Trying to do too much (#1340)

Topics/tags: Overcommitment, unedited

The other day, I mused about my inability to complete everyday tasks. In response, many friends suggested that I should give myself a bit more grace. That is, I should be okay that I’m not completing tasks. Believe it or not, I generally am good at forgiving myself for not completing tasks. But there are some tasks that I worry about not completing, such as paying bills and making appointments with doctors.

In any case, the other day a friend told me that they also sometimes struggle with task completion and that they’d purchased some To Do Today pads as a way to both remind themselves to focus on the present and to give themselves forgiveness about not doing everything. At least that’s what I think they said. In any case, they offered me one of the pads.

I thanked them, but declined the offer. It’s not that I don’t like to plan. Rather, it’s that on days in which I have multiple tasks to keep track of, I’d rather keep them in electronic form so that I can rearrange them. At least one friend suggests that I use Todoist, but for today’s tasks, I often prefer an email message that I keep updating.

Today was a day in which I knew that some tasks would fall through the cracks if I didn’t write them down [1], so I put together an email checklist for myself [2]. Here goes.

High Priority

[x] Grading rubric mp5
[x] Prep for graders meeting
[x] Check NAME's MP5
[x] Grade conditionals quizzes
[x] Grade cut/compose quizzes
[x] Grade tracing quizzes
[x] Scan quizzes

Isn’t that great? I got all my high-priority tasks done. I was meeting with my graders today, so it was essential that I prepared a rubric for the next assignment (MP, or mini-project) and that I got other things in order. I gave a quiz yesterday and like to return quizzes promptly, so I also prioritized grading quizzes.

I’ve also been trying to answer student questions promptly. The student above (now known as NAME) had sent a question at about 11pm the prior night, so this was a reminder to look at it.

Email

If I recally correctly, the Getting Things Done method says that you should just send email, rather than putting it on your to-do list. However, I receive and send enough email that I benefit from a checklist. Here are the things that made the checklist today.

[x] Review ADVISEE declaration essay
[x] Email STUDENT
[x] REGISTRAR email
[x] Answer STUDENT email
[x] STUDENT email (missed class twice)
[x] Summer students email (CS and Stats)
[x] STUDENT re catching up in class
[x] Write to GROUP about student funding email
[x] Accessibility of UGSDW contract
[x] Ask about graders working out of Iowa
[x] Complain about automatic door
[x] More about student funding (Sam is annoying)
[x] Comments on MAP form
[x] Followup on accessibility of UGSDW contract
[x] New advisees re finding me on Friday.

No, that’s not all the mail I sent or received. Those are just the messages that I needed to remember to send. Often, I just answer email as I go, such as the dozen or so student questions I got today, as well as a few back-and-forths with colleagues. This also doesn’t count the various Teams messages.

Short-ish

If I recall correctly, the Getting Things Done method says that you should just get all of your short (5- to 10-minute) tasks out of the way as they arrive. Unfortunately, those tasks often overload my available time, so I make lists.

[x] Check on new advisees
[x] Check with ACADEMIC ASSISTANT on MAP timeline
[x] Check with division chair on who designs form
[x] Update LAs page
[x] Check on dates for Chicago CS Reunion
[x] Check on dates for FRIEND's wedding
[x] Check with kids on FRIEND's wedding
[x] Redos for MPs 1-5 (set up on Gradescope)
[x] Share MP5 grading document (Why isn't this automatic? I hate Microsoft products)

Longer/Evening

Most of the tasks above got done during the day amidst meetings, office hours, a good convocation, a class visit, and such. I often need to push other things to the evening. Here’s what I thought I’d get to. There was more, but you’ll see it in subsequent lists.

[x] Enter quizzes on Gradescope
[x] Notes on the lists quiz
[x] Notes on the conditionals quiz
[x] Check over the Local bindings lab
[x] Prep tomorrow's classes
[ ] Reading responses
[ ] Musing

Oh, I can check of Musing. At least I can do so in a few minutes.

[x] Musing

Push to tomorrow or later (email)

At some point during the day, I acknowledge that I can’t do all of my tasks. Hence, throughout the day, I move tasks to various Push to later sections. Nonetheless, I’d hoped to get these emails sent and other things done today. At least that’s where they started the day. I have approximately 30 minutes unscheduled during the day on Friday, so it’s unlikely I’ll get these done.

[ ] Parsons problems email
[ ] Ecy King re Una Kushe

Push to tomorrow or later (shorter)

[ ] CRSSJ Survey
[ ] Syllabus to Terri
[ ] NSF stuff
[ ] Request review copy of Bit by Bit (started, waiting for approval to request)
[ ] Chicago donation receipt (see email)

Push to tomorrow or later (longer)

[ ] Memo to Dean
[ ] More recommendation letters for ALUM
[ ] Comments on SIGCSE bulletin article
[ ] Write to MINK-WIC funders
[ ] Determine MINK-WIC institution contacts
[ ] Heck week musing - Major declarations, choose research students, 
    mid-semester assessments, etc.

I’m proud of all the boxes I could check off. I’m glad I made lists, because I would have forgotten some of these things. There may also be other things I forgot to list. But that’s okay. As I said, I did a lot. I’m also reminded, once again, why I don’t get everything done.

Perhaps someday I’ll figure out how to do less.

Perhaps not.

[1] Type them up?

[2] I’m not sure why my email program is a favorite note-taking device. But it is.

Version 1.0 of 2025-03-06.