Feeling ADD

We suspect our daughter might have ADD. Her brain pops around from one thing to another, so much so that she sometimes wanders around the house with one shoe on because something distracted her half way through the dressing process. In fact, right now she is walking around with her PJ shirt on inside out and backward. She reminds me of the dog in Up who gets distracted by squirrels.

And lately I remind myself of her. My goal this year has been to simplify. Part of this process is physical - downsizing the number of possessions in my life. Part of this process is mental - focusing on the things that matter. A lot of that process is task-oriented - decreasing the number of items that find their way onto my to-do list.

This last element - the number of tasks on my to-do list - is challenging for me. I guess I am a bit of a workaholic. I cringe as I write that word workaholic. People often throw this term around with a sort of martyr-like pride. I don't see it that way. Working too much is not a good thing. It's not good for me, my family or my classes. And it's not wise living.

I am lucky in that I work in a field that I find exciting and challenging and fun, but that often means that I find myself immersed in problems I am trying to solve, sometimes even when they don't relate to my own classroom. Because I am buried in way, WAY too many projects at work, they take away from my main priorities in life - my children and my students.

Right now I am reading a book on literacy across the curriculum and taking notes to share with colleagues; I am working on unwrapping the new Common Core standards so that the department can apply them to all levels of English courses; I have been tutoring (for free) a student I have never had in class because he is trying to pass the writing proficiency test; I am meeting with local community members to start creating a broader vision for education in my town; I am reading materials to prepare to assist my colleague as she leads us through the accreditation process; and I am reading Milton Chen's work and brainstorming ways his ideas can apply to what I do. And this is all stuff that I am doing now, in the summer, when school isn't in session.


The result is that I feel like I have ADD. Even without classes to lesson plan for, to teach to, and to grade for, I feel spread too thin with my school-related commitments. Like my daugther, I am running around partially dressed because something has distracted me midway through the process. I am tired, spread too thin, and grouchy.

And these are just my summer work projects. This issue translates very well into my world of crafting and household projects.

A few years ago I read an article called "Saying No So That I Can Say Yes." Her premise was that it is important to say no to things so that you can say yes to the things that matter. Say no to being the PTA secretary so that you can spend more time reading with your child. Say no to that extra committee at work so that you can fit in a workout every day. Say no to a party invitation so that you can say yes to movie night with your children. This should become my mantra - Say No So That You Can Say Yes.


The good thing about blogging is that I can figure things out as the words move from my brain through my fingers and onto this blog. The answer to this problem is that I need to decide what summer work projects are the ones I want to focus my attentions on and erase all others from my to-do list. And I should do the same with the crafting projects and the household projects - choose more wisely where I want to spend my time. Because it's stupid to over-commit.

Wishing you simple living.

Simplicity Update

I haven't posted much about this, but my goal for this year was to simplify my life. The challenge to this is that -- paradoxically -- it sometimes takes work and time to simplify, and as I have learned, sometimes life has other plans. I planned on simplifying, and the next thing I new, life got pretty complicated with the Teacher of the Year responsibilities, few as they are in comparison to most other states.

However, I have made some changes in my life, and I have seen the difference in my state of mind and happiness. My intention is to simplify so that I can spend more time doing the things that I value most, that bring me the most happiness, that enrich my life. Here is what I have done so far:

• Cleaned out some closets and drawers, resulting in many trips to local thrift stores. Our coat closet has - gasp! - room for more stuff, though I hope to keep it the way it is now.
• Almost entirely eliminated regular TV viewing from my life. I say almost because I do watch Top Chef every week with my husband and the occasional movie on Netflix. We are even cancelling our cable, though we will have instant Netflix and Hulu available through the TV. Honestly, though, I have to say that this one change has made the most difference in my life. TV is nothing but visual and intellectual clutter that takes time away from other more meaningful activities.
• Established more routines. In general, I am not fond of routines. Of course, I live in a world of routines. A bell tells me when I can use the restroom and when it's time to eat, and I am not sure if my dislike of routines is because of this or despite it. Nevertheless, I am making a conscious effort to incorporate more routine into my life. A simple routine can free the mind and the schedule up for more important activities. I won't bore you with the details, but even something as simple as charging my cell phone on particular days helps streamline my life.
• Largely reduced my time on Facebook and the Internet in general. Like TV, Facebook is digitial clutter. It's easy to spend an hour on Facebook and accomplish nothing. There have been some times when I have consciously chosen to devote some time to Facebook, and last week I spent a lot of time on Facebook for a few different reasons, but overall, I feel as if I have lost nothing in this reduction of computer time.
• Said no to a number of invitations. This is hard for me. I am a shower-upper. If a friend is having a get-together, I not only want to go, but feel obligated to go. This is silly, of course. In fact, I am reminded of an article I used to give my students "Saying No So That I Can Say Yes" in which the author argues that it is important to say no to certain demands on your time so that you can say yes to those that most matter. I have said no to a night of wine tasting so that I could spend time with my kids. I have said no to coffee with a friend so that I could fit in a workout at the gym. (And I said no to a nap this weekend so that I could have coffee with a friend.) In general, I have slimmed down the items on my calendar, as that blank space usually means more family time, and happily I still have plenty of fun and still go out and have coffee and enjoy the company of other grown-ups; I am just more discerning in what I say yes to.
• Put my master's on hold. This has helped me manage the extra tasks on my to-do list that I hadn't expected.
• Stepped down as department chair, which has freed me up in terms of time, energy and emotions. It sort of doesn't count because I made that decision over a year ago, but this one action inspired me to streamline elsewhere.
• Cleaned out my email in-boxes at home and at work. Everything was filed, handled or deleted.
• Cancelled email subscriptions. Although this took some time, the 50 fewer emails I get a day has made an enormous impact on my time at the computer. And I don't miss any of the coupons, sales indicators, Facebook notifications, or newsletters I previously received. 

Areas in need of more simplification:

• Not shopping. Getting rid of things is one thing. Not bringing more into the house is entirely different and even more important. I need to be more discerning in what I buy. It has become increasingly apparent to me that my consumeristic patterns are going to take some time to overcome.
• Saying no to tasks at work. Oh, goodness, this will by my challenge until the day I die, though I am working on it. I just applied for a giant year-long project at work. Why, you ask? Good question.
• Getting my kids involved more in chores. Let's face it, they can pick up the towels and clean off the table just as easily as I can.
• Getting rid of more stuff. We're working on this.

A few more prompts

Next prompt:  Try. What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)


For 2010 I wanted to try a picture a day for a year. I made it all the way through August, but then I could not stomach the idea of sitting in front of a computer and editing and uploading pictures. With an online master's, your participation and even your textbook reading all take place online. I got really sick of the computer. But I do not regret my decision to stop the project. There will be other opportunities.

For 2011, I want to try to simplify my life. That's why I put the photo of the stop sign up: I want to remember to STOP and think before I act, to stop buying and to stop taking on extra responsibilities.


I am ready for this - I spent the last month not shopping at all, and I have truly enjoyed it. I can honestly say that this time around, I did not feel the urge to buy anything. In the past, I limited my purpose to environmental issues mostly, so I could buy digital items and services. This time, I looked at environmental issues, financial benefits, and attachement issues. I found it refreshing to not buy anything but groceries. I didn't even miss the almost daily latte and have instead learned to appreciate a good cup of loose leaf tea. And I appreciated more of my attentions being diverted from things to activities and people.

Partly what helped make this easy for me is that my husband decided to join me this time around. Having the most important people in your life onboard with these kinds of decisions is so incredibly helpful.

Another thing I want to try in 2011 is a residential retreat. I am not sure I will be able to fit it in with all the other traveling I have scheduled, but I am certainly going to look into it.

Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leonie Allan)


I had some great down time this summer. Reading especially helped heal me. Because I read so much for work, it was especially nice to revisit the concept of pleasure reading. I read Shantaram, which I loved, as well as some cheesy mysteries. For my trip to Dallas, I am taking The Book Thief. I am terrified of flying, which is always allayed by a good, gripping read.

This "healing" was a slow process, but as the summer unfolded, I become more enthusiastic about everything.

For 2011, I would like to be energized by my travels and by having some free time. As I mentioned before, I am putting my master's on hold starting in a few weeks, and because I am no longer department chair, I have less work to carry home at night. Consequently, I hope to have some more time to play - to hang out with my kids, to cook, to read, to craft, and to meditate.

More Reverb 2010 Questions

Here's another one:  Body Integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn’t mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present? (Author: Patrick Reynolds)

At first, I thought I would just pass on this prompt, but when I think about it, I would have to say there have been times when I was working out when I had this cohesive ME experience. And there have been a few times cuddling with my kids or in the classroom when things seem so natural and at ease. 

Action. When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)

My next step is more about inaction than action. At least personally it is. I want to scale back, to focus on the people in my life and to not always be so concerned with accomplishing something. In the long run, reading a book with my kids is more valuable than accomplishing the task of emptying the dishwasher or folding laundry. But, dang, that is so much easier to say than do. At some point, someone has to empty the dishwasher or fold the laundry.

Or maybe not.

Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

This has been hard for me to answer, but I think the Dharma is something I continue to be grateful for. I know it sounds cheesy, but what I have learned and what I am hoping to someday more successfully practice are concepts that affect every moment of my life. Compassion, for example, applies whether I am in my kitchen, in my car, in my classroom, or in the boardroom. On the cushion or off, the teachings have affected my life and effected change in my life.

How do I express gratitude? Well, not well enough. I do say a little thank you for this opportunity to meditate at the end of every meditation. But there is so much more I could be doing to express this gratitude from saying thank you to those who have made it possible for me to learn and practice to giving back more to my community to making more of an effort to live what I am learning.

So with that, thank you for this opportunity to reflect on what is important in my life.

Reverb 2010: Blog Prompts from Gwen Bell

Lat December, well December 2009, I followed Gwen Bell's suggestions for a blog a day to cover the previous year. I want to do the same for 2010, but of course I am running late. But, meh! Who cares about timeliness. December and May are crazy months for us for a whole slew of reasons. So why not blog in January?

Prompt 1: Encapsulate the year 2010 in one word. Explain why you’re choosing that word. Now, imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2011 for you?

For 2010, I think the one word has to be "roller coaster." Okay, so that is cheating because it's two words. The year started out bleak. I don't know why, but the winter sucked me dry of my energy and enthusiasm. Then as the weather improved, so did my mood. So many things this year caught me off guard, but especially being chosen as the school teacher of the year, then the district teacher of the year, and then the state teacher of the year. While this semester has been one of my best as a teacher (my classes this year ROCK), it has also been one of the saddest semesters. Lots of people around me have suffered immensely, and we put our dog down.
 
For 2011, I want the word to be "simplify." There is not doubt I need to simplify my life. Simplify my possessions and my commitments and my goals. That's the plan, anyway.

Prompt #2:  Writing. What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it? (Author: Leo Babauta)

Well, this is an easy one - my master's program keeps me from writing. And I have two more days of a break before it starts again, so I who knows when I will blog again. The good news is that for my master's I write a paper a week, which keeps my writing skills well-honed.

Prompt #3: Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail (texture, smells, voices, noises, colors). (Author: Ali Edwards)


This is an easy one: the moment when the state announced I received the state teacher of the year award. I was pretty nervous going into the assembly because there were rumors I was the reason for the assembly. Now, you have to know that the idea of over 2,000 people gathering and paying attention to me is about as close to terrifying as anything could get. As it became clear why the presenter was there, I got so nervous that I could hear my heart pounding. My voice and my hands shook when I walked to the front of the gym and accepted the award. It was all a whirl - lots of cheering and lots of shaking on my part. The best part was when the students were released to go back to class, three boys from my junior class last year rushed down to hug me. That moment right there was one of the best moments of my life - my junior class last year was full of both kindness and brilliance. I could not have asked for a better group of students, and having some of them there to cheer me on so deliberately made my year.
Prompt #4: Wonder. How did you cultivate a sense of wonder in your life this year? (Author: Jeffrey Davis)


My profession has always initiated a sense of wonder for me.  As an English teacher, I have always loved being able to explore new authors and new writing processes for students. Lately, however, I have felt compelled to research more educationally-driven issues: I researched sleep and school start times, Hispanic enrollment in honors/AP classes, co-teaching, and cheating and plagiarism, just to name a few.
Well, that's all for now. See you soon hopefully.