Organizing ourselves is one of the most important keys to productivity.
However, arranging ourselves and our lives can be quite a task, depending on the number of things that are on your plate!
Long before I was a nursing instructor,
I was a home educator with six children, each with a busy life of their own.
On my plate, I had a job, schoolwork for my degree, schoolwork for the kids, a sick mother, a daughter's wedding, pets, houses, bills, broken cars, and 'a partridge in a pear tree' ...
I know that I was not then, and am not now, unique in this level of chaos. It seems to invade all our lives. Thus, organizing has always been a personal quest.
Most students have a great deal on their plates, as do many teachers.
While this opportunity to create is what drives me as an educator, it seems that there are pieces of me divided between many people, places and things.
Although it seems I spend a great deal of time in the quest for organization,
I often feel scattered and unorganized.
My mind is constantly going and going like the Energizer Bunny,
but on the outside I probably resemble this bunny a bit more.
Wouldn't it be great to be so organized at the end of the day
that even if I didn't get everything done (imagine that?),
at least everything would 'stay put' in a holding pattern somewhere,
along with everything else,
until I decided to pick it up again?
Wow,
this would help me be able to turn my brain off
to sleep and relax for awhile...
(pending I find time to sleep or relax awhile!).
So, I am once again on an organizational mission,
only now it seems much more complicated in this digital age.
Hmmm,
but what if the very thing which seems to make life even more complicated,
the digital age,
could help me?
Virtually speaking,
what if I had a place where the random thoughts were organized?
A place where I can put them down,
as well as,
pick them up whenever I desire without 'losing' them.
Well, I am hoping that Evernote and Getting Things Done (GTD) will help with this.
Here is a video about both these two things. Cute; but does it work?
Last spring I slipped away to Charleston for the weekend so I could graduate with my Masters in Nursing Education... Yay, finally! Carrie and Jordan had reserved a suite at the Ansonborough Inn for us all. It was so beautiful... Built in 1901, it was originally a paper warehouse. Huge exposed beams graced the ceilings lit by exquisite chandeliers. It was expansive and yet quaint. Lining the hallways and rooms were gorgeous original oil paintings, everywhere. Though I can be creative, an artist I am not, however, I possess the soul of an artist. I was enthralled with the beauty.
After settling in, we went and ate at Hyman's Seafood. I love Hyman's. In the first place, I'm not sure that there is anyone anywhere that hasn't eaten there. All the tables have brass tabs indicating who sat there at some point in time... Neil Armstrong, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and all sorts of other famous individuals. While there, I picked up a card with their motto. It was written by Chuck Swindol and I'm going to post it here... It resonates with me.
~ Attitude ~
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.
By Chuck Swindol
It is clear that this is Hyman's motto. Every time we have ever eaten there, the owner has spoken to us... not because we are anything special but because he sincerely cares about your experience in his restaurant. Imagine if we all cared as much... each moment, each day... imagine...
