As I write this, I should be packing for a retreat that I leave on at 3:30pm tomorrow. Over the course of it, I will lead various activities and prayers and deliver part of a talk.
I just got back from rehearsal for Gannon's musical, in which I play various background parts and move beds, stages, staircases, and a coffin.
Earlier today I spent an hour down in the Press assembling copies of our literary art magazine, Totem– which reminds me, I need to prepare my speech for presenting it at English Awards Night, which is in less than a week.
Tomorrow morning I need to finish up something for the service trip I'm co-leading to Tennessee a month from tomorrow, assemble more magazines... and... I think do something else that I'm currently forgetting.
I've been doing a lot of that lately.
This last month is going to be a test of my organization, stamina, and ability to answer the question "How are you?" without listing everything I have yet to do. It's hard to believe that as a freshman I was barely involved in anything. Suddenly I'm involved in so many things it's hard to keep track. For any other seniors who are in the same boat (and are hopefully more successful in their job search than I've been so far) or anybody else who's having a crazy end of the year, here's my plan for keeping it all together:
1. Keep a list of everything that has yet to be done, so that it can be checked off as I do it. (So satisfying, especially because I use Habitica to keep that list.)
2. Put everything I need to attend into my calendar, even if I think I'll remember it. (As I discovered earlier this week... I am probably wrong.)
3. Apply my anti-procrastination strategy. (Ironically, I failed at this right after I wrote about it: I had time to work on a paper on Tuesday and I left it until Wednesday.)
4. Not take on anything else if I can't handle it. And I probably can't.
That last one is really hard for me, because I hate to tell anyone I can't help them or spend time with them, or look like I can't do everything. But I need to be realistic. A few days ago, I asked a professor if my group could have one of the later presentation slots. Normally I’m that person who loves wowing the professor (and getting the presentation over with!) by taking an early spot. This time around, as I told my best English major friend, “I need to recognize my own mental abilities. And doing a presentation on Thursday is not within them.”
Finally, I will attempt to live up to the advice a housemate left on my bathroom mirror: “Kick ass and take names”. Also, the advice she left on my bedroom mirror: “Smile”. After all, I chose to do all of the things that are making my life crazy right now, because I knew they would be a lot of fun and I’ll be proud of having done them.
Fellow seniors, let’s make this last month count.
(Oh, the other thing I need to do tomorrow is submit my work study hours! Let me just go write that down.)
