I am a schedule fanatic. An organizational maven. A maker of lists...grocery lists, to do lists, checklists, "we need this for the house" lists. I don't even necessarily use them or even reference them once they're made. Sometimes I throw them away before I even get up from my seat. But making them is glorious nonetheless.
If you open my planner, look at one of my 10 calendars, or read one of the aforementioned lists, you will immediately have an idea of what I like to do, where I go, and what my job is. If you look at my plan book for work, you will see meetings penciled in, lists of things to send home with my students, and ideas for future lesson plans. If you look at my personal planner, I have anything from doctor's appointments to nights with the girls written down, accompanied by reminders to pick up the dry cleaning and buy cat food.
So if you haven't figured it out by now, I am incredibly organized...aka a huge control freak...
I do have a point in revealing my - ahem - flaw, some might say, to the world.
I am learning (trying really, really hard to learn anyway!) the importance of being flexible. Being a teacher, I've always had to be flexible to some degree at work. I strive to be open-minded and malleable, knowing my colleagues will appreciate it and my students will benefit from it. In my personal life, this flexibility doesn't come as easily, though I'm trying diligently to apply it. I shudder when my plans change or something impromptu comes up. I take it personally when someone cancels on me or my husband can't make it home in time for dinner. On a deeper level, I am about to be a mother in a few weeks and more than ever I am aware of the need to be flexible. As I prepare to give birth, I realize that even though I have a certain plan in mind, things (especially childbirth!) don't always pan out the way you had them planned in your head. In order to keep my tension and fear at bay, I need to accept that things will come up and there is nothing I can do about it (in other words, no, I really cannot control everything) - in birth, in parenthood, at work, and in my personal life. Does that mean that the outcome won't be a happy one? Not necessarily. I think it's more about not sweating the small stuff...another novel idea that I'll be working on for the next century ;-)
What do you do to relax, let things roll off your back, and be flexible?
haha I love this post because it is soooo you! I'm not super detailed oriented (obviously) but depending on my mood, I either surround myself w/ people I love or I go shopping alone (read: the mall and newbury street eats all my money). Depending on the sitch I need time to think alone or just people to talk to. If all else fails, some mac n' cheese in bed watching housewives or Hills re-runs works too ;) It also helps to think of those less fortunate than you that don't have the luxury of "sweating the small stuff". I try to remind myself of that everyday... esp if I'm not having the best of days :)
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