End of the Semester

The end of the semester is always rough. It was hard when I was an undergraduate (and a MS/HS student...) because I would procrastinate on whatever tasks I had to do and then get all amped up at the eleventh hour and drive the people around me nuts with my attempts to cram weeks worth of work into days or hours. I inevitably got it all done, but usually drove myself and my roommates (or my parents) a bit crazy in the process.

And now as a grad student (who is also a wife and a work-er...I have two jobs...both part-time...too much, I know), I realize that I still have many of the same bad procrastination habits that I've had since I was 13. Only life is more complicated at 33. And it's probably time to try and grow out of this, right?

So, that's why its 1:45 in the morning on a weeknight and I'm wide awake and blogging. I have papers to write, job tasks to complete, and the semester is racing towards its conclusion. I'll get it all done, but I'll drive myself nuts in the process, and the Mr., too. Which really isn't very nice. Or fair. And surely isn't good for all that ails us right now.

But how do I break out of this? Here's a few things I know I need to do differently going forward:

1. Be more realistic about my own time. There are only 24 hours in a day and at least some of them should be spent asleep. Others should be used for exercise. I'm told that helps keep people sane.

2. Be honest about my own limitations. Just because I am capable of doing something does not mean that I should take it on. This is where learning the word "No" (or the phrase "No thank you" - I like to be polite) would be super-handy.

3. Learn how to say no.

4. Realize that asking the Mr. for support and dumping my stress and crap on him are two different things. Support is good. Dumping your stress on your spouse is bad.

5. Set some clear goals for what I really want to do academically and professionally and make sure that I am spending my time toward these goals. At the school I helped open in LA we used to talk a lot about the "mission filter." We had a mission statement for the school and when we made decisions about curriculum, disciplinary plans, etc. we would put all of the ideas through the "mission filter" to see if they lined up with what we as a school were striving for. I think maybe I need a mission statement so that I can set up a mission filter for myself.

I'll add that to the list of new semester resolutions...