[Tea] How to actually accomplish One Thing

Welcome to "Tea with Julie," a weekly missive by me, Julie Bogart. My wish is to give you food for thought over a cup of tea to enhance your life as an educator, parent, and awesome adult. Glad you're here. Pinkies up!
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Cincinnati, May 18, 2024

Hi Friend,

Let's expand on the list I shared last week for accomplishing One Thing:

Prepare for it.
Execute the task.
Enjoy the experience.
Reminisce.

Prepare for it.

Take the time right now to get what you need to do that task. In other words, most activities that we never get to need preparation (supplies, Xeroxed copies, materials).

If it means:

ordering a book, order the book now.
assembling ingredients, get them together and put missing items on a shopping list.
gathering materials on hand, gather them and put them in a safe place.

If the task needs preparation (a step or two must be done ahead of time), create space in your schedule in the early part of the week to get that part of the event completed.

Execute the task.

Once you have what you need, pick a time today (or on the planned day) to follow through and do it. Make sure you protect that time and space from interruptions.

That means:

closing your laptop,
putting your cell phone on vibrate,
turning off the TV,
not answering the door,
texting your spouse and telling them not to call during that hour or two,
clearing your kitchen table (or yard or couch or car – wherever this thing is happening).

Know that you have a dedicated block of time to do this task and that no other task will crowd it out.

Enjoy the experience.

Be there. Don’t allow your mind to run off to dinner or dentist appointments you forgot to schedule. Don’t resent sitting down and “wasting time” doing what your mind resists. Don’t jump up to change a laundry load because the timer dinged. Do listen, pay attention, dedicate your mind and heart to the moment at hand. Listen to your kids. Feed back to them what you hear. Participate. Become interested and fascinated. Live in this moment and no other.

For example, if you are working on times tables, completely immerse yourself in the experience. Recite the tables, play with them, ask questions, find ways to make two times six interesting! Allow the connections to come that happen when you are involved and calm.

If you are holding a poetry teatime, relax. Sip tea, observe the facial expressions of your children, take in the color of the placemats and the shape of the scones. Stay in that event as long as it lasts and don’t reprimand yourself for skipping your grammar workbook that day.

Reminisce.

Finally, once the event or learning experienced concludes, and you’ve moved on to the next “thing,” allow yourself to fondly remember what worked or was enjoyed. The next hour, or meal, or day, or two days from now, remember the experience you shared with your kids.

Say words like:

“You know, I didn’t realize how often fractions are a part of my day until we spent those two hours on Monday playing with your Cuisinaire rods.”

“I so enjoyed doing copywork with you on Tuesday. Want to read what I wrote? I want to read yours today.”

“Watching 'Much Ado About Nothing' reminds me of when I was a kid and my mom took me to plays. What was your favorite part? Mine was…”

“I loved that poem about horses you read during teatime. Can you find it for me again? I’d like to reread it.”

Focus on the experience by honoring it in your memories. Retell the story, relive it a few days later. It will stay anchored in your lives as a touchstone if it becomes worth of your investment, dedication, and memory.

This is how you work through your list of things to do. Do it one thing at a time, and only do the one thing when you know you will really devote yourself to it. Let me know how it goes.

Remember, what creates momentum is a series of deliberate, prepared choices that lead to a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

You get there one thing at a time.

Warmly,

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