When I started dispatching in 1999, I was trained by a guy who had been in public safety for a while. He is also a "former Marine" (I prefer the term retired Marine). He was very well organized and I quickly learned to keep track of my life in a date book. I purchased one not long after I started working and had it up until a few months ago when I finally replaced it. I have every calendar stored since 1999 and each of them has at least some of my life on just about every day.
I use it mainly to keep track of such things as when I am supposed to work, what I have worked, vacation days and other types of time off, vacations and other trips, how much comp time I have, how many vacation days I have, when and why I used a particular type of leave, my haircuts, dental and doctor appointments, running days to include where, what and how long, races and times, and on and on.
I know exactly how much leave time I have at any given moment and frequently cross check it with the powers that be to be sure I am on the same page with them. My time off is very important!
Every shift I work, the book is open to the current month and stays that way until the end of my shift. There is a down side to this. It seems to me that the days, weeks and months go by so fast when I am looking at them every day. I get a little frustrated looking at the schedule sometimes. So, it's Wednesday (already!) and I haven't really gotten anything done this week, at
Frost Bottom anyway. Well, the chores will still be there tomorrow.There are some events coming up this weekend that I hope to attend and take some good pictures, sorry, digital captures of and hopefully blog about. I am even giving up a 5k to go to one of them.
With any luck the somewhat unseasonable weather we've been experiencing will continue to allow me to do some things with the gardens that should have been done months ago. I wonder if I write those things in my date book if I will actually do them?
4 comments:
I was once engaged to a Marine and "once a Marine, always a Marine". They never retire the title.
I envy your organization. I am afraid I flow where the wind blows, but then I am retired and time is ignored.
I always am impressed with how much "play" you get in with your shedule. The book must be the answer. HUM, maybe I should try it.
We keep a big calendar on the refrigerator to note parties, visitors, work deadlines, kids' concerts & games, appointments, house projects, vacations, etc. I have calendars going back about 20 years and they are like tightly condensed journals. I have occasionally looked back on them and been flooded with the feelings and memories of our younger lives. It's fun to be able to recapture the past that way!
I have a log book at work that I record all pertinent information to include my arrival and departure times, activities, and interactions with people outside of my team. My co-workers laugh, but all say they don't want their names included as an entry in the book.
I used to keep a written journal in large sized artist pads. I can't sketch to save myself so most of it was written. They included bird and animal sightings, trip reports from various vacations and weather info. I miss it and have considered trying again, but....
Brian - I have given serious consideration to doing what you do as well, but I think it would be overwhelming. I have a crappy memory so I probably should. CYA, right?
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