Value over Time

I've updated my strategy a bit to be more in line with what I seems reasonable to me. I mainly just clarified for myself that I don't have to pretend I've already achieved my goal. I just have to have the goal and believe I can achieve it. (and if I don't believe it, I don't have to force myself to, I can just set a slightly more modest goal) This has scientific backing as an effective strategy set, whereas imagining you've already achieved the goal does not. In addition, I may try using mental contrasting and implementation intentions in a system with the acronym "WOOP" along with my own homebrew addition. Gabriele Oettingen is the one who came up with WOOP, along with her husband, who was responsible for the implementation intentions research. So, that's the current modification, we'll see how that experiment works. Hopefully I'll get a lot accomplished but not get sick from overwork.

I've already started and it seems moderately effective. Which is more than enough, if it is sustainable. The problem with most methods of change is they start strong but don't have maintaining power. Like a determination to lose weight or gain muscle that goes for a few weeks and then dies off. I'd rather go slow but continue on forever, than go strong and stop shortly after. I suppose the best would be both, but I'll start from the sustainable base, and build up intensity as that becomes habit.

As I'm researching and experimenting with time-management, I'm noticing that a lot of it is not exactly time management. Getting more granular about it, much has to do with priority management: what am I choosing to do? One of the biggest problems is not that I'm not getting things done, it's that I'm getting less important things done. There's a quote that's bouncing around in my brain from Peter Drucker, something along the lines of, "I've seen a great many people who are magnificent at getting the unimportant things done. They have an impressive record of achievement on trivial matters."

There is always a whirlwind of little things that need to get done, and there probably will continue to be, what you need, if you want to get important things done, is give those important things first priority, and then let the little niggling things fill up the extra spaces. There's some other advice I'm chewing on as well, but speaking of time management, that's all I have time for now.

I went to a wedding with my girlfriend, and the travel had a lot of issues, but we still had fun, so it looks like we travel well. Fall has come all at once. It's cold now. There is still so much to learn about teaching. And I need to get my practice teaching dates figured out ASAP.

Good bye, have a good week, and I hope you find some time for what is most important to you.
-Isaac