Looking back, and forward…
So throughout this internship, I’ve been keeping track of my tasks and projects in “weekly reports,” short Word documents that basically describe each week’s work and some things I learned. Today I was looking back at my very first report, in which one of the things I learned was to “write EVERYTHING down, even things you don’t think you’ll need to remember.” It struck me how relevant – albeit obvious! – this little piece of advice to myself has been even as I settled in here at PON. These last couple weeks will be filled with both large substantive projects and administrative tasks, and I continually have to keep reminding myself to actually take five minutes each morning to organize all my tasks on paper. And it really has to go beyond the basic “to-do” list (although that’s crucial, too), and actually become a schedule for myself so that I remember to cover everything during the day. I think my brain is probably suited to multitasking, but only if there’s some kind of visual aid that will help me keep track of everything.
It’s interesting (okay, amusing) how long it’s taken me to not just arrive at this rather basic conclusion, but also to make it a habit. My planner has always been the essential tool for me in school, but over the past couple years in college, I’ve foolishly tried to rely on my memory to complete assignments. And I’ve managed, so far – just. Certainly, organizing your tasks each morning doesn’t increase the number of hours in the day, or lighten the load of responsibilities that you might have. But it just feels better to take those five minutes, even if the only tangible result is a crossed-off task or a check mark.
Maybe it just took a few months of having a job for me to realize this – after 20 years of my life! (This is what I mean about all this being amusing.) But I guess it’s comforting to hope that when I get back to school, I might be a more organized person – thanks to PON! I think I mentioned in a previous entry that I thrive on the feeling of almost being overwhelmed – and I still think that’s true. But feeling in control of one’s life is always a good thing, and I’m sure it’s best in the long run if I adopt the same attitude in my life in college as I have here. Plus, it would be fun to have little reminders of PON for a few minutes every morning.