On Friday, I decided to start writing down my daily routine for the next fortnight or so. The idea was so that I could work out what I do with my time and maybe figure out how I can use my days more effectively. (Cf. Step one of this Mahalo guide.) There are a quite few things I’d like to be doing, like getting more exercise, and spending more time on language study, writing, and various projects, but I don’t seem to have the time to fit all these things in.
And yet I am aware that when I sit in my study, I spend a lot of time playing mahjong solitaire (I’d better not give you the link - wouldn’t want to distract you as well!), gazing out of the window, or aimlessly surfing from site to site. And, for someone who likes lists, I seem to be very good at avoiding making lists of things I need to do. Or rather, I make these lists in my head, then forget them - after thinking about them I somehow manage to not write them down. By not writing these lists down I cause two reactions - either I keep worrying endlessly about all the things I need to get done, or I forget altogether that I need to do them, and then either I stress myself out by rushing things at the last minute, or I decide it’s too late and give up altogether. I’m not sure what’s causing these avoidance behaviours (fear of failure? fear of success?) but it’s starting to really irritate me.
Even doing this time audit has been difficult as I seem to have sabotaged myself quite well, right from the start. The first day, Friday went well enough, but then I managed to “forget” all about keeping a record on Saturday, and then on Sunday and most of Monday, I thought I’d lost the notebook I was using to write things down. And I can’t write in anything but that notebook, of course, oh no! I have now found the notebook and am having to talk myself into making the notes. MAKE. THE. NOTES. DAMNIT.
If I was the praying kind I’d be praying to St. Expeditus. Or maybe St. Jude would be a better choice. He’s the patron saint of hopeless cases.
The climb - this is me walking up the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. 284 steps up a steep winding staircase. I was puffed when I got to the top, but it was well worth it.
I have a very busy few weeks ahead of me. What with all the everyday tasks at work, coupled with lots of projects, and extra-curricular activities such as the Unconference, and writing a paper with Kathryn (for LIANZA), plus Dutch language classes, and keeping myself sane and happy with family events, it’s going to be a bit mad!
Bollywood in Uithuizen
I’m hoping I manage to get through it all with as much enjoyment as though I was capering through a Dutch country lane - as per the picture above. M took that picture of me pretending to be a Bollywood star. We were enjoying a walk one morning in rural Groningen. It was beautiful and green, and the lane was actually full of slugs. I don’t know if I squashed any…
Been thinking recently about priorities and how I’m going to make enough time for all of them.
Made a list of Stuff I Do:
With family (includes Paco)
Reading
- For pleasure
- “Professional”
Blogging
Games
Watching tv/movies
Exercise
Quiet time
Language stuff
- learning new
- working with existing
This is in rough order of priority, or maybe that should be order of frequency.
I haven’t added writing to this list, something I want to do more of. I had my Emsig yesterday (MPOW’s version of the annual appraisal - stands for Managing for Continuous Improvement and Growth - the MCIG, everyone calls it Emsig - sounds like an agricultural production target in a command economy or something…). The Boss is keen for me to keep writing. I’m finding that although I don’t find always the process particularly easy, I do enjoy getting my thoughts on paper (or onscreen). I volunteered to work on a couple of papers, after telling The Boss that LINT folks are working on another at the moment. Which reminded me that I was meant to have converted my two conference papers from last year into journal articles.
I don’t really have any strategies for making more time, apart from watching less tv and spending less time on games. As it is, I’m not spending all that much time on both these days.
Looking at the list, it occurs to me that I would like to have exercise as a higher priority. I don’t think quiet time is high enough on the list, either. Language stuff is too low on the list, but this might change soon, as M and I are going to be attending Dutch language class soon.
The only item on the list that is completely non-negotiable is family time, but that’s as it should be, I think.
