This Is Not On My To Do List For Today

Dr. Crazy recently posted about her use of to do lists and productivity. I'm also a compulsive list maker. I have a list as a word doc called "The Big List," in which I record everything imaginable that needs to be done (it's a combo of work stuff, life stuff, and home stuff). I have a list of major deadlines on the wall next to my computer (that's exclusively for work, and largely external deadlines [i.e. when an editor would like revisions of an essay]). Then there's my planner, which features both monthly and weekly calendars, wherein I figure out when to actually work on the various projects of my lists. I sketch it in pencil and then later commit to it in pen. The monthly calendar is a crazy mishmash of deadlines, appointments, and (because I'm trying to get pregnant) references to my menstrual cycle; I color code activities. I also keep a large Post It note in my planner to record tasks that need to be done relatively soon but I haven't actually scheduled (calling my kid's doctor to schedule her flu shot, for example).

What I've learned about myself is that I *always* meet external deadlines, I come close to meeting internal deadlines (i.e. getting a draft of an essay done), and I procrastinate terribly about life matters that involve non-urgent phone calls. I've had "call handyman" on my weekly list since the first week of school. It will probably be another few weeks before I actually make the call.

Today, one of my non-teaching days, my to do list is typical (and minimal). This morning I need to write toward a book chapter (my minimum is 500 new words) and draft a poem. This afternoon, I need to read one of my grad student's chapters to begin to work on her letter of rec. I might or might not make various phone calls (that life stuff) or run errands (probably will save that for tomorrow). I need to meet a grad student in the late afternoon. This evening, it's back to campus for an event.

When I keep my Must Do list short and sweet, it gets done. And it gets done with a minimum of stress, which, for me, is vital. If I get stressed and spazzy I don't get anything done at all. And getting unexpected work dumped on me--from a committee, a student, an editor of a journal, etc--throws me into an absolute tizzy. (That, really, is the subject of another post.)

And now I must stop writing about To Do lists and get to the first task on mine. (This was just a warm up for the real writing, right?)