Not the Arc d’Triomphe
The to-do list went out the window today. Of several options, I chose none, and instead took care of urgent, but probably not important stuff.
My second job has a new career website set up, which we instructors are expected to know and to promote among first-year-sequence students. To that end, I set up resume, a briefcase file and a query letter. It took an hour or so to do, finished now, for what it’s worth. I can walk students through it, but oddly enough, it seems better suited to students nearing graduation. It did not have options that matched my own skills, but focused on the programs offered by the college.
My job is to follow directions, so I did that, although I am not sure if anyone can see this information outside the college family. If so, good for me, another mention of my name for Googlebots to find. If not, oh well.
I made a stab at creating a one-day ebook, pasting it together, though I am not sure that I will publish it. Crap may well be king, but I prefer a better quality product than one which is merely copied and pasted together even from many sources. I did not have any creative insight or juice by the time I got to that project.
I critiqued a story on critters.org. I’m behind on my quota to stay in good standing, but I don’t have a new story to submit for critique. I haven’t written new fiction. Â Today has shown me what needs to change if I am going to finish my second novel this summer, as planned.
This is good to know, and as I come to an understanding active practices and integrity, I want to keep my integrity as a writer. I will do some meditation to find out what I do want to talk about, and what I know enough about to research and write.
Keeping the blog going is important to me, but I don’t want to take up space with nothing. I hope I can devise a plan for content tomorrow afternoon. Then maybe my sticky notes will have a place to remind me of where I am and what I am doing , instead of crossing a useless gap.
Very interesting. Sounds like a confusing day.
i definitely felt distracted. But having read the comments below, I have reassessed the day and found that I did accomplish good things, and learned from what I did. No day that has learning is wasted.
You touch on an important area here Charlotte, about task management – not time management, but task management.
You seem to feel that time has been spent on unimportant tasks, but they clearly weren’t unimportant. It’s your perception of the time used that is the pivot.
If blogging is not at the top pof your list of tasks, don’t do it, and focus on the task at the top – I’ve found that a good way to make progress and also to be more comfortable about the progress.
Onwards and upwards!
Cheers,
Gordon
Thank you, Gordon, for that insight. I had not planned to spend time on the website, but now I don’t have to think about it again. It’s done, and that is important. I fulfilled the agreement with the folks who send me paychecks.
Being comfortable with making progress is a good goal in itself.
Sometimes “urgent” things are what needs to get out of your head. Urgent can be calling my brother because I think about him and his family. After talking to them “important” things get therir rightful attention. 🙂
It does help to clear the mind of what is on top of it. I spent some time talking with my mom and my best friends yesterday, just chatting and catching up. I almost feel that I need to write in my calendar “call your mom.” But sometimes I need to take the phone off the hook too. Time and task management is something of a new concept for me, but I’m learning.