Organizing your way through worry

Last time we spoke, I made a big announcement and finally got to share the happy news with you that my first book will be out this summer!

*cue the choir of angels*

Now, you're probably wondering more about this mysterious book, and I can't wait to tell you all about it, but I'm waiting to get feedback from my editor, before I release any other details. What I can tell you is that this project was my primary focus last year, and I cannot wait to have you all read it. I am taking my time with the release as I want it to be the best product I can make it.

Now while this sounds good and all, what a lot of people don't see behind the phrase, "Hey, my first book is coming out this year!" is the hours, days, and nights of hard work. As if that wasn't enough, there is a lot of doubt, worry, and fear when any of us opens themselves up to criticism. Every time we start a new chapter or even end an old one, those feelings of uncertainty arise and threaten our peace. When we leave what we know and reach towards the unknown, it goes against the very definition of stability.

Now that word, stability, I think is the key. Historically humans have sought out stability as a way to define or embody success and happiness. The origins of farming speak to that very basic need of finding food in a consistent and reliable way, at least more reliably than nomadic hunting. So is it any wonder that when we embark on a chapter into the unknown, we feel anxious and unsure? So, the question is not why this happens, but what we can do about it?

It's hard to meet someone who hasn't heard of the Marie Kondō’s bestseller, "The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up" and every magazine or social media feed seems to have some organizational tip. After the chaos of the holidays, it's no wonder we crave a sense of simple order after the piles of wrapping paper in our living rooms a week earlier,

I had already started this process of creating order from chaos and found it was the only thing that settled my nerves about the new book. This realization along with the similar situations in the past leads me to conclude that the fix for anxiety about a goal is organization. So, I'm pleased to present...

*insert drumroll here*

My writing binder!

I have a long-standing love for the beloved three-ringed binder. In my work life, I have a binder for every unit of study, courses I've taught in the past, and one for every extra thing. Knitting club? Binder. National History Day? Binder. National Board? Binder. Clinical faculty? You get the idea. It should probably come as no surprise that I had a binder for my wedding. However, up until recently, I didn't have a binder for my writing.

Now, yes a binder requires us to print some things out, an act which can cause more stress than we'd like to invite into our lives, but there's something about seeing things on paper. Don't get me wrong I love Google docs, the cloud, calendar email invitations, but in all of that digital ease, something gets lost. Closing a browser just doesn't have the same satisfaction as crossing something off a sticky note. In all of the emails, alerts, icons, and notifications, what was supposed to make everything easier, seems to have created more noise for us to sort through to find what really matters. Going analog with my to-do list focuses my attention, and writing dates on a calendar gives them a sense of significance.

Another tool from my day job I've brought to the writing desk is the Understanding by Design method by Wiggins and McTighe. I'll save you the (endless) graduate courses and give you the quick version. They argue that if you plan the goal first and work backward you are more likely to achieve that goal. In education, this means, plan the test or project first, so you can align what you're assessing with what you are assigning. Why does this matter? Well, it works.

If you're struggling to maintain your New Year resolution, I would encourage you to get a paper calendar, like the one in my binder. Mark a day as an endpoint by which you need to achieve your goal. Once you've settled on that go back week by week and outline one thing you can focus on to advance towards your goal. That’s it! I also recommend using a good pencil to make any adjustments as you go along, you know, the kind with the good eraser.

By bringing structure back into our lives, we can organize our way through worry. Like I've said before, too often we underestimate the power of baby steps in moving forward.

Onward with organization!

Kathryn