Overloaded Plate

2024-02-10

My February is jam packed. I may have overloaded my plate.

Things that are happening:

  • English Composition university course (multiple assignments due per week)
  • Taking part in the /r/truelit's read-along for To The Lighthouse (weekly)
  • Participating in my friend's writing circle group this month (due the 20th)
  • Back to regular therapy sessions (weekly)
  • Working on a coding side project (deadline is the 21st)
  • Library books needing to be read (most of them due at the end of the month)
  • Being more social than usual (+3 outings this month on top of my usual 1 or 2)
  • Trying and failing to keep up with 100 Days to Offload (was trying to aim for 2-3 posts a week but it's shaping up to be more like 1 post a week)
  • Trying and failing to accomplish stuff on my 30 before 30 bucket-list
  • Personal reading AKA reading books that are on my to-read list (right now I'm reading A Very Short Introduction: Literary Theory by Jonathan Culler)
  • Going to the gym three times a week

It's a lot.

I got cocky last week and took it pretty easy. I had finished a bunch of assignments ahead of time and just kinda relaxed. Leisurely worked on the side project. Went to bed early a couple of times. Read a lot of manga. I'm trying not to feel guilty about it. Instead, I'm looking at it as recharging myself. Maybe it was like a mid-semester break? It reminds me of Reading Week back in my university days. Reading week was a week long period of no classes. What students "should" do during Reading Week is studying and assignments. What I usually did was procrastinate and do nothing. A dead period, basically. Silver lining is that in this scenario, I technically did do something every day that worked towards my goals. But not enough to prevent the incoming tsunami of deadlines next week.

My Plan for Next Week

Timeblocking

calendar

This calendar looks impossible. It is impossible. It's the best case scenario. I block everything out into 30 minute chunks because I like to follow the pomodoro method. Also, if I miss 30 minutes here or there, it feels less devastating than losing an entire hour. Basically, the 30 minute chunks gives me a lot of opportunities to "start over fresh."

I also don't look at the calendar. Looking at the calendar feels overwhelming. I only look at it when I set it up. I rely on the notifications and reminders that my calendar gives me on my phone, my watch, my e-mail, and my computer.

E-mail Reminders

I'm trying something new this week. Every day for the next week, I scheduled an e-mail to myself with the top priorities for the day. I don't know if this will do anything at all but I'm desperate.

Blocking Websites

The two main forms of social media that I use are the Fediverse and Reddit. I'm blocking Reddit entirely. As for the fediverse, I'm more reluctant to let go of it so I'm limiting myself to 10 minute sessions every 6 hours. I'm also blocking YouTube. We'll see how it goes!

Multi-tasking

I like to listen to audiobooks when I'm at the gym or doing chores. I did buy an audiobook copy of To the Lighthouse on a whim. I'll listen to it during the day and then catch up by reading with my physical copy in the evening. This will prime myself for the reading session at night.

I also like to read on the commute to work. I bring a book with me always when I'm on the train. I like to bring my personal reading with me on the train.

Eating lunch rarely ever takes the whole hour for me. So I will try to write more blog posts after I eat. Or maybe I will use the first half hour of lunch to write and then cram eating into the rest of my lunch hour.

Pomodoro breaks are also the best time to do chores or laundry!

TL;DR

My next week is packed. It'll be hard. But I think I can do it. I have no choice but to do it. Although, there is some leeway here. My writing circle is notorious for giving out extensions. My personal reading can always take a backseat to other priorities. While the semester is still ongoing, maybe I can take it easy on the blogging but when it's over, then I can crank out blog posts every day.

Anyway. Wish me luck.