[originally posted on facebook on 29 Dec 2022, featured image added November 2024 to show how I now get around outside]
On the cusp of the new (calendar) year, I am thinking about ways to make teaching a little less stressful, and time at home a little more serene.
I am revisiting productivity (organizational and scheduling) strategies that, in the past, helped but were abandoned over the last 5 years (a health crisis + at-home teaching + teaching post-lockdowns): lists, physical calendars, filing and storage systems organized by date more than content. I need/want to bring back this idea without spending money/acquiring more things. [As part of this, I need to downsize items that are no longer needed, broken/obsolete, the wrong size/color/fit – all the items that no longer serve a purpose but hold no sentimental value.]
I am reconsidering decisions I made about sewing projects in the last couple of years: not the projects themselves, but the self-imposed deadlines that resulted in my never even starting most of them. How can I regain forward motion without feeling guilty which is definitely something that de-motivates me? That would help with some of the other items in this long list!
I want to (trying to) renew acquaintances and reach out again to people I have lost contact with. In moderation, though! I don’t want to overdo the “social scene“ as I am comfortable with my #introvertlifestyle. However, I do miss the occasional message or meet-up with friends!
I am considering my mortality more seriously with a caveat: while I am opposed to life-extending measures for myself if there is a medical crisis (particularly opposed to surgical interventions), I am not currently facing my own demise! However, I have lost so many people the last few years in part because I am getting to “that” age and stage. So I keep asking myself: What do I want people to remember of me? How can I minimize my heirs’ hassle of dealing with my “collections?” How much love and kindness can I pack into each day without completely exhausting myself (given the daily exhaustion I experience from the health and mobility issues)?
Meantime, I am going to continue to work on improving my current physical condition. The allergies and mobility concerns are not going away, but Tom has agreed to help me advocate for myself so perhaps this time when I start up the process to understand what can be improved I won’t lose steam after 6 months… and as part of that:
I am considering the garden/yard. As long as most of it is inaccessible Tom has to take on most or all of the actual maintenance. I can water some areas, and weed up close the house, but not the areas along the driveway because of the loose gravel, nor on turfed/dirt areas unless it has been dry for a long time. Since my garden is my #1 happy place… this is really a priority for me so I can get outside easily and also get back inside independently. Just getting outside for me almost automatically guarantees more exercise and better mental health!
Finally (for this list), I am continuing to work on not exactly “decluttering,” since I am at heart a collector (spoons, dolls, stamps, books, maps…) and definitely more a maximalist than a minimalist, but on organizing all the collections and project-oriented materials and storing everything in ways that let me know quickly what I already have so I can use it. It’s related to the I have so many art supplies that are currently unused (but mostly already organized and ready to go), sewing supplies, crochet-knitting supplies, music supplies…. Which ties back into the very first item on the list!
I am NOT getting rid of my grand piano, drum set, wind instruments, percussion items (bell set! cymbals! bodhran!) or other items for musical fun (guitars! Music stands! electric keyboard! mic! musical scores and books!) And of course there are clothes and shoes (with a definite 3-4 season climate I have a rotating selection to accommodate changing temps and weather), fabrics and patterns beyond basic and current sewing projects, garden supplies, foodstuffs that are for both emergencies and purchased in bulk… all things that need to stay!
And that’s what’s on my mind.
NONE of these are typical “resolutions” in that I am not using a “SMART” goal (teachers will know what I mean!) – I am not looking at goals that are measurable or time-limiting, and most are not specific. But these are all achievable tasks/goals and relevant because they will improve my life and the life of those I interact with. And, although John Spencer (I will link to his website in the comments) makes a good case for setting both project and process goals, I am not even doing that – yet.
The first step for me when working to fix something that is in my sphere of influence is to describe what’s bothering me, and what isn’t. That’s what this list is about. And since being unable to find what I want and need in the moment is stressful, and having other people do tasks I want or should do myself is embarassing (and also stressful) here we are.
Do you have broad goals? General directions to head in? Rough targets to aim for?
Whatever you hope for in the next calendar year, I wish you much success and joy as you define goals and set up tasks!