Spring Cleaning
Is spring cleaning a thing anymore? Do people actually open the doors and windows and clean every surface? I do some version of this deep clean over a period of two weeks. The process usually helps me put the semester to bed mentally. I also prepare for another season. Particularly, after a long Maine winter, I like the freshness that comes with the possibility of open windows. We’re not quite there yet, but I do want to talk about a mental deep clean.
Over the course of a semester (even when someone is on leave), the mind can get cluttered with details about daily life and long-term projects. The forest is invisible. Enter the trees. And, not just any trees either. Think the walking talking trees of Lord of the Rings. At the end of the term or at the end of the year, I like to do a mental audit and, afterwards, a mental purging.
I take about 15 mins to write down all of my responsibilities. This year, my list includes teaching two courses, thesis advising, departmental service, coaching, developmental editing, publicizing the new poetry collection, writing a book proposal for an essay collection, and writing essays. I am certain my list would be longer if I included nitty gritty details. By the end of the April, I’ll likely be able to cross off my teaching and thesis advising at least. I’ll be in a different stage of publicity, a different stage of reading for the essays, and will be drafting the book proposal rather than just reading.
In other words, making a list of my priorities allows me to see all of what I do on a page. I also get to decide whether I want to continue doing these things. Not every project makes it back on the list. This summer, I suspect I’ll need to pare down my writing goals, simply to actually achieve them. For each of the three projects on which I am working, I’ll likely be scrounging through my TBR (to be read) pile. Since that is a lot of reading, I’ll also likely take breaks.
I like the idea of spring cleaning the mind because I often have multiple projects going on. As a result, it can be difficult to retain all the projects or work on them at the same pace. It does help me to be a good friend, and citizen to know where my time is going and why and how.
What is on your list? What might you let go of?