The backburner is a dark dark place filled with unhappiness and unfinished tasks. The problem is, what is not done immediately often ends up there as mysterious and whispered about as lost socks. I see it from myself way too often. I start to work on a project only to see it wind up an unfinished thing sitting in a closet somewhere. Sadly, this is also true of how I deal with paperwork.
I think this is an easily solvable problem. Merely devote a patch of time to killing off these loose ends and paper trails that sprout up every work day. We know they are going to come up, so from X to XX it is time to deal with them properly. Amongst my smattering of ‘get me right’ solutions is to handle such issues on the front end. I intend to make the time for that work during the day, so I know that from X to XX what I am working on is the crucial paper bits that allow me to be successful and moreover appear as reliable and efficient as I would wish the world to see me as, instead of the dude who can never file his contracts on time.
Yes, even writers need to file their paperwork on time. However it isn’t just that. Getting it right in that regard–making sure you have all of your stuff together up front gives you the confidence to A) not worry about the small stuff B) Feel like you can contribute real leadership. I think that all I’ve ever wanted to be in education is a leader. A leader of students and of faculty. You don’t have to lead from position, but you do need to lead from example.