You may recall that one of my goals this year was to establish a daily work schedule so that I have more structure to force myself into working.
There was no point in trying to do this until this week because reasons, but now I’m on day three of said schedule and I believe it’s working.
Step one: clear the desk — again — so that a) I have a clear view of my desktop calendar; and b) I have an actual work surface for one of my major projects.
What desktop calendar is that, you ask? This desktop calendar:
Here it is in situ:
You may be astonished that I am using a paper and pencil scheduling device, but I can explain. This is the desktop calendar I used to use at Newnan Crossing and at the Department of Education to do my planning, and it was very efficient. Yes, I still put things on my phone or my computer, but this was a handy way to jot down meetings, phone calls, etc. Mostly it kept me on track.
I used to buy these in pads from Levenger, but they stopped making them, and so I designed my own, if by “design” you mean “recreate exactly.” I still have a couple in storage, and truly I don’t know why I had this one on my desk here in the study, since I don’t really have a lot to schedule these days.
Until now. Like all good ABORTIVE ATTEMPTS, it’s a start. I have created out of nothing a list of things that I want/need to get done, and I’ve faked a schedule: blog here and at Lichtenbergianism.com; work on Lichtenbergianism: procrastination as a creative strategy; eat lunch and do the crossword puzzle; walk the labyrinth; plan for [redacted] and William Blake’s Inn.[1]
That schedule will change, of course, but so far it’s driven me to work without too much procrastination. I’m writing this blog post, in fact, because the schedule says I must. Running a little late, but I can whack this out and then get back to work on the chapter on SUCCESSIVE APPROXIMATION.
With assistance[2,] of course.
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[1] No, there’s not a production in the offing. I’m just working on it.
[2] For differing values of “assistance.”