Trusting the Process, by Monica M. Smith, MSW, 2014 Clinical DSW Candidate

The first semester of the DSW program is almost over. I have three weeks left and in this time I must complete two papers, read eleven chapters for research, two chapters from one of the six clinical theory texts, read another nine articles for theory, and review discussion questions. That’s just for school. I work full-time. I’m married with adult children, two of whom are undergrad students and, like many other social work professionals, I am the resident social worker in my family and group of friends. You know, the “go to person” when people need a little advice, a shoulder to lean on, or an ear to bend. Did I mention it’s Thanksgiving? My daughter comes home from school for a few days and family comes to my house for dinner and Friday night leftovers!

So what do I do? How do I manage all that needs to be done? I fall back on the social work skills I learned in undergrad: partialize, prioritize, and plan. These have been my three p’s for success and I think it’s working.

Partializing: I have created a daily schedule- I call it my grid- on which I have allotted time for everything  that needs to be done: personal hygiene, work, eating, making meals (or ordering out!), reading, writing, weekly quality time with family, phone calls, house cleaning, “me” time, sleep, religious activities, etc. My schedule begins at 4:30am and ends about 10:30pm. You might wonder why I add common sense tasks like personal hygiene, eating and sleeping to my schedule – because it’s about balance. Too much or too little of any of these creates an imbalance which effects one’s health. If I didn’t add mealtime to my schedule for example, I’d eat every meal while reading for class or typing a paper – not healthy!

Prioritize: Adult students with families and who work full-time have so much on our plates! All of our roles are important. Everything can seem like a priority. Partializing tasks is helpful and aids in prioritizing, but the fact of the matter is, deadlines are a reality. They come first. I have all of my deadlines written on my monthly calendar so that I don’t lose track of anything. I’ve also created and taken back time by saying no to “opportunities” at work that require more of me. I have decided to take a hiatus from teaching Sunday School, and doing community service projects and I’ve given myself time limits for tasks. For example, housework gets done in a four hour window on Saturday mornings. What doesn’t get done … oh, well!

Plan: Time management is key. I think I first heard this statement more than 25 years ago during Freshman Orientation. So simple. So significant. I’ve realized that partializing and prioritizing are significant components of the plan. Now I just have to work the plan. And it is working.

Even though I have yet to finish my first semester in the DSW program, I know it’ll all get done. Have I lost some sleep? Yes. Have we eaten more take-out, cold sandwiches and leftovers than ever before? Yes.  Have I been less available to friends and shortened visits with family? Yes. Have I told them that I need to get back to reading? Yes. Have they understood and supported my plan? Absolutely! They want to see me succeed and have supported the decisions I’ve made. They, too, are part of my plan. They understand the pressure and try their best not to add to it. I have developed close friendships with colleagues in my cohort. We email and text every so often to check in and to encourage one another.  I know I am not alone in this. And when I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, I look at my grid and read the words above it, “Trust the Process”. Then I take a deep breath and keep right on working.

By Monica M. Smith, MSW, 2014 Clinical DSW Candidate