Have you ever found yourself stuck in traffic, whether it is a school pick-up line or just your morning commute, wishing you were doing something better with your time? Today, we have five ways to still be productive while stuck in your car.
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Summer Photo Organizing Challenge
If you’ve been following along with our summer challenge, you know we’ve had a lackluster start. Well, today we have an update and it is just in time because with school starting, we are considering this the end of our summer challenge!
We’ve been focusing on getting our photos organized based on Molly Bullard’s advice from Episode 41 Organizing your Photos. Click on over to check out our interview with Molly because she had a lot of great tips for all those digital photos slowing down your phone!
To recap, we focused on:
- Setting aside a specific time to work on photos.
- Breaking the big projects down into smaller tasks (around 30 minutes).
The good news is Bethany made some progress! Sadly, we didn’t get everything done we had hoped to but the smaller tasks we did tackle have definitely moved us closer to our goal.
Have you been organizing your photos along with us? Share your progress with us below in the comments or on social media. Use the hashtags #AtoBpodcast.
Back to School
Well, the kids are back in school and that means more time for me as a parent but less free time for Bethany as a classroom teacher!
This year Bethany, put in some extra time to organize her classroom papers. It was such an overwhelming task! Remembering the steps from Ep 35 Clear your paper pile in 5 Steps helped Bethany power through.
Quick Sort
I encourage you to check out Ep 35 Clear your paper pile in 5 Steps if you haven’t already. We lay out clear steps along with a free download. The big takeaway from that episode, no matter what type of paper you are organizing, start with a quick sort first!
You may be tempted to skip this step but it really keeps you focused. Instead of getting hung up on where each type of paper will go, you are only deciding on whether you are going to keep or toss.
After the quick sort, a general idea of what file categories you’ll need become clearer.
Simplify File Categories
The next big tip is to keep your file categories simple, especially if you struggle with paper organization. The broader the category the better! You can always go back and create more specific files if needed.
For example, Bethany used 5 broad categories for her classroom papers: fall, winter, spring, professional development and classroom management. That’s it!
Now as a former teacher, I had more detailed files but that worked for me because filing has never been a problem for me.
However, that type of filing system is too complicated for Bethany who is more likely to pile instead of file. Her filing system needs to be so simple it feels like she is piling otherwise it won’t be used and we don’t want that!
Worth the extra time
Organizing all the classroom paper was big task that took away time from setting up the classroom. However, getting all the papers in order, whether at work or home, makes such a big difference in your overall productivity.
Just think of when you know right where a paper is located and you can go grab it quickly. That type of organization is a necessity to peace of mind!
Step by Step
After Bethany got all her papers in order, (Yay! insert happy dance here), it was time to set up her classroom. As with any overwhelming task, a plan of attack helps a big project feel less daunting.
Bethany got a quick virtual organizing session over the phone instead of over Skype. Below are the steps I texted Bethany to help her conquer her massive to-do list but these steps are applicable to any overwhelming project. *You can schedule your own virtual organizing session with me here.
1. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Sit down. Get out your list (or make one). List your top five (or up to ten) things that have done by Monday when the kids walked in the door. Then draw a line and put everything else you need to do under the line.
2. Next to your top items, decide how long would like to spend on each one, 30 minutes to an hour, etc.
3. Put on some upbeat, happy music. Set your timer for 30 minutes. Then work. When the timer goes off, drink some water and sit down for 5 minutes.
Try to have your time limits be non negotiable. Once you’ve spent an hour on a task you’ve decided to spend an hour on move on to the next thing.
Remember a good teacher is not defined by how their classroom looks it’s determined by how much a kid grows throughout the year!!! And that’s what you do!!
Back to School as a Parent
My youngest started school this year which means more free time for me. That is, it felt like more free time until I go to pick everyone up at 3 different schools. If you are a parent than you know 3 different schools means 3 pick up lines! That is a long time waiting in your car!
Instead of wallowing in this predicament I’ve put myself in, well there was some wallowing in the episode, I’ve decided to figure out ways to be productive while waiting in my car.
1. Listen to an audiobook
In the episode, I show my age when I call it a book on tape, but no matter what you call it, it can be a great way to take your mind off of a long line of traffic.
Choose a fun fiction book or learn something new with a non-fiction favorite. You may even want to break out the Rosetta Stone!
2. Floss your teeth
Oh, some of you may be grossed out right now but stay with me! Grab those floss picks (I like these minty ones) and do a quick clean. Yes, some people might see you but you’ll have healthy teeth! What’s more important? It is more like you are using a toothpick than dental floss anyway.
3. Kegel exercises
We are getting real personal here, but if not on an organizing podcast, then where! I can’t think of a better place than traffic to do your kegel exercises! Check out the Mayo Clinic’s site for detailed exercise instructions.
4. Catch up on phone calls
I personally don’t take advantage of this time for phone calls but it could be a perfect time to make appointments or check in with a friend.
5. Pray or meditate
This might be the last on the list but probably the most important. Remember our kids do what we do not necessarily what we say. What a perfect place to teach them how to deal with stress in a healthy way!
*Bonus tip – Daydream
Yes, I might be spending some time daydream how I can get more parents to join a carpool. I am in a carpool but I’d love to share the benefits of carpooling. Do you have any ideas? Please share!!
Now admittedly, all 5 might not be right for you but hopefully you will find one way to make it the long school pickup line. What do you do to stay productive as you wait in line? Please share! We’d love to add more ways to our list!
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Our town also has no bus service. For young elementary school kids, I would park and then walk to playground to pick up my kids. Once I had to pick up at 2 schools, I stopped getting out of the car. I found a location where it is easy to park, and 1 or 1.5 blocks away from their exit door, and then my kids walk to the car. I sat in the car read while I wait for them. I park on same side of the same block every day, so they know where to find me. Getting across a busy street (by car) was almost impossible near dismissal time, so I actually started parking in a little-used bank employee parking lot across the street from elementary school, and my son would cross with the crossing guard, and then I could scoot away very fast from the area and get to middle school with far less hassle. We are lucky it’s in a residential area with plenty of available street parking. We live in a fairly urban town, so homes and schools are very dense. If you live in a sprawling suburb, where the schools have massive parking lots and lots of outdoor fields/space, than the walk may be pretty far.
Thanks Ann, that is a great idea! I did start having my middle schooler walk away from the school a little and it has been working out great. Unfortunately, with my other 2 kids, I have to walk up and get them from the teacher. However, I am happy to report that pick up has been going better after the first week of craziness. Thanks for your tip!