Getting Organized

I was once a serial procrastinator. I would eventually get the thing done, whatever it was - a paper, the paperwork, the proposal - but I would put myself through an uncertain and wobbly hell of a time doing it, all in a rush and in the nick of time. These days I’m too old for pulling all-nighters. I prefer to get things done and out of the way as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Instead of letting it all pile up, I like to nip my tasks in the bud, get the upper hand.

A lot has been happening in the past week or so. We’ve decided on the middle school where we’ll be sending Lu, and I’ve decided to start searching for a new teaching job. I could feel the familiar sense of overwhelm and imposter syndrome creeping in as I began to organize myself for these consequential changes, but instead of giving in and getting stuck in a slump, I pushed myself to tackle the challenges straight away.

The result: in just a few days, I finalized Lu’s registration and applied for a year-long contract at the French school where I used to work, armed with an excellent reference and all. And now: sweet relief at having cracked the carapace of things that just a week ago seemed very hard to do. And now: a renewed taste for getting organized in all the senses, just in time for Beltane (prime spring cleaning season).

And “the universe” or “God” or whatever you like to call the mysterious force that can often be observed helping us when we help ourselves, well that force gifted me something lovely today as I walked home from school with Lu sighing at the pink and green beauty of sakura and Norway Maples at the height of their bloom. Just something little, and yet it was something I’d been wishing to find. Qu’est-ce que c’est? A tray for organizing floppy disks that works perfectly for keeping my seed stash in alphabetical order by plant type - 30 slots, so there’s extra room for the larger categories (think: beans, squash). Eunomia would be thrilled with such a good curb find, and so am I.

IF I COULD JUST GET ORGANIZED

by Douglas Malloch

There may be nothing wrong with you,
The way you live, the work you do,
But I can very plainly see
Exactly what is wrong with me.
It isn’t that I’m indolent,
Or dodging duty by intent;
I work as hard as anyone,
And yet I get so little done,
The morning goes, the noon is here,
Before I know, the night is near,
And all around me I regret,
Are things I haven’t finished yet.
If I could just get organized!
I oftentimes have realized
Not all that matters is the man;
The man must also have a plan.

With you, there may be nothing wrong
But here’s my trouble right along;
I do the things that don’t amount
To very much, of no account,
That really seem important though
And let a lot of matters go.
I nibble this, I nibble that,
But never finish what I’m at.
I work as hard as anyone
And yet, I get so little done,
I’d do so much you’d be surprised,
If I could just get organized!