This could not have been better timed.
I was thinking before I fell asleep last night, that I had so much to do. I was going to go through the list of the things I had to get done the next morning, Monday morning. I knew that would put me in a bad place and anxious and restless, so I distracted myself with a book, and accepted that those things were not going to get done on Sunday night at 9 pm. Just a fact. I embraced it. This is something new for me, because I normally do things until they are done, no matter how long it takes. I remember in college, I once stayed up editing a paper until 3 am, which is something for me. I was afraid of getting a bad grade, and the paper was due the next day, so I kept trying to make it perfect. I’d say, I’m a lot better now and have come a long way from that. I no longer care about being “perfect”, but doing a good job.
I still feel overwhelmed as I sit here and write this, as I have to study for my exam in a month, a course in the structure of the German education system (and yes, the language it is taught in is German, which makes it all the more hard). I am nervous that I will fail the exam, so I really want to start studying for it.
I have to edit a paper for another course and turn it in- the due date is tomorrow. I also have to prepare for a Skype session with one of the students I tutor. There is a lady who emailed me with a question about some things I am selling on Ebay, and I also need to set up an appointment to renew my passport.
These are not things that can slip from my attention, they are all rather serious.
Yet here I sit, writing this week’s blog post, because I really have the urge to get this out. I really have about 5 days until I actually need it, but the timing is quite perfect.
Sometimes, I find it helpful to write a list of the things I have to get done, which helps get them out of my head at least. I usually end up accomplishing about half the things on the list, and then it sits around cluttering up my desk, waiting for me to accomplish the rest of the tasks… which takes quite a while, or never gets done before I end up writing a new to-do list.
This time, since I am sick of the clutter on my desk, I am going to try what I just read about in this blog post
I love getting to read the cool and innovative ways that Jennifer Gonzales uses to teach, the creative way of bringing passion to the classroom. This is my style of teaching. Teachers, check out her blog! You will learn so much about how to shorten grading time, have a quality relationship with your class, and learn creative ways to differentiate that do not require pulling your hair out. This blog is the best thing for teachers since sliced bread revolutionized lunch-box lunches.
Jennifer usually posts about educational things, but her latest post is about a skill that we could all benefit from, travelers, educators, businessmen, parents, and anyone under the sun.
After reading her post about how she picks 5 things to do when she gets overwhelmed, I decided to try it myself. You should read her post, because she gives a better visual of cleaning up her cluttered counter. I am currently cleaning out the clutter inside my head, which I cannot really put in picture form!
I was unsure what to write about this week, because my new video is something I already wrote about a few weeks ago in this blog post: A Journey Around The Lake!
I had no idea what to do for this week, and voilà, I stumbled across the previous blog post by Jennifer Gonzales. I decided I needed to put these ideas into practice and write about it.
✅1. Write this week’s blog post
The next big thing I decided to tackle was to look up appointment times for the US Consulate in Frankfurt to get my passport renewed. I found out that they only offer emergency passport services and mail-in passport renewals at this time. As neither of these options worked for me, I wrote them an email asking them what they would recommend I do.
✅2. Look up appointment time consulate
✅3. Send them an email (not an original item that I wanted to get done this morning, but added it to the list, as I need to hear from them to find out what exactly I need to do).
After that, I noticed my eyes have been bothering me due to the excess time I have spent on the computer working on computer videos, media outreach (I now have Ellie’s Hidden Gems as Instagram, Pinterest, and am working on a Facebook account), and writing my blogs. I have heard that blue-light blocking glasses can help, so I googled the best ones to get.
✅Google blue-light glasses
As I found a pair that I liked for around $15.00, I then wondered what else I needed to get from Amazon that would result in free-shipping. (I am quite the thrifty person, I know). I then wondered if my computer had settings that would work and eliminate the need to get these glasses. I tried the Eye-saver mode and put my computer screen in permanent night-shift mode, which reduces the amount of blue-light a computer gives off.
✅Put computer in permanent night-shift mode (decided against glasses for the time being).
Since these five things have been accomplished, I am pushed to do more. I already feel a little less overwhelmed, and the funny thing is, I didn’t tackle many of the things I actually need to do (such as studying and correcting my paper).
Not to worry, those things come next. Now that I have felt like I made a little dent in my giant pile of things-in-my-head-that-I-need-to-do, I want to achieve more. I feel so successful.
The point is, that when you feel like you have too much you need to do, get yourself a good boost of feel-good endorphins, which also motivate you to keep going and start tackling your big heap. Then see where this dopamine train takes you and how far it will go. When you feel tired, take a break, you’ve earned it for working so hard and diligently! Rest does NOT mean you are lazy and unproductive. It’s all about balance.
Can you actually be more productive by not starting straight-off the bat with your giant mass of things, and doing little things instead? I wonder if there is any research supporting this. Just look at how much more I was able to accomplish after starting the day small:
✅Hung laundry out to dry
✅Brushed my teeth
✅Took the photo for this post
✅Got a hug from Lucas
And then I got started on the serious stuff.
✅Wrote an email to the person interested in some things on Ebay
✅Researched what activities I could do while tutoring my student
✅ Corrected my paper
✅Submitted same paper
✅Skyped student
With some of the not-so-serious stuff intermixed
✅Looked up if travel to Germany was banned for U.S. citizens. My mom asked, and is still planning on coming to visit in September despite the current situation.
And I just keep rolling on the same motivational train I established for myself this morning. And I don’t have another To-Do list to clutter up my desk and make me feel behind. ✅✅✅
The point is, you don’t have to ALWAYS be doing serious stuff, or else you may feel you never get done, and the motivation from feeling accomplished won’t be there as often as it is when you tackle small things first.
Why is it that when you have a big exam or project due soon, the first thing you have to do is clean your house? I think this falls into the same strain. You need to feel accomplished and get yourself motivated to tackle something hard. Don’t worry, we all do it!
It’s not always easy, but it is worth it. -Elizabeth Wirth
Check out this blog of Baldeneysee, which we shot in 3 different days. Can you spot the differences between the days?