Monday, August 31, 2009

Organizing myself

Ever since I got back from Ukenzagapia I feel like I've been spinning my wheels while I try to figure out everything that has to happen this fall and then how I'm going to make it happen. Tonight I stayed at school much later than I'd planned (it was completely dark when I left) but I did manage to identify goals and deadlines for:

-preliminary data analysis
-poster for a conference
-small grant proposal (did I mention yet that I'm out of money?)
-short note
-review paper (the same one I've been talking about for months)
-getting a database online

I've scheduled all sorts of deadlines for myself for these projects amidst the numerous exciting things happening before the end of October (my best friend's wedding, a trip with my parents, 4+ visitors at our place for several days, visiting SFC, a camping trip, hosting a bridal shower, and attending a conference).

Tomorrow I think I'll start to schedule these things more specifically into the rest of the week, and maybe my weekly schedule in general. I've now identified what it is that I need to do instead of feeling overwhelmed by it all and thus procrastinating because I don't want to deal with it. Organizing myself in this way has really helped me feel like I can get down to work.

Tangentially, Herb told all the new students in the department that I'm "the most organized person on the planet." This is hardly true (Jon can confirm this), but once Herb forms an idea about someone, everything they do thereafter fits into that mold. I'm glad Herb has such a flattering and apparently unshakable impression of me. The planning I did today actually fits that impression of organization.

2 comments:

Paulina said...

I would like to second Herb. Even if you don't think of yourself as actually organized, we your blog readers can attest to the fact that you certainly think about organization a lot. So between considering organization important, and believing that you lack it, you actually are setting yourself up to be a really organized person.

Unknown said...

I think you are really organized as well. I don't mean organized as in you have all your papers filed in labeled folders, but organized as in you know when things have to get done, you get things done, and you don't lose things (very often). You keep track of dates and deadlines really well. I consider you organized and dependable.