My desk is a bit of a mess these days. Working from home means that before the day is done, I’ve collected at least three different cups (morning coffee, La Croix, afternoon coffee), multiple to-dos scribbled on the nearest piece of paper I can find, and inevitably pieces of trash either from lunch or opening mail. In a perfect world, I’d sweep these things away at the end of the day so I could start fresh every morning. But I think we know by now that the world is far from perfect.
Lately, I’ve been so immersed in work that I look up and suddenly it’s 5:30pm. It’s as if the day speeds by me, and any intention I started off with that morning (empty the dishwasher, call that friend back, put away my laundry so it doesn’t make an appearance on my Zoom calls) completely drops off my radar within the first hour of consciousness. I look up. The day is done, and I’m wiped.
But despite what piles of cups or garbage appear on my desk, a few things always remain unburied in my line of sight: post-it notes, stuck to the bottom of my monitor, that I keep to remind me of the things I cannot afford to forget. They are permanently stationed, guards against my forgetful mind and tendency to be overwhelmed. And while some cycle through, there are a few that are permanent fixtures.
1. A Note
“I love you and I like you… and I miss you.” Written on a bright yellow post-it, left for me by my husband during our season of engagement. It’s a reminder that even in the craziest & most stressful of seasons, I can choose to focus on the things that make it all worthwhile.
2. A Charge
“Critique by creating.” Michelangelo’s words that I heard from some podcast at the beginning of quarantine. It’s a reminder that tearing down someone else’s work is a waste of energy and that the world can only be truly changed when we pour our hearts into creating something different.
3. A Prayer
“Lord, give me love to see others as human and image-bearers; give me humility to see challenges & critiques as opportunities; give me wisdom to know what you would have me do next.” This was scribbled by me on a post-it stolen from my husband’s desk (my own stack of post-its was lost among the piles) to bear me up under the weight of navigating life and work.
4. A List
Keyboard shortcuts for Gmail. Because life is tough, emails are endless, and sometimes you have to give yourself permission to take all the help you can get.
They hang there, 3×3 inch reminders of who I want to be in this world, small square beacons of truth to guide me back when I stray.
We all need a reminder sometimes. We all need something to keep in front of our eyes when the days are long and the fight is tough. Don’t forget to keep yours in front of you in your line of vision. Make them bright, make them big so they steal back your attention. Write down the truth, and keep it in front of you.