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[prytania3]

So I'm back from my holiday trip and am in a state of paralysis or ennui, or both. First, my place needs cleaning, which I planned to do this morning, but instead I read the New York Times cover to cover (or byte to byte since it was online) and watched all the online videos about Africa and China, while, of course, intermittently checking new postings on the fora. Now I am posting and watching Law and Order reruns. (There's actually one on now I haven't seen.)

Aside from my house being in disarray, I also want to do my syllabi (or syllabuses as is now the proper term--yeah, I know, it's to choke on) instead of waiting until the last minute, which is my usual tradition. What's more, I'm using a new book for a course and need to finish reading it. I also need to check my school email and see what I'm missing. and I should also answer some personal ads if I want to keep my dating momentum up. And did I mention the laundry? And going to the drug store? And grocery store?

I also have some "fun" plans, but they are not motivators as I'm in one of those "nothing seems like fun" moods, and the stock market doesn't open until Wednesday.

I know I can't get everything done today, but I'd like to get a start, but it's just not happening. I need some really practical way to get started. I'd like to get a lot done today and tomorrow because as I said, the stock market is back open on Wednesday, and I'll want to trade.

And to any well--meaning newbies, please do not suggest I'm depressed. I'm manic depressive, so that's a "Duh." And I have a psychiatrist, and I'm taking my medication.

I need some concrete steps to start moving. And oh, I have seen this Law and Order after all.

[notaprof]

Dear Pry,

I have a couple of strategies for you.  In order to get your house cleaned up, invite someone over for a gathering tonight or tomorrow.  That is the only thing that can motivate me to clean up the house.  We had company on Christmas day and the house is still relatively clean because I cleaned for our visitors so obsessively.  Once I get in a cleaning mode, with the pressure of imminent company, I am a cleaning machine and amazing things get done in a short time.  Deadlines help motivate me.

For other chores, turn on your inner mommy voice and don't allow yourself to do something you want to do until you have done one thing you don't want to do.  I had to wash the dishes before I could check the forum or my email for instance.  The dishes are washed, now I can be here.  I like to reward myself for such things because no one else does, that's for sure!

And this probably should have been the first strategy I mentioned.  Decide which of the things on your list can really be put off until tomorrow or next week.  If you still have clean underwear for three more days, then maybe laundry can wait a few days.  If you need to go to the drug store for a prescription that you need to refill now, then maybe that can't be put off.  Sometimes just the long list of things that need to be done keeps me from doing anything because it seems overwhelming and if I can defer just one thing to another day, it feels like an accomplishment because I can cross it off of today's list.  But I know you already do these things, so none of this is something new.

However, having said all that, I have many things I am avoiding right now.  Now I have to go away and make the snacks I am supposed to take to our gathering tonight.  I'll see you later, when I get that done.

[venerablefemme]

Don't do any of it. Give yourself pleasure for the last day of the year.

[prytania3]

Notaprof:

For other chores, turn on your inner mommy voice and don't allow yourself to do something you want to do until you have done one thing you don't want to do.  I had to wash the dishes before I could check the forum or my email for instance.  The dishes are washed, now I can be here.  I like to reward myself for such things because no one else does, that's for sure!

Okay. I like this. I can do this. I can put away all the clean dishes and wash the ones in the sink and clean the counter. If someone on the forum tells me to do something specific and not too huge--I think I can do it.

[dept_geek]

Notaprof is on to something. I found that breaking monster tasks in to small ones really does help. For example, my house looks like your sounds like it looks. But I would rather watch football. So, every commercial I pick up on type of thing. Next commercial, all the shoes (slippers, socks) will go upstairs and be put away. In one of the commercial breaks, I bring the laundry down with me & start that.


So, you are now staring at a Law and Order you have seen. You know you have until the top of the hour before you have to decide if the next one is one you have also seen. So: a task. Turn off the TV until the top of the hour. In that time, find the class with the lowest call number (for example if you are teaching EGL101, 102, 201, and 407, we'll start with 101) and grab all the stuff you have at hand. Prep your syllabus - but concentrate only on that one course. If that is hard, put the books for all the courses in another room.


Remember. Little pieces, then something fun. The work will get done without overwhelming you.

[tamiam]

Hey Pry - here's your next chore:

Put away all the Christmas stuff and make yourself throw out one item for each new thing that came into the house.

(You are absolved from this chore if you already did it before you moved.)

[larryc]

I also want to do my syllabi (or syllabuses as is now the proper term--yeah, I know, it's to choke on)

Syllabuses? When the hell did that happen? I was not consulted, and will fight this tooth and nail.  Pedant, have you heard anything about this?

[prytania3]

Okay. I put away all the clean dishes, washed the dirty ones, cleaned the counters, and cleaned off the stove.

I can't do the syllabus yet because I have no flat place to work that's cleaned off except the floor, and that's not clean.

I think I need to clean off the table. I will go do that now. And also sweep the kitchen floor and mop it. Then the whole kitchen will be done. Wait. That might be overload. Let me do the table first.

Also, Dept. Geek, can I save the syllabus for tomorrow? I really want a clean house for the new year. I am getting more inspired! But I can't concentrate on the syllabus when my house overwhelms me. Please, please, tomorrow?

[prytania3]

Hey Pry - here's your next chore:

Put away all the Christmas stuff and make yourself throw out one item for each new thing that came into the house.

(You are absolved from this chore if you already did it before you moved.)

Thank you, Tamian. I don't have much to throw out as the movers lost a wardrobe of my winter clothes. They got that job done for me, but I will put away the Christmas things after I finish the kitchen. I feel the need to have one room completely clean before moving on to an entirely new set of tasks. :) It's so swell you all are seeing me through this. Thank you.

[dept_geek]

Also, Dept. Geek, can I save the syllabus for tomorrow? I really want a clean house for the new year. I am getting more inspired! But I can't concentrate on the syllabus when my house overwhelms me. Please, please, tomorrow?

Gosh, pry, it sounds like you have been very productive today! OK.... syllabi for tomorrow or even Tuesday. But do it in small chunks unless you get seriously inspired. I found that doing the courses in call number order keeps me from being too scatterbrained about it.

Keep going! You're doing' great!

[pedant]

SYLLABI is the correct term. I am Pedant, and that is my ruling.

Anyone who disagrees can stuff it.

Happy New Year to all, especially my excellent disciples LarryC and Prytania3. The two of you help redeem the rest of the world from pure savagery.

Pedant

I also want to do my syllabi (or syllabuses as is now the proper term--yeah, I know, it's to choke on)

Syllabuses? When the hell did that happen? I was not consulted, and will fight this tooth and nail.  Pedant, have you heard anything about this?

[prytania3]

So I am progressing. The table is all cleaned off and polished.

Christmas stuff is put away and one bag from the trip is unpacked.

The German is back and emailed me. He's sick (flu) and disappointed in me that I re-shorted Google. I told him I was probably going to cover the position at the open.

I may be the only one at home tonight, but I don't care. If anything, nights where cops abound should be avoided.

I hope there will be forumites to keep me going tonight.

Now, I have to sweep and mop the kitchen floor.

[notaprof]

I am proud of you Pry, you're doing great.  I haven't read back far enough to see if you have been given permission to not do your syllabus but I give you permission to not do anything on your list.   Me, on the other hand...

I decided to make something called Cheese Straws because I remember having them once and that they were tasty.  Well, now after a couple of hours inside on a gorgeous day, I have a messy kitchen, flour all over me and something that tastes exactly like Hot n Spicy Cheezits. Now, I actually like Hot n Spicy Cheezits but I don't like that I spent several hours making them when I could have walked two blocks to the local grocery and bought the exact same thing.  I don't even have a dead mouse in the oven story to make this interesting!

Now, I will go clean the kitchen and I'll be back later!

[tamiam]

Well, gang, I've found a new twist on cleaning.

My neat-freak husband is laid up from outpatient surgery, so I am stuck with the cleanup after all the partying. (You now know the real reason I went back to graduate school).

I have to study for my economic theory prelim. I detest theory. I also detest cleaning. So, I sit with one concept until it's in my little brain, then I do one cleaning task and meditate on the economic concept. Seems to be working.

I'm also fitting posting and on-line shopping in there too.

Anybody want to hear about the true, deep meaning of the expenditure function? (zzzz....)

[dept_geek]

Anybody want to hear about the true, deep meaning of the expenditure function? (zzzz....)

ewh.


I'm trying to figure out how to explain Venn diagrams to my math-phobic students. And not cleaning. That is for tomorrow. The party is not at my house (yes, I will brave amateur hour on the highway) so no pressure.

Online shopping sounds like much more fun. :-)