Do you ever tell yourself that you’ll “get to that later” because “now isn’t a good time”?

Certainly there are times when it's not. But when it really may be, is your reason for waiting because…

• it’s all just too overwhelming?

• you’re avoiding doing the thing?

• it’s more comfortable to think instead of do?

• you’re worried that your effort will result in a failed attempt?

The problem with waiting sometimes, though, is that you experience missed opportunities, prolonged stress, or even added frustration.

When it comes to your ELT life, I’m guessing your list of wants and needs is easy to make but harder to address. Amidst your everyday life of planning, teaching, grading, and everything in between, it’s easier to say, “I’ll get to that later.”

Yet, what if instead of putting off everything, you tackled just one thing?

Select. Focus. Do. Repeat.

What can help you follow this process? Developing organizational systems that are right for you.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not today is your right time, listen in for some insight and inspiration.

Show Notes:

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/63-are-you-waiting-for-the-right-time-to-get-organized

Resources:

Get rid of the frustration and guilt. Create a personal PD plan that will help you work towards your professional goals, all at the right time for you. Get the step-by-step template here >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/products/personal-pd-plan

Do you wish you had less stress and overwhelm in your ELT life? Download your free resource “Reduce Your ELT Stress” and choose from 10 practical tips to help you on your organizational journey >> https://reducestress.eltresourceroom.com

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Want to get organized but aren’t sure where to start? Starting is almost always the hard part. You ask yourself questions like:

• What’s it going to be like?

• Am I really capable of doing this?

• Is it even going to work?

• What if I fail?

But you know what? Without trying, you’re never going to move beyond the frustration.

Trying. That’s one of the five stages of developing an organizational system that is:

1. purposeful,
2. right for you, and
3. a relief giver.

Learn about this and the four other stages in the latest Thrive in ELT podcast episode.

Show Notes:

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/62-5-stages-of-developing-an-organizational-system

Resources:

Do you wish you had less stress and overwhelm in your ELT life? Download your free resource “Reduce Your ELT Stress” and start seeing a change today >> https://reducestress.eltresourceroom.com

Make your professional development personal. Get the template to help >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/products/personal-pd-plan

Be prepared for when the unexpected happens in your ELT life. Get the teaching contingency plan guide >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/products/teaching-contingency-plan

Connect with Heather:

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Do you approach your recurring tasks randomly or systematically?

We all have them. Those things that have to get done – over and over again.

From the day-to-day to the occasional, from the simple to the complex. They’re a part of what you do as an EAP/ESL teacher.

So… if you have to do them anyway, why not make things a little easier for yourself?

One way to do this is by establishing routines.

If thinking less, reducing your stress, and staying on track in your ELT life sounds like a good plan, then this episode is for you.

(Don’t worry. It doesn’t mean that your life will become boring. 😉)

Do you wish you had less stress and overwhelm in your ELT life? Download your free resource “Reduce Your ELT Stress” and start seeing a change today >> https://reducestress.eltresourceroom.com

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/61-establishing-routines-for-your-recurring-tasks

Connect with Heather:

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Being prepared takes organization. And being organized takes… reflection? 

Sometimes reflection can take a back seat to planning and teaching because it doesn't seem to have the same degree of urgency.

But reflecting before, during, and after events in your ELT life provides you with an opportunity for gaining insight into what works and what doesn’t for your teaching situation. 

How you reflect and what your reflections tell you can help strengthen your organizational skills. 

Similarly, your organizational systems can help you develop stronger reflection skills. 

Listen in to find out how.

Get the guide to help you make professional development personal – step by step >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/products/personal-pd-plan

Do you wish you had less stress and overwhelm in your ELT life? Download your free resource “Reduce Your ELT Stress” and start seeing a change today >> https://reducestress.eltresourceroom.com

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/60-strengthen-your-organizational-skills-by-reflecting

Connect with Heather:

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Have you ever had moments where you’re calm, ready for the day, and then all of a sudden…  you’re not?

A six-letter word is what often results: stress.

The good kind of stress can be motivating and even help you better fulfill your role as a teacher. The not-so-good kind of stress, however, can be overwhelming and cause you to lose focus, making it more difficult instead of easier to accomplish what needs to get done.

In this episode I share six steps you can take to keep your stress levels in check when your best-laid plans go awry. 

Get the teaching contingency plan guide >> https://eltresourceroom.ck.page/products/teaching-contingency-plan 

Do you wish you had less stress and overwhelm in your ELT life? Download your free resource “Reduce Your ELT Stress” and start seeing a change today. >> https://reducestress.eltresourceroom.com

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/59-6-steps-for-when-your-plans-go-awry 

Connect with Heather:

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What’s your next step when it comes to reducing stress in your ELT life?

If you said organizational systems, you’re an EAP/ESL teacher after my own heart!

By now you know what organizational systems look like and how to choose ones that are right for you. The logical next step is for you to actually develop one. Wondering how? 

In this episode, I share three ways you can do that. 

No matter which route you choose, any one of the three will serve you well because each method has the same end goal – reducing stress and easing the overwhelm in your ELT life.

Ready to start your first organizational system? Get your personal PD plan template ("Fostering Professional Development... on Your Own Terms") and teaching contingency plan guide ("How to Prepare for When You Can't Teach") here >> www.eltresourceroom.com/resources 

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/58-how-to-get-started-on-your-first-organizational-system 

Connect with Heather:

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Are the choices you’re making, and the way in which you’re working in your ELT life, actually making things easier for yourself?

Sometimes we don’t realize that what’s creating difficulty in our lives is not necessarily someone or something else but our own decision-making when it comes to what we focus on. When and how we decide to work can affect the level of difficulty or ease we experience.

Identifying what’s causing the stress and overwhelm is the first step. Making a plan to reduce it is next.

Listen in for a useful identification exercise and four recommendations for making things easier for yourself.

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/57-making-things-easier-for-yourself 

Do you wish you had less stress and overwhelm in your ELT life? Download your free resource “Reduce Your ELT Stress” and start seeing a change today >> https://reducestress.eltresourceroom.com

Connect with Heather:

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How do you decide what to do to make your ELT life less stressful?

Options abound... 

• Should you use an app for your to-do list or stick with paper?

• Would it be more efficient to organize your course files by skill or level?

• Is it more logical to create multiple calendars for different types of tasks or one calendar with visual cues to distinguish between them?

Developing the right systems – for you and your ELT life – will help you manage your time and get things done. Yet trying to decide can be confusing and overwhelming, sometimes to the point of even avoiding making a decision. 

In this episode, get a quick overview of the difference between tools and systems and then consider two factors for determining which right-for-you organizational systems you should develop.

For full show notes of this episode, visit https://www.eltresourceroom.com/podcast/56-developing-organizational-systems-that-are-right-for-you 

Do you wish you had less stress and overwhelm in your ELT life? Download your free resource “Reduce Your ELT Stress” and start seeing a change today >> https://reducestress.eltresourceroom.com

Connect with Heather:

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