On briskness and goals

I don’t think I entirely finished even one of my “spring break goals,” and there are a few that I didn’t even start, yet I did make great progress on several, much more than I might have had I not organized myself this way. Nevertheless, although it’s much easier to get myself to get a lot done when I make small progress on a bunch of different projects in a day, the process feels a lot less satisfying. I look back on my day and it just feels fractured, like nothing really happened and yet the time got used up.

(It’s no surprise to me that my governing metaphors are organic rather than mechanical – although I get stuff done well by being structured and “efficient,” I’m happier if it just flows more naturally. I also do realize that I’m very fortunate to have this sort of luxury in the first place.)

Anyway, time to celebrate that the following are essentially done: dissertation paper #2 draft, IRT paper reorganization draft, refrigerator cleaning, taxes.

Also significant progress: yardwork (then it rained for days), R21 outcome paper draft, newspaper backlog, and I bought a lawnmower.

Almost no progress: other cleaning projects, blackberry vines, library books.

Bonus stuff (all writing): mindfulness reflections, fun thoughts on Jerry’s book, other future article ideas, snippets of fiction.