Summer Writing Challenge: Week 7

Loving the warm weather and the ability to bike everywhere!
I am officially in love with Things.

This past week, I have been putting all of my tasks into this program, sorting out everything from "take dry cleaning to laundromat" to "read chapter 3." Unexpectedly, what I like about it most is that in the morning, I have 4-5 major tasks that automatically (well, almost automatically... I did put them onto the list and scheduled them to appear on a particular day) pop up and tell me what I need to do. At any given moment, I can add to my list of tasks or change the task to be done on another day. The delay button works well for me since sometimes I am an overly ambitious task master or my plan simply changes. As an overachiever, I thrive in seeing that I have accomplished a list of things every day and the log that the app keeps for me is very rewarding to me.


Other than be obsessed with my new task app, this past week was spent mostly reading. I needed to re-read a major dissertation in my field and so spent the majority of my research/writing time reading through the text. I also had a handful of articles related to my book topic that I wanted to get read and happily went to "task" on these. On my research Friday, I spent a good portion of my time working out some details associated with primary material which will feature in my eventual book. I spent the whole day compiling information and sorting it out into my own words so that I can have access to the material at a later point when I start to write. I have at least two more full and uninterrupted days work before this particular task will be complete.

Because I spent my week reading and researching, I wrote no words (except to organize my material). So this week was not a writing week but a pure research week for me.


As an aside, because the summer months are a little quieter, I take the time to sign up to my gym and use the swimming pool every afternoon. I only swim for 30 min. at a time but it gives me a boost of energy and structure in my work day that I have come to really cherish. It makes me finish my work on time knowing that I can go and splash into a cool swimming pool in the late afternoon before heading home!