Dear Together Friends, Fans, and Family,
Is April really the cruelest month (calling back to my almost-English-major roots)? My daffodils would tell you yes, because in the past month, they have poked their way to the surface with literal snow on the ground, survived a deep freeze, managed to stay intact during the tornado warnings, and now seem to be settling into the sunshine. Is this a metaphor for all of us right now? Okay, semi-English-major going back into hiding. . . let’s talk spring! (Due to allergy season in the mid-Atlantic, unreliable weather that has me switching from heat to AC already, and bouts of rain – I’m declaring spring my least favorite season. Cruel feels like just the right word!)
My daffodils thriving against the odds this spring.
You may now be post-spring break (if you were lucky enough to have one) or headed on your way into a well-deserved rest period. At the time of drafting this newsletter, I’m in deep spring break anticipation mode, and I’m very excited to be off the grid for a bit with some Semi-Together Teens. [Update: I survived 7 days at sea with my kids, but I do feel as if I were the unpaid housemother of a wild fraternity. I must say, the sunshine did me some good.] If this spring has allowed for a pause for you, it may feel like a good time to do some pruning – of the calendar, of the meetings, of the lists, and so on.
Here are a few ways I think about pruning my Together Tools – and life – as part of some spring cleaning:
- Clarify the Priorities. I know I sound like a broken record on this one, but really name what matters most between now and the end of the academic year. You can use a Priority Plan to do this, and maybe add in a Prioritization Post-it. You could also join our 2-hour Priority Plan class in May!
- Loosen the Calendar. Scan from now until the end of the year. Which meetings could be shortened by 10-15 minutes? Which could shift from weekly to bi-weekly? What are you attending out of habit, rather than actual need? I tried to move a certain set of meetings that give me energy into Friday afternoons, which can often feel like an odd pocket of time by 4 PM.
- Trim the List. Take a fresh look at your short- and long-term lists. Which tasks are no longer relevant? (I scanned through Asana and found some items that could be totally deleted, such as a refresh of our content policy on our website, and some articles to read that are no longer relevant. Check that box and say goodbye. . .) Which tasks have been sitting so long that they are draining your energy? I found a few To-Do’s that had just lost steam. (Sidenote: Two members of The Together Team, Heidi and Lauren, work closely with me on our Together Tips, and one of them said, while editing, “I have been feeling the need to do this for myself and this paragraph motivated me to make sure it happens today!”)
- Streamline a System. Examine one routine or workflow you use every day. Where has it become overcomplicated? What could you remove, simplify, or automate? Over here, our team used Zapier to connect our CRM (Zoho) to Asana, and it is magical!
And if spring gives you a bout of creative energy (you know, like if you clean your living space, sometimes your thoughts clear!), come join us for one of our spring classes. No matter your role, we have many opportunities for you to plan for the end of the school year or summer to get the results you want and prioritize rest at the same time.
And if you were wondering why I had “prepare” in the subject line of this month’s Together Tips, this is your annual public service announcement that most districts have released their 26-27 academic calendars – and we recommend overlaying those into your work calendar now. Whether it is your own days off, or the days off of your human children, or realizing there are some odd half-days lurking around – the sooner you realize that, the better!
#togetherforever #clipboardsandclogs
Maia
PS The Together Leader turns TEN this year. What should we do to celebrate this fall? Please send all ideas here! Maybe a September Zoom celebration?! With party hats required!? Is that awkward? Or should I somehow gather testimonials?
PPS I was deeply moved by how legendary South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley makes time for what matters. I can bet you she is building all of that time visiting other teams into her calendar. That does not happen by accident. Sports fans: I’m a UCLA fan via marriage, so I was still delighted by the Bruins win!
PPPS In case you missed it, check out our latest Together Tour featuring Cat Garland at the Brearley School and her fantastic hybrid Together System!
- Is Deep Analog back? There has been an extra dose of analog articles calling my name right now, and I really liked this one and this one. (Annual note: Cal Newport, if you are reading this, call me!) I was personally motivated to purchase a Brick and make use of the Screen Zen app. And of course, you could just completely head to the world of paper planners, though if you wanted snazzy upgrades, I am intrigued by this and this.
- Embrace small (Together) talk with strangers. My kids kind of hate that I will chat with anyone. Elevator, checkout line, you name it, I chat. We all have someone in our life who loves small talk and can chat with anyone. Even if small talk’s not your thing, give it a try every once in a while – and yes, you can build it right into your calendar if you block extra time during transitions. I recently struck up a conversation in a coffee shop line with a woman wearing a UCLA Dental School jacket, and turns out I learned something that will assist my kiddo who is a first-year college student!
- Overwhelmed by daunting digital organization? Ditch the digital clutter piece-by-piece – no need to get it ALL done at once! Christine Koh’s tips on Dropbox, email, and photos (I especially loved the delete-by-day strategy) felt incredibly manageable. This article was a great reminder that there is a lot of Togetherness that can be done in five minutes.
