I was talking to a peer this week and we were discussing all of the things on our plate. Observations, Discipline, Data, State Testing, and so on and so on. We were both feeling very pressed and looking to share war stories while at the same time trying to figure out how to get our heads above water again. What kept catching my attention throughout the entire conversation was how many times we kept saying "I don't have time." Really?
Yes, there are times when we do not have time. There are always high priority situations that demand immediate attention. But is our entire life, day in and day out, like this? And if so why? What is it that causes people to feel as though every situation is a high priority situation? How can we overcome it and figure out how to get a grip on what is weighing us down. Whenever we feel this type of pressure upon us the first thing we must do is come to the realization that we will never HAVE time until we step back, analyze what is before us and then work to MAKE time. We do this by prioritizing our "In Basket." What does it mean to prioritze our "In Basket?" What is an "In Basket" anyway?
Our "In Basket" refers to all of the items we have to address within a certain range of time. Most people will do best with this concept by starting with a daily "In Basket" especially this late in the school year. At this point we are all excited just to make it day to day anyway so prioritize as such. Start focusing on what must be done in order to make it through the day, but never forget to move Non-Negotiables that we do not get to to the next day and keep moving. Also during this time of year, take away the things that do not matter or can be put off until after the school year ends. If it is not a must or mandate, then it does not matter as much as the musts or mandates. If we continue to grind our way to the end with distracters slowing us down, we will be burned totally up coming into the last thirty days of the school year. Coming into the home-stretch prioritize your "In Basket" with what must be done and let what you want to do take a back seat. For the sake of your own sanity, make time for what you have to and remember that you really do not have time for anything else... at least for about 30-40 more days. Have a great end of the school year and keep your head up. We are almost done.
6 comments:
Another thing to remember is that the busier we get, the more we tend to mentally disengage a bit so that we can "keep on top of things." This is a hidden time sink that we often do not take into account. If we will do what you talk about - prioritize daily and follow our plan, it will allow us the mental freedom to fully engage in each activity which will allow us to either do a better job, a faster job, or maybe even both!
I like the idea of creating an "in basket." There are many days I am not as productive as a I should be because I didn't take time to organize my "in basket." Depending on your organization style, it isn't a bad idea to take a few minutes to do this every morning.
That "in basket" is very full for me, I will shuffle around in it and organize it a bit better.
Frank Buck has a great book our on time management for school leaders which is very profound. It recommends using the tickler file, managing in items and out items as well as daily to do task lists.
Hey Ed.. I enjoyed reading your post last week, but was on the run and didn't get a chance to comment. ( I didn't have time..haha!) I think it's so important to realize the danger of accepting when people push their "emergencies" onto us. I don't know who originally said this, but I often hear myself thinking: "Your lack of preparation does not constitute and emergency for me". I think that Bill brings up a key point as well; sometimes in my busiest times I lose track of the systems that make my life manageable, like my daily plan and prioritization. Thanks for sharing :-)
How true it is what you say. The end of another year and one must complete all the necessary paperwork, celebrate the current year and plan for next year. We can often lose sight of the present and forget to enjoy the journey.
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