To do - done
Last night I stayed late at the office, organising all the tasks that need to be addressed the coming weeks. My days are varied, comprising a multitude of different types of jobs: teaching, writing, reading, supervising, administration, representation, advising and attendance of several different types of boards, comittees and working groups. I keep falling behind on organising this: just keeping my calendar updated took a couple of hours.

So, I made two boxes: "to do" and "done". I put all the papers on my desk into different files and filed them in one of those boxes. I made a to-do-list, to keep at the desk, no longer on those index cards I normally use, but in a journal, one picked to live on my desk only. I updated the calendar on the cellphone, on the computer, and the black book I carry when I remember it.

My desk was so pretty and clean when I got to work this morning. It felt like I had accomplished a major task. Part of that feeling had obviously been with me last night. When I checked I had put all the urgent stuff on my desk in the "done" box.