More than one sentence part 3

What does the previous blog post say about me? How about the fact that it was really hard not to add that first sentence on to it?

I'm writing a lot of papers, and reading a lot of textbooks, and I'm noticing this tendency I have, to try and do a really good, careful job, when I have the time to do so. I think this is a wonderful, caring tendency, except when I actually don't have the time to do it. Which is the case these days. However, it seems like I do have the time, in the same way that it seems like you have a lot of money when you've got a credit card with a high limit.

To explain that analogy: I have a lot of papers due, two weeks from now. That seems a long way away, and so it seems like I have plenty of time to work on my current paper, relax, get some housework done, have fun with Suzannah.

However, if I don't start working on those papers now, it's going to be deeply unpleasant trying to get them all done the week they are due. I think I need a visual chart, that maps out all the things I need to do in a day, and how long they actually take, so I can look at how much time I actually have. Once I see that, I can go, "uh-oh, I really don't have that much time to do all this work, I need to get started immediately and not mess around.." But without that clarity, there isn't a visceral urgency getting me working at the rate I need.

Even just putting all the papers and assignments that are due over the next semester, into my calendar, is very helpful for that. But I still find myself dragging and sidetracking, which I wouldn't do if it was all due next week.

In any case, I think I mentioned this earlier, but just taking moments to pause, in the middle of whatever I'm doing, and connect to silence, offer up whatever work I'm doing as a kind of mindful spiritual practice to the Higher Consciousness... It really helps me take a breather, and not get lost down rabbit holes, getting overy precous or perfectionistic about things that really don't deserve it. So, I'm doing that. I've got a little app on my phone that plays a pretty bell sound every 15 minutes, and then a note on my desk, reminding me to actually use those dings, to take a brief pause. It's quite nice.

OK, three down, one to go!