Time and recreation, positive and negative.

This week feels a bit like just continuing a line that was already started previously. Working on papers, reading textbooks supporting a friend. It's been a bit lighter on papers, so I've had some time to clean things up a bit in the house, have some fun with Suzannah, and finish assembling IKEA stuff. It feels very nice. I would like more please.

That said, after I finish this, I'm going to go back to paper writing, due this weekend, and then classes until 6:30, followed by more paper writing and classes tomorrow. However, it is a step down in busyness from the previous few weeks, so I'm grateful for that.

I was just reminded this morning about the eureka moment I had a while ago about time and hurrying. I'd kind of forgotten about it. The feeling of working diligently, with focus and intention, but without hurry, rush, or worry. Calmly sitting down and focusing on what needs to get done, right now.

Last night, I almost checked out at 7pm, doing something I'd call a waste of time, because I was tired. However, before I got started on that, I read something spiritually uplifting, and it changed my mental and emotional state enough, that I instead started working on a pleasant, low-brain-power task I'd been meaning to work on for a while. It was satisfying to do, and at the end of it I'd made a big dent in the task. This strikes me as a great way to get a lot more of the stuff I want done, done.

It falls under the category of "the problem is not having too little time, but too little energy." Meaning often, I realize that I have time where I could be doing tasks I've decided are important, but I just can't bring myself to do them, at the end of a long day or long sprint (multiple days of hard focused work).

The solution, at least in this case, was to shift my internal state enough that I'm willing to do something productive but easy, rather than unproductive. Sometimes a simple change in the type of work being done, can be rejuvenating. Or, the type or rejuvenating activity I do can be something I also consider productive. I think the simplest example is doing something creative, rather than passive. Passive is watching TV, creative is writing something, or making something, or learning something, or fixing something, or helping someone, etc.

So, I suppose we will see shortly if I am able to lean towards doing that more often. It seems possible.

In other news, my slightly less busy schedule has given me some opportunity to tidy up the house and I love both the process and especially the outcome. It's so nice living in a clean environment. I'm not there yet, but I'm closer to that, and even that feels loads better. And is inspiration/motivation to get me to do more.

That's all for now,

With love,

I Out