Timely Lessons

Over at the Uncataloged Museum blog yesterday a guest poster shared the lessons she was taking away from the process of leaving her job as a historian and curator. Given a month's notice that her job - along with many others at her financially strapped museum - was being eliminated, she dug in to the challenging but surprisingly rewarding task of wrapping up and handing off her responsibilities.

As she evaluated her time in that position and what she was leaving behind, she made notes to herself on what her team had done well or poorly. What made the top of her list?

• To set and stick to priorities, ruthlessly 
• To cultivate better digital housekeeping habits 
• To always prioritize work on critical documents 
• The true potential of the work blitz 
• The hidden costs of feeling overwhelmed
   

These lessons rang very true for me; I feel like I have been having conversations with people on variations of these themes for a while now. (I've gotten myself locked out of an online account about four times in the last six weeks... clearly my digital housekeeping habits need some work!)

As for those critical documents? Whether it's updating work policies to reflect current challenges or something on the home front like revising your will and insurance policy, most of us have something we're putting off that would bite us if push came to shove tomorrow.

My favorite of her suggestions? The work blitz!

1. Pick one thing that really needs attention - whether it's a long unfinished project, a catastrophically messy office or a the research/prep for something new.

2. Clear your schedule and turn off your phone for a day, maybe even two. Kidnap - I mean invite to join you - anyone you need to help you complete the project.

3. Throw all your energy into blitzing that one thing until it's done and can be wiped off your list with a flourish!

Did any of those lessons strike a chord with you?