Art Projects For The Creatively Disinclined

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. Whether it was the holidays, our cross country road trip, my seasonal upper respiratory infection or my 2 weeks of service on either end of those things, I can't be sure. Perhaps I've taken on too much. At least that's my husband's theory. Regardless of the reason, I can't continue to wallow in my office or at home lamenting the dust mites and watching another episode of 30 Rock. I just can't. So what did I do? I bought a giant dry erase board and the most colorful set of dry erase markers I could find. Organization should be pretty to look at. I'm dividing my to-do list into 4 quadrants based on those outlined in another book that changed my life, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. This is otherwise known as the Time Management Matrix and I'm in love with it.

Basically, we spend our time in one of four ways. Two factors that define a task are its urgency and its importance. Now picture a box divided into 4 smaller boxes. Across the top two boxes are the words "urgent" and "not urgent". Down the left side of the boxes are the words "important" and "not important" such that if you slide your finger down from the words "not urgent" and across from the word "not important" they would meet in the bottom right box. Quadrant I is where "urgent" and "important" meet. These are tasks that are crises and deadline driven projects. Quadrant II is where "not urgent" and "important" meet. These are relationship building or career building activities, recognizing new opportunities, planning and preventing future problems. Recreation goes in this box too. In Quadrant III, where "urgent" and "not important" meet, we have some email, some phone calls, some meetings, popular activities (committees, gossiping) and the ever present interruptions. Quadrant IV is where "not urgent" and "not important" meet. This is trivial busy work, some email, some phone calls, time wasters, and mind numbing time surfing the internet. Where do you spend the most of your time? I'll tell you right now that for the past 3 months at least I've been living in Quadrants I and III. Hence, the overwhelming urge to crawl into bed and watch a Law and Order marathon when I really need to be working on my research project that needs to be finished by May. Ugh. When you spend too much time producing and not enough time replenishing you reach the state I'm in right now. I can't even seem to muster the energy to whip up a batch of soul soothing chocolate chip cookies or go for a 4 mile run through the woods. That's a problem. Where would I like to be spending my time? Or rather where do I need to be spending my time? You got it, Quadrant II. That's where the magic happens people.

So for the next 2 weeks, I am focusing on my white board color-coordinated quadrant-ized to-do list. I'm going to focus my energy in Quadrant II and spend less time in Quadrants I and III. And yes, cookie making and running are going into Quadrant II. I challenge you to do the same...find your Quadrant II.