My first impulse was to title this post, "July--oh no!" But then I thought, "This is no way to live."
July is often (for me, anyway) when I start to feel that the Summer is Ending and We Are Not Yet Saved--in other words, that nothing has yet been accomplished and I've wasted all my time. But neither of those statements is true, of course, for any of us, regardless of whether we've met all of our goals or none of them. Sometimes not meeting goals is necessary and good, as I'm struggling to learn.
I spent this past week assiduously trying to check everything off my daily to-do list, and by Friday I had to chuck the list altogether, sleep in (admittedly until like 7:30--I have a kid and a cat), and spend the afternoon reading a quick novel. I had started to hate my list and all that it represented. And on Saturday, lo, I woke up in much better spirits. How many times do I need to relearn this lesson? --I'm assuming that I'm not alone in this.
If June didn't go exactly the way that you had hoped and dreamed, it's okay.
So this week's prompt, or rather challenge (since I'm not phrasing it as a question), is to forgive the failures of the preceding weeks--indeed, not to think of them as failures at all, but simply as parts of the long story of your multi-faceted, many-colored life. We are not the sum total of our publications, and sometimes we don't know what's best for ourselves.
How did last week go? And what would you like to enjoy in the coming week?
Last week's goals:
Dame Eleanor Hull:
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, make one House-related call.
3, keep writing/editing R&R.
4, read introductions to two books.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2 hours.
6, drill grammar or vocabulary x 5 in one language.
7, pack and prep for trip.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:
No goals listed, but we love hearing from you!
Good Enough Woman:
1) Write 5x
2) Walk 5x
3) Yoga 2x
4) Meditate 5x
5) Write SQ for SF short stories and put them in Canvas
6) A fun outing with family
heu mihi:
1. Daily stuff: Language x5, write x5, exercise x5, sit x?. I'm just going to keep track of how many times I sit.
2. I'm also going to keep track of how many times I can hit 10k steps (on my phone). Those last 10 days of inactivity really got to me.
3. Life stuff: Passport renewal applications, various bills, return a package, etc.
4. Other people's business: Read grad student essay.
5. Finish rereading Wonder. Start a new draft with a new framework that might just solve All The Problems.
6. Finish academic book; read either a new pleasure book or 35 pages of Proust.
humming42:
1 Draft Time abstract
2 Write and submit a review
3 Finish next review book
4 Blog post
5 Write for Tiny Project every day
JaneB:
1a: water, 5-10 minute exercise routines, sleep schedule
1b: pick up the spaces that have been decluttered, make another appointment.
1c: pick up the square I was working on and make some progress
2a: Spend half an hour each on Fragment and FlatProject, review an article, complete application for pointless but potentially gratifying thing
2b: start making some lists, send more emails about the recce visit
2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis and pass them on to technician
3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering
oceangirl101:
1) meet with govt officials, local offices to discuss 2020 project
2) give back analyzed objects and organize at the Museum, discuss idea for exhibit
3) meet with landowners/council of elders to get permissions
4) see my second family (my adopted family at my field sites)
5) travel to a new island and see if I want to work there
6) eat some really yummy fish, swim and snorkel as much as I can, hike, enjoy a beer or two, and generally get away from it all for awhile
Susan:
1. Finish book orders
2. Finish clearing desk
3. Possibly get some book organizing done?
4. Get reviews into Zotero so all the random clippings can be recycled
5. Do one manuscript review
6. Pay relevant bills
7. Pack
8. Walk 3 times
9. Try to be mellow
Waffles:
1. Make a full to do list with a plan
2. Submit JAMA paper so I can talk about it.
3. Get to work on revising the grant!!!
2. Submit JAMA paper so I can talk about it.
3. Get to work on revising the grant!!!
I'm feeling less optimistic today than I was yesterday. It's been a discouraging morning: I slept very badly and so I skipped my morning run; the beer that I brewed on Saturday has not yet begun fermenting, for reasons unknown; and Bonaventure's morning playdate was canceled. Also, I sat on the cat.
ReplyDeleteI found last week exhausting and annoying, largely because I was adamantly trying to Do All The Things--especially the stupid 10k-steps-per-day thing that various devices try to convince us is necessary. Some days, it was no problem--if I went for a run and then went to campus, which involves some walking, it was easy. Other days, I had to sneak multiple little walks in throughout the day, and/or get up at 5 to march around outside for a couple of miles. It felt ridiculous and needlessly time-consuming, and I got resentful. Plus I had to keep my phone with me all the time so that it wouldn't miss any steps; I felt ridiculous. So now maybe I can abandon my fantasy of being extraordinarily active every single day and just live my life.
Otherwise, last week was okay:
1. Daily stuff: Language x5, write x5, exercise x5, sit x?. I'm just going to keep track of how many times I sit. -YES to all; sat x4.
2. I'm also going to keep track of how many times I can hit 10k steps (on my phone). Those last 10 days of inactivity really got to me. - 5 TIMES.
3. Life stuff: Passport renewal applications -NO, various bills -YES, return a package -YES, etc.
4. Other people's business: Read grad student essay. - STARTED
5. Finish rereading Wonder. Start a new draft with a new framework that might just solve All The Problems. -DONE (that is, I reread it and started the new draft)
6. Finish academic book; read either a new pleasure book or 35 pages of Proust. - DID ALL OF THESE
This week:
1. Language x5, write x5, exercise x4, sit x?
2. Work through all of new draft of Wonder (first, messy round of revisions)
3. Grad student essay
4. Make Summer 2017 albums (2 volumes)
5. Read some stuff
I think the 10K thing is because the Japanese symbol for 10K is also a symbol for happiness/success/some positive thing. It's a marketing gimmick. Obviously exercise is good for you, but those devices are supposed to serve us, not the other way around.
DeleteI know, I know--I just get completely carried away with things like this. Ultimately I think that the seeing just how absurd it was to try to prove my fitness to my phone for a week may have been at least a partial corrective!
DeleteThank you for this post and for the invitation to forgive myself. Great gratitude. I’m reminded lately that life is complicated: the past week included unexpected things: an ultrasound, a broken air conditioner, and a stray cat. The air conditioner is repaired and there are appointments scheduled with the doctor and the veterinarian. Onward.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1 Draft Time abstract: still no. So TLQ I can’t even seem to get to it
2 Write and submit a review: yes
3 Finish next review book: almost
4 Blog post: yes
5 Write for Tiny Project every day: 3/7.
I wrote a table of contents for Tiny Project and noted all of the writing that no longer fits as I have refined the topic. I didn’t set any deadlines, but putting boundaries around the project is really helpful. Also helpful, to my surprise, is having similar goals each week (until I get that Time abstract drafted!)
This week:
1 Draft Time abstract
2 Write and submit a review
3 Blog post
4 Write for Tiny Project every day
Wishing you all moments of walking on the moon.
Despite the disruptions, it sounds like you got some good work done! Good luck with the appointments--that can be stressful, I know.
DeleteMay you and your feline overlord both be well!
DeleteThe feline overlord is tiny and completely in charge! We are indeed, both very well.
DeleteLAST WEEK:
ReplyDelete1. Make a full to do list with a plan YUP, PLAN HAS BEEN MADE!
2. Submit JAMA paper so I can talk about it. DONE AND DESK REJECTED - BOO!!!
3. Get to work on revising the grant!!! IN PROGRESS!
THIS WEEK:
So the goals for this week are just about getting my K revision done (drop dead date Wednesday of next week; submitted near final version to grants manager today). I also have to review a predoc NIH grant by Friday.
Tomorrow - onto Coney Island for a totally ridiculous July 4th celebration! Then back to work!
Coney Island is on the short list of about four places I want to visit. A friend was at the mermaid parade and posted a bunch of photos...looks like a blast. I hope you have an excellent time there!
DeleteWell, BOO to JAMA, but well done on getting the plan and submission done and grant-revision started!
DeleteSorry I was MIA at the beginning of the week. Visiting family. Oof. It was a good trip w/r/t actual travel and seeing people, but it started with an expired driver's license and ended with a lost passport, so boo for the paperwork/admin hassle. Oh, and we have another round of Big Honking Translation stuff to do, now that the editors have got back to us.
ReplyDeleteSo, let's see, now that it's already Thursday, where was I and where am I?
How I did:
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking. YES.
2, make one House-related call. NO.
3, keep writing/editing R&R. BARELY.
4, read introductions to two books. ONE.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2 hours. NO.
6, drill grammar or vocabulary x 5 in one language. x1
7, pack and prep for trip. YES
I was away at the beginning of this week; got back in the middle of the night and had to go to campus yesterday; now the plan was to work for three days and take Sunday off. But we've had a request to see the house (good), so some time will go to prep and then to restoration.
Anyway, what can I manage to do in the remainder of this week?
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, house-showing prep.
3, keep writing/editing R&R.
4, revise translation intro as desired by editors.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2 hours.
6, drill grammar or vocabulary x 3 in one language.
7, Take steps toward replacing passport.