Transitioning Back to School Productively

Many families are on the verge of heading back to school or have already made the leap into a fresh new year.  For work at home parents, the start of the school year may bring an end to scheduling conflicts that cause headaches and frustration during summer vacation.

I personally HATE sending my boys back to school - I love having them home all day during the summer.  But when I resign myself to the fact that heading back to the routine is good for them (and me too), I try to look at Back to School time as another opportunity to amp up my personal productivity.  Perhaps it's all of the freshly sharpened number two pencils and unblemished student planners that appeal to my sense of hope and optimism.  Just as my children will face new challenges and opportunities this school year, I have goals and plans I would like to achieve.  I will spend their first week back at school establishing my own new routine for the year and working out my calendar.  I will establish short and long term priorities and work on my plans for using my work time productively.

If you have kids headed back to school this month, take this time to examine your own Back to School priorities.  Just as January 1st is a wonderful time for resolutions, the start of a new educational year can serve as a great time to recommit to personal productivity and Getting Things Done.

Comments

[Francis Wade]

It sounds like a good time to revisit one's time management system and look for places to upgrade it as needed. Chances are the kids are going to be involved in more activities than the year before, and evolving one's time management system to keep up with their new commitments might be a useful way to grow as they grow.

[Optimist Under Siege]

There really is something inspiring about fresh school supplies. I don't have any children, but find myself buying things like new markers around back-to-school time and using them in my own work. Sometimes getting offline and designing a website, for instance, with some shiny new markers can really help you gain a fresh perspective.