Surfing through the Storm: 3 Tips when Facing an Ever-growing "To Do" List

Surfing through the Storm: 3 Tips when Facing an Ever-growing “To Do” List 

By, Michael Earnshaw 

March 7, 2019 

@mearnshaw158 

Today I celebrated my 39th birthday. From the minute the alarm on my Garmin Vivoactive began vibrating, the weighted blanket of depression began to cover my body. I didn’t want to get out of bed and face the day. This had nothing to do with entering the last 365 days of my 30’s, but with the ever growing “To Do” list I've been facing the past 9 days.  

February is always an extremely busy month for me professionally. Basketball season, Family Peace & Kindness nights, Science Fairs, meetings, students and staff getting cabin fever. I’ve always been pretty good at finding that balance. This year was different. This year my scale was sitting balanced, but both sides were stacked.  

Personally, I've been juggling getting a side hustle going, getting blogs out consistently, training for a half marathon, being an amazing husband, and advocating for my son whose current ADHD medication seems to be having 0 positive effects.  

The scale is balanced, but how much weight can these plates hold? 

If I told you I had the answer and everything in my life is perfection now I’d be lying. But I can tell you 3 tips I've implemented to start to shake that weighted blanket off and begin chipping away at the items balancing like a carnival clown car on my scale.  

1. 1. Close your eyes and take 6 deep breaths. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, close your eyes again and take 6 deep breaths.  
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2. 2. Write down all the items and tasks you need to complete. Now, write down the title of each day of the week and place no more than 5 items of that original list in each day. These are the 5 things you will need to complete. Just 5.   
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3. 3. Find at least 30 minutes each day to do something for you and only you. You may need to get up earlier, or go to bed later, but this will far outweigh the feeling of running all day for others and a multitude of “To Do’s”.  
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Are these 3 tips going to take away all the stress, frustration, and depression your rocky mountain of tasks you face every day bring? No, it’s not. But it will hopefully help you stay focused on what needs to be done, realize it doesn’t need to be completed all in one day, and stay focused on your overall goals.  

Don't Go Into an Obstacle Race with Your Hands Tied Behind Your Back

Don’t Go Into an Obstacle Race with Your Hands Tied Behind your Back  

By, Michael Earnshaw 

March 2, 2019

@mearnshaw158 

How we compose ourselves will greatly impact the outcome of situations we’re in.  

A good friend shared with me an honest reflection this morning of 2 situations they encountered this past week. This got me thinking of Wednesday, a very busy, stressful day from the moment I entered school. We cannot control the situations that the universe immerses us into, but we can control ourselves. We can control our reactions, our choices, our words. This control cannot change the situation in its entirety, but it will greatly influence the outcome.  

Tuesday evening, I was invited to dinner with friends whom we’ve never met face to face. All interactions have been through Twitter, Voxer, and texts. I was able to network and build new friendships and am very excited for what the future holds. We shared stories from our schools, had many laughs, and memories made. Dinner was about an hour away from my house and before I knew it I was pulling into my garage close to midnight. I had been up since 4 am so needless to say, I was going to be tired tomorrow.  

Wednesday morning came and I was ready for the day. The prior nights conversations had me fired up to make a difference in the lives of our staff and more importantly, students. I was looking forward to standing outside, in the car lane, opening doors, waiving to parents, and fist bumping our students. The minute my FOB beeped and acknowledged my access to enter the office, I could smell the smoke of the fires I needed to extinguish.  

Students fighting over a spot in line. Another group displaying disrespect towards our supervisors in the gym. Classrooms that where in need of a sub. A teacher frustrated with her classroom numbers multiplying like Gremlins after midnight. And my AP was out this morning at a seminar.  

I took 6 deep breaths, analyzed each scenario, and began working. Not once did I sigh in frustration. Not once did I utter any negative phrases under my breath. Not once did I let how I may be feeling or thinking on the inside show. Each obstacle was tackled head on, with confidence, and a smile.  

After getting through each roadblock, I poured a cup of coffee, got my morning motivational Tweet out, and headed into the heart of our school with my mobile desk to get in those fist bumps and connections I missed outside.  

I could have shown my tired frustration. I could have blown off a few of these cases as if they weren’t important. All that would have done is set a negative, frustrated pulse in our school for the day. I don’t want that. Our staff doesn’t deserve that. Our kids don’t deserve that.  

How we compose ourselves in undesirable situations will greatly influence the outcome. As educators we have eyes on us all the time. If you want to have a happy, productive day, it needs to start with how you handle each of these situations life throws at you. It’s your call and only yours. How do you want to be?