SOLSC '23 Day 11: Systems

 

It's the first day of spring break, and I'm thinking about systems, thanks to my most recent attempt at reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.  I think I've started reading this book twice before, and somehow never made it past chapter four.  Maybe because the first three chapters already have me vigorously nodding my head and thinking hard about how I do things.  And can we just give Mr Clear a huge shout-out for summarizing each chapter in bullet points?  I do most of my self-improvement reading at 430a, and my fuzzy pre-dawn brain sparks just a bit brighter when the highlights are reviewed so succinctly.

But back to systems...One of Clear's best quotes has been repeated several times in professional meetings I've attended:

“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems."

Oh, how I've harped on the value of routines this school year, how important they are in making students feel safe in a school environment, knowing what to expect each day, especially when life at home may not offer the same comfort.

I need to apply that to my own work, too.  I spent some time cleaning up my office these past few weeks, trying to combine cluttered piles into cohesive work projects (like the piles of books that need to be processed, moved to the same cart).  I've always been pretty good at managing the "storefront" end of the library, the lessons and read-alouds, materials requests and inventory and book fairs.  I need to be better at creating a system of time management that allows me to tackle the behind-the-scenes work--like processing all those books.

I need to apply this at home even more.  I need systems to deal with decluttering, exercise, money management and home-care.  I need to keep up with what works, and phase out what doesn't.  Maybe then, my spring cleaning during spring break will actually last past this season, and I really will get to retire in six years with good systems in place!