My brilliant choral director in high school, Marcia Yost, had several catch phrases that I still remember. One was, “Don’t forget your pieces and your parts”–a funny way to remind us to actually check and make sure we had our socks, shoes, cummerbund, button studs, cuff links, bow tie, jacket, shirt and…what am I forgetting…Oh yes–my pants!

She would also regularly say, “Make a plan, work a plan.” Particularly when she saw the overwhelmed look in our eye as she handed out piles of music at the beginning of the semester.

Put the work on a timeline and take it one day at a time.