So this month’s February challenge, I said I was going to do two things:
- No devices in the morning. (I added to this: no social media in the morning, since getting up and going to my computer to check twitter isn’t great either)
- Write every morning
I did really well on the first. And I think it helped. I ended up spending less time on social media overall, which is good during my busy times. I didn’t do as many phonecalls to politicians, but I think I still got the big stuff from activist emails and the short times I was on social media.
I crashed and burned on the second. I did fine the first week, but then I didn’t have things to write because other things had to be done first before I could write and then I’d end up writing all day because the thing was due. I’d have days filled with just teaching and service. Early in February I had a melt-down in the hallway when my department head, after PROMISING there would be no more service this year given how much I’m already doing (and how little my next closest substitute is doing) asked me to do something again. While I was in a faculty meeting last week I got 2 referee report requests and about 5 more things requiring attention. I just don’t have the time or space right now to do regular writing in a fashion that makes sense. I need space and time to set that up and that’s just not my life right now, even though it means I’m being more scattered and less productive flitting from thing to thing. I sent out two referee reports, submitted an IRB, handled 3 editing jobs, was part of a grant, and submitted to two conferences… but none of that was in an orderly fashion and very little writing got done on any actual papers. I have nothing under review right now which I HATE.
I’d like to try #2 again for March, but it’s March and all of my problems from February are still there. I’m going to see what Spring Break brings. Everything is still a mess.
I’m not sure what to do, but all that seems to have worked for me for February is to take things one day at a time based on next deadline. I know that’s not efficient, but everything is so scattered that having a master plan just isn’t working because when any part changes everything else goes to heck.