saying no
Written on 4 May 2008 | Posted in librariana,me | 6 Comments
Being surrounded with yummy sock yarn is oddly comforting. Isn’t it?
I’ve embarked on a little something called “Project No” for the months of June, July and August. I figure that if I don’t make a concerted effort to say “no” to library-related stuff (which is mostly conference presentations and workshops of late), I’ll keep saying yes and drive myself a little crazy with due dates and deadlines and traveling (which is quickly becoming more annoying than enjoyable). May, however, is going to be crazymaking for just those reasons. I head out to Prince Edward Island in four days, which has all the potential to be a lovely trip, except it’s going to be practically a fly-by. I have around 8 hours on Saturday to explore Charlottetown (got ideas?) before flying home to more tight deadlines, then another fly-by to Chicago for more conference action and maybe a little socializing with library-type friends. Also? I’m teaching my grad course again, starting tomorrow.
Friends, I can’t wait until the effects of “Project No” start to kick in.
I meant to comment in your last post, but didn’t have time, so I’ll do it here where it’s almost completely but not perfectly unrelated, that the key to keeping the laundry pile an anthill (even better than a molehill!) instead of a mountain is to throw in a load every night before you go to bed. Then when you get up, you throw it in the dryer and hey presto, you’ve got clothes to fold when you get home from work. If you don’t fold them, then you can’t do laundry at night because there’s no room for them in the dryer in the morning. It’s a virtuous circle, see? And you get to throw EVERYTHING in the dryer. I hang mine out to airdry — takes extra time! O’course, you could string them up in the back yard on a clothesline and then they smell like the sweet spring air and it’s so much nicer, but I’m not putting any pressure on you. Get a handle on putting the load in at night first and you can work up to it. Lo and behold, a week later, the laundry is under control.
5 May 2008 @ 08:17
i have an idea! delegate to your co-op student underling!
5 May 2008 @ 14:40
You know, I did this for a year. But I said no to everything. And it was an interesting discipline in that I paid attention to the things I was saying no to—how they made me feel, if I was tempted, if I was relieved to be able to say no. It told me a lot about where I wanted to go after graduate school!
5 May 2008 @ 22:20
Oh, such a gorgeous picture!
8 May 2008 @ 19:49
good for you! You deserve some “you” time.
8 May 2008 @ 20:35
I need to sign on for Project No! I’ve always been horrible at saying no. Then I take on too much and spead myself way too thin. And I really can’t afford to do that right now. I’m finally prepping my house, before putting it up for sale. For real this time.
Anyhow, good luck!
11 May 2008 @ 11:49