school
Three years ago when I interviewed for my job
They told me I would be responsible
for the book room.
I've done that before.
I hate it.
But I can do it.
What they didn't tell me
was that the book room
had never been set up.
It was a huge room
with partially built scavenged shelves
And partially unpacked boxes.
A huge mess.
I organized it.
Kind of.
Got all of the shelves put together.
Bought boards at Home Depot
and made new shelves.
And it's been ok.
Not great, but ok.
Earlier this fall
the district bought us
a whole bunch of new guided reading books.
Several thousand dollars worth.
And they are lovely
but we don't have shelf space for them.
I put them in magazine boxes
and put them in front of the shelves.
But I have been told they need to be shelved.
And it will mean moving
every single book
in the book room.
Then relabelling every box.
And we are going to run out of shelves.
And it feels totally overwhelming.
I have a lot to do this spring break
but that organizational stuff
totally eludes me.
I wish I could come help with the book room - the rest of it...well, it overwhelms me!
ReplyDeleteYour list sounds like mine, & all I want to do is write for the blog & read posts & books! I know we'll check off some of the list, but . . .
ReplyDeleteBeen thinking about your post, organizational stuff eludes me too. Here's my best advice: Make a list of things you want to do, and every time you do ONE thing from the list, reward yourself by doing one thing you WANT to do. If that seems impossible, use fly lady's 15 minute rule. Spend 15 min. on the list, 15 minutes choosing something you want to do, then back to the list. You can do anything for 15 minutes, and you'll be slowly chipping away.
ReplyDeleteMy to-do list for Spring Break isn't nearly as long as yours, and I already feel overwhelmed. Trying to follow advice from Bird by Bird - one thing at a time.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
So much to do, so little time. Start small and do one thing, that will lead to another and another. Eventually one section of your to-do list will be over. Wish we could have a slicer meet up and tackle that book room. Many hands would make it easier.
ReplyDeleteI feel your frustration. I think making this list is a good first step (even though it's overwhelming). Phone calls and little details are no fun. I've been setting a timer for the harder stuff to organize. Small steps!
ReplyDeleteCarve some time just for you, Carol. All these "need to's" are funny, because some of them can truly wait. But "you time" to decompress and regain peace, that's an absolute "need to".
ReplyDeleteYikes! It's a good thing you get a break, right?
ReplyDeleteI say make a list first. Deep breath. You can do it. Schedule time for you too. Set a timer. One day at a time. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYou can print this list and start at the top and work your way down. I love crossing stuff off a list, but agree it's hard to just get started.
ReplyDelete