Sharpen Your Pencils, People

My desk isn’t organized enough. My kids aren’t ready for back-to-school. Even back-to-school isn’t ready for back-to-school. There is no “there” to head to this fall. So what’s the point in preparing for fall at your desk or dining table?
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I have spent time this summer in webinars on organization, reading blogs on clutter-free advocacy, and I’ve been coached to put away laundry. I have found value in the wisdom of professional organizers, precisely because their philosophies and practices mirror the parts of myself that I am looking to put in order. It is aspirational, yet manageable. And anything manageable that brings about a flint of order means I have a better day. 

If the manageability of my desk, prioritizing my tasks, and marking red lines through them when completed, helps my day, then I can more easily advocate students taping off a corner of a table to create as their school.
I will encourage my kids to clear off their work-spaces, pull out binders, paper, and pens. I’ll make sure they work near an outlet and know how to find their assignments. I will shuffle through the last stacks on my desk, tick off some of my to-dos. Ultimately, I am able to encourage organization and preparation because I am not always organized and prepared. But, I know that my moments are more fluid and I am better able to own my progress toward even the smallest of goals if I am ready, uncluttered, and have a sharpened pencil.