I spent the weekend at the BWM State Conference with my Business
Women of Missouri sisters. I always come away from these conferences energized
and with new, fresh, or possibly refreshed, ideas. One such refreshed idea came
during an organizing session.
Organizing presentations have a way of highlighting my inadequacies.
It’s not that I don’t know the basics of organization, or even that I don’t
follow some of them, but I’m an out-of-sight-out- of- mind person. I use To-Do
lists, but there’s nothing like seeing a pile of unfinished paperwork to motivate
me. The speaker distributed a test I had taken before that demonstrated how
much multitasking slows down our work. I am the queen of multitasking…to the
point that I get a lot of things done, but nothing finished.
One trick to avoid multitasking: set a timer and work on
projects in blocks of time without those pesky time-wasting interruptions.
Great idea! I started this blog post, set my timer for 30 minutes and went
straight to work. I stopped the timer to go fill my glass with ice water.
Reset. Typed a few lines and the phone rang. Unexpected problem I could only
partially resolve. Conversation over. Reset. So, this method isn’t working so
well for me so far.
Each BWM president chooses an inspiring theme that our group
uses throughout the year as motivation. They are always great themes, but
President Sharron has chosen a theme that speaks to each of us individually and
inspires accountability. Her theme, “Just One Woman Can,” opens up a realm of
possibilities.
We often underestimate the difference we can make as
individuals. Being an Alzheimer’s volunteer and advocate, I realize that I can make a difference. You can make a difference too!
One person can…
a) Support
Walk to End Alzheimer’s.
Can’t walk? You can still help by sponsoring a walker. Dorothy Ream wasn’t able
to walk, but she used to call up all her friends and ask them to pledge any
amount no matter how small. She annually raised over $1,000 to support our
local walk.
b) Write
a Letter or Send an E-mail. You
can write a letter to your senator or representative on the state and national
level to support Alzheimer’s research and legislation. Let them know providing
services for families and finding a cure for Alzheimer’s is important to you. Share
your story! Call your local chapter for information on current legislative issues.
c) “Hug”
a Caregiver. Providing
around the clock care for a loved one leaves a person drained and stressed. The
caregiver often needs some TLC too! Hugs come in many forms, especially random
acts of kindness—greeting cards, flowers, casseroles, performing a household
chore for the caregiver, or mowing the grass.
d) Learn
the Facts. You
can stay informed by signing up for email updates from the Alzheimer’s
Association. Attend educational programs offered by your local chapter. Ask for
brochures or pamphlets to address specific problems. Be sure to get information
from reliable sources. Knowledge is power when dealing with Alzheimer’s
disease.
If you think of these suggestions as a To-Do List, you see
that it is only a beginning. These four items are within everyone’s reach, but
you are the only one that knows what you can do to add to the list. It is
personally rewarding to know that you can make a difference.
I saw a graphic a few days ago of a piece of paper and the
only thing written on it was, “Write a To-Do List.” I laughed when I saw it,
but you do have to begin at the beginning, after all. Checking off the “done”
items is a visual reminder of the power each of us holds within our grasp. What
one person can do is limited only by imagination and motivation.
Copyright © April 2016 by L.S.
Fisher
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