A few years back, I began writing monthly to-do lists to help me keep track of what’s on my plate. I share these lists here, and report back each month on what I was able to accomplish.
My April list focused on a mix of work and fun tasks. Here’s what I was able to get done in the last month:
- Finished a couple big projects at work. I had a deadline for a work report in April and it felt great to push that project across the finish line. We still have some work to do in the summer and fall to collect feedback, but the first phase of the work is done! I also completed a separate year-long project that wrapped up with a campus presentation last month and it felt great to get that off my plate.
- Cancelled a work trip to Arizona. While I was supposed to take a work trip in April, a pretty nasty virus disrupted those plans and I ended up staying home in bed for several days. I was proud of myself for not pushing through when my body was pretty clear that it needed rest and recovery time.
- Watched the Eras Tour and listen to the new Taylor Swift album. I took some time in April to watch the Eras tour and listen to the new (double!) album that Taylor Swift released last month. While I still wouldn’t call myself a “Swiftie” it has been fun to stay caught up with this musical phenomenon.
- Sat outside in the sunshine. As I mentioned, we had some snow in April, but we also got a couple days of 80 degrees, which was really nice. I’ve loved taking some lunchtime walks without my coat this past month and I’m looking forward to more sunshine as we transition to summer.
April was a very full month. Now it’s time to plan for a new month of to-do items! I’m ready to launch into May and see what the next month of the year will bring.
Here are some of the items on my May to-do list:
- Celebrate commencement. My institution has our commencement ceremonies in early May, so I’ll be taking a weekend to celebrate all of our graduating students. With the new interim leadership role I’ve taken on this year, I oversee a lot of areas that contribute to this event, so it will have special meaning.
- Take some vacation time. I decided to take an extra day off of work for the Memorial Day weekend to stretch out that break. I’m looking forward to getting some rest and recovery time after a busy period at work.
- Read a bunch of books on neurodiversity. As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I’m working on a side project related to neurodiversity for my coach training program and I have a large stack of books that I’m working through. So far, the reading is really fascinating and I’m looking forward to seeing what else I can learn.
- Launch into a new editing project. I signed on to an editorial team for a new book project on coaching in higher education and we start our work in earnest this month. I’m excited to see the submissions for the volume and to think more about how I can contribute to the project.
I’m really looking forward to what I’m going to accomplish this upcoming month! What are you looking forward to in the month of May?