I like plans. I like making plans and, even better, I like having a plan. I like planning on paper because then I can see all the things I’m planning and prioritize them. Paper helps me acknowledge that not everything can be priority number one. I also really like finishing things that I have planned.
In the middle of last week, I was kind of pre-stressed out because I knew that I had more plans than time for the week of March Break. This is not unusual for me. So when COVID19 extended our March break from one week to three, I spent about five minutes being a little freaked out before my planning brain thought, “SWEET! Two extra weeks! I can get so much done!” and I started to plan.
I began by thinking about a daily routine for the kids: it would need to include study time, reading in French, physical activity, chores, screen time and non-screen free time. Then I turned my mind to the house and unpacking, then… my brain got a little full. But never fear, my brain is *very* good at coming up with to-do lists and other plans, so it kept on working, even after it was, technically, full.
This morning, I realized that my brain has been planning on overdrive for the past three days. Over tea, I started to get the sense that I *probably* should write down all the things that I’m planning to get done in the next three weeks, just to get the lay of the land. I’ll share my list with you. I haven’t prioritized yet, so I’m open to suggestions.
- Unpack our bedroom, dining room and living room
- Declutter as I unpack
- Mark essays for two classes
- Complete the readings, a project & the next paper for my online course
- Become an expert in delivering on-line learning – preferably by Monday
- Create a schedule for my own children, make sure they follow it and, ideally, discover their inner genius that regular schooling simply isn’t recognizing
- Watch other people’s children – daily, for several hours, for free. Provide them with fresh, updated academic work that is differentiated according to their abilities and interests.
- Hike, do yoga, take up an entirely new sport, become suddenly amazingly fit and figure out how to work that new routine into my regular routine when school starts again. Also maybe meditate.
- Hang out with colleagues & friends AND have evenings with my family where we snuggle and watch movies – take and post pictures of all of this to document how easy this all is.
- Finish knitting the second sock of a pair, complete all the lingering sewing projects & take up quilting. I can probably finish a full quilt by April, right?
- Join Lisa’s on-line book club & attend Kylene Beers’ free workshops online & educate myself about recent research in English education, then write and publish several articles about this.
- Finish my entire reading stack – I mean, why not? There’s only maybe 12ish books there right now, and I’m not busy.
- Blog daily; comment on a bazillion blogs daily; catch up on all the comments I haven’t responded to – since the beginning of the month.
- Get enough sleep.
- Create a vaccine for COVID19, after creating and distributing fast & effective tests for the virus.
- Enact lasting world peace and reverse climate change.
So… I don’t see any problem with this plan, do you? Now that I’ve written it down, it looks totally reasonable and completely achievable in three weeks, right? It really is a shame that I included sleep on there. I think if I left it off, I might *just* be able to get it all in.
SIGH. Maybe it’s time to go back to the drawing board on this one. Good thing I have a few weeks…
Persistence and Pedagogy 
Wow! You are ambitious. Definitely best to take advantage of the time and keep busy.
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I will NEVER get even half of this stuff done. My brain is insane!
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All I keep thinking about is what I can do… I have to make a list too!! And possible a schedule be side I hate been known to time suck in front of the tv.
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I needed to make my list so I could cross 75% off and think realistically. I mean, after all, I’m probably going to time suck in front of the tv 😉
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You are very ambitious! Good luck to you! I have a few things I am thinking of doing, we will see how it goes.
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I’m glad to read that even you think this is ambitious! My main goal is to clean the garage; however, if I am being honest, I also want to read th 8 books on my Kindle, make dresses for my granddaughters, sew a quilt for my couch, clean all my closets…..I too could get carried away with the thought of so much time….
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I’m glad I realized early how many things I was thinking about. I am regularly overly ambitious, so my list got me giggling!
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It’s funny, until you start writing down all the “to dos” that plague your brain, you don’t realize how exhaustive it truly is! Wishing you luck at tackling these!
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Oh, I’m not even going to try with most of these. Once I realized the crazy I had dreamed up, I had to scale right back! Blogging & doing my online course is probably enough. The kids can go feral & books can wait…
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I remember once hearing something about “the best-laid plans,” but fortunately any of that past wisdom has been lost under tides of other things to do. Same for you, it seems!
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🤣 that list is unbeatable! Perfect way to slice and establish a plan of action. Your sense of humour and personal drive is all over this slice – type A+
And thank goodness you are!
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Well, you do seem like a super woman so why not just become SUPERWOMAN and do it all!??!
I love your list. It went from practical to giving me a good laugh.
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Your plans made me giggle, a necessary daily part of my mental/emotional health! Thanks for being the carrier today.
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Looks like a two-week plan to me, Amanda. 😉 You definitely need to unpack and de clutter first. That will make everything in your environment feel better. Next, join Lisa’s book club. The rest can wait until the next pandemic. Oh, as a planner myself, I get more done when I plan things for my husband to do and set him to work while I supervise.
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Some times we just have to find the laughter or we will go insane. I am hoping to find more time for writing and commenting though! Stay safe!
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Help your children find their inner genius, take up quilting and become unbelievably fit in only 3 weeks? EASY! This is exactly how my brain works. I had the month of December with no course work on my own to do and I immediately went out and bought two bundles of yarn so I could learn to knit (in-between working full time, mom-ing full time, wife-ing full time, and getting ready for a major holiday). The yarn is still in the bag (I forgot to buy knitting needles! Oh, and I forgot that I have a very bad track record with knitting.) So this time, I am going to keep it simple – only 1 book club (2 books but still the same book club!!) only one closet on my list for cleaning, only one quilt that I started a long time ago that needs to be finished, only one bathroom cabinet I want to paint….only one major paper to finish…wait…that’s starting to be a lot of things. LOL
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My favorite pieces of your plan (excepting the creation of the vaccine, the world peace, and reversing climate change – see, I was reading closely) are the reading of stacks of books and commenting on a bazillion blogs. Those are my loves and I can never get to it all like I want to … yet it is where I most often find my strength. Loved reading these lively lines, so characteristic of you, Amanda.
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I admire your high expectations and vision and the realistic humor about who you are! I imagine you will get through some of this and then others will remain and more will be added as you cross off! Keep thinking big!!
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This is the best! Once it’s written, it’s law, right?! I love how you know who you are and what you want. The list was full of high expectations with the room to easily make changes if needed. Good luck!
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This is hilarious! I love how the reasonableness quickly plunges into a wish list of what you would have done in a finger snap if the world were only just that way! Your litany makes my one priority of painting the dining room seem so much more do-able.
Thank you!
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When you first wrote about feeling overwhelmed with unpacking I thought of the book The Happiness Project. I read it a long time ago, but a few things stuck with me. Like just do the thing that can be done quickly- hang the clothes up or put the dishes away. It’s helps me and I thought about you and all the things probably on your plate… which is pretty full even with more time than anticipated.
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“Become an expert in delivering on-line learning – preferably by Monday” I have the same exact plan!!! I laughed so hard when I read this line, and I just kept on laughing as I read the rest of your totally reasonable list. I have been making the same lists and thinking how all this social distancing is going to allow me to become quite the superhero/teacher/girlfriend/cook/dogmom/housekeeper/closetorganizer/yogi/meditator/bookstackfinisher/writer/commenter/painter in just one short month! I can’t wait to hear about your progress. I have complete and total faith in you! Really!
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This is so hilarious. At first, I thought this was a serious list, but the farther I got into it, the more I was laughing. This is why I really hate making plans. Because this is the kind of stuff I come up with too! I mean, WHY NOT? NATURALLY I could do all of this. Despite the many ideas that keep flitting through my brain (learn a language! alphabetize my bookshelves! take online drawing lessons every day from the illustrators who are offering them!), I am trying to remind myself to REIGN IT IN.
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