May 29, 2008
Spreadsheet to-do-list
I recently dug up and refreshed a to-do list I had created in Excel, because from September to December of last year, it worked so well for me use a spreadsheet to keep track of big and small projects. When I first opened the file and looked it over, it was one very long list, with lots of stuff checked off and almost as much stuff still not checked off. I found it overwhelming to look at and darn near closed it up right then and there! I know I could have removed the rows with the checked off stuff, but I like to see that I’ve accomplished things, so that wasn’t the answer. I know it sounds dumb, but it works for me.
I decided to break the tasks into categories as tabbed sections, since I had roughly organized them this way they developed last fall. What better way to keep each list separate and more manageable, yet still together in one Excel file. I find that I like seeing the main categories on the tabs and viewing just one tab at a time, but with the others just a click away. It’s so much easier to focus on the tasks listed there and know how far along I’m coming on a big project. Just for the record– I’ve tried to organize my tasks in Microsoft’s Outlook by assigning them to categories, but every so often, my computer hiccups and rearranges my task list. Then I waste time trying to reconstruct the view so I can figure out where I left off.
I guess the thing I like about the spreadsheet method for my to-do list is that it doesn’t have annoying reminders. If I use Outlook and try to set deadlines on too many tasks, they seem to pop up at inopportune times and I end up ignoring the reminders. It’s too hard to predict that at 8 am the next day, I will definitely be doing a particular task, which will then be followed by an additional task with another reminder. If I can’t do a task as it was originally scheduled, I know I can move the reminder to another time or day, but then I’m just putting it off, sometimes indefinitely. I’m very good at procrastinating on my own, so I don’t need help from any software.
I do try to use reminders sparingly, though, so I won’t forget to do really important things, like attend meetings or do something by a specific date. I find that I tend to pay more attention to those types of reminders and never ignore them or put them off. It’s a rare occasion that I miss a meeting or turn in paperwork late when I set a reminder for it. For everything else, the spreadsheet gives me much more flexibility to work my tasks into my schedule, rather than schedule tasks into my workday.
April 14, 2008
Has anyone seen my desk?
I’ve lost my desk to paper piles and disorganization again. Somehow, all of my grand attempts to keep paper clutter off my desk and filed away have completely failed me. Stacks of papers, problem books, and partially completed projects have crept up from the depths of Paper Hell and spread themselves across my desk. Some papers blend into two piles simultaneously, which means if I bother to throw anything away, I’ll have read it and evaluate it before I pitch it.
I know what the problem is– I’ve not been filing papers as soon as I touch them. I caught myself throwing a piece of paper on a pile today and thinking, “I’ll file it later.” Bad girl! That’s how I got into so much trouble in the first place. Too much procrastination makes for a huge project later.
To make matters worse, I haven’t been cleaning off my desk at the end of the day. I’ve been too exhausted and overwhelmed to organize my papers at any point in the day, which means I start the next day exhausted and overwhelmed just looking at the mess when I walk into my office. The paper gremlins seem to multiply when I’m distracted by a crisis or have too many meetings in one day.
Cleaning off my desk is like working out– I know it’s good for me and I know how good I’ll feel after my workout, but some days it’s easier to lie on the couch and watch TV while grazing from a bag of potato chips. It’s painless to let the mess build up, but stressful and unhealthy to live this way in the long run. (Too bad those papers aren’t really potato chips– I doubt I’d let them pile up!)
Maybe the vacation day I randomly scheduled for this Friday is the medicine I need to take. I will make it my goal to clear off my desk (and not just pile it in a corner), so that when I return next Monday, I’ll start with a clear idea of what next week’s problems and priorities will be.
March 4, 2008
Progress
Last week I continued to work on spot-cleaning of my hanging files whenever I was waiting for files to copy & paste or hard drives to back up. I went through a file on authority control and dumped stuff that was 10+ years old. The information on those papers represented most of what I’ve learned over the years about authority records and authority control, but most of it is available on the AUTOCAT discussion list’s archives. I bet I haven’t consulted those papers since I first printed them off and stuffed them in the file, so tossing them wasn’t the big deal I thought it would be.
Meanwhile, I’ve begun taking Adderall XR for ADHD. Wow! What a difference it makes. I took my first dose Friday around 10:30 am, assured by the pharmacist it wasn’t too late in the day to take a dose of this extended-release stimulant drug. Was he ever wrong! I felt as though I injected a triple shot of espresso coffee and was in hyper-overdrive all day, able to leap tall mountains in a single bound.
I was still going at 2 am Saturday morning and my mind raced through vivid, psychotic dreams all night. I awoke at 6 am not because I was refreshed after 4 hours’ sleep, but because sunlight was streaming in my bedroom window and the cat was meowing piteously for breakfast. I found an extra pillow and buried my face under it, effectively shutting out both the sunlight and the cat and forced myself back to sleep.
Saturday, I took my dose earlier in the morning and sailed through the day shopping with my teenage daughter and dealing with ATT to resolve the issue surrounding her suddenly deceased, under-warranty cell phone. I felt super-efficient, able to stay on-task, make decisions, and see things through to the end. When the Adderall wore off around 5 pm, I had hopes I could get to sleep easier that night. I didn’t feel near as wired as I had the day before. Three glasses of wine and a midnight bedtime seemed to work better, although I still had vivid dreams most of the night. I slept until 9 am Sunday morning, missing church, but feeling much more refreshed.
I debated on Sunday whether or not to take another dose. What if I couldn’t get to sleep Sunday night? What if I didn’t take it and had withdrawal symptoms? Adderall is a Schedule II controlled substance– very scary stuff, so I feel as though I’m playing with fire. Like fire, it can be very helpful or it can severely burn you. I liked the feelings of focus, follow-through, and efficiency I felt on Saturday. I had a lot to accomplish on Sunday, so I decided to take a dose.
One of the things I like about taking Adderall is that I really can focus on tasks, especially the undesirable or boring ones– like reviewing my employees’ work. Procrastination is simply wiped away. Yesterday, I tackled books with the ugliest call number problems and dove into cataloging challenges that have been lying around my office for months. Two copies of the same book with different call numbers? No problem! Cataloging automobile maintenance examination study guides? Bring ’em on! How about that Indiana Code with confusing replacement volumes? I can handle it.
Hanging files– you’d better watch out. I see a heartless purge in your future.
Packrat Librarian 