February 27, 2012

Work Habits, And Lack Thereof.

I don’t know what to write here, but I’m worried about work, so I’m going to write about that. I have quite a backlog of things to grade. This is just not a thing that has happened to me in the past. Sure, I have a lot more classes to teach now, so I have more work, but I don’t feel like that’s the problem. Focus is the problem.

In a lot of ways, I feel like I am stuck in a cycle. I work very hard to get things done, which spawns more work. I have burned myself out, and I can’t make myself focus on that work, so I take a break. Then comes a point where I must get that work done! I must! I work very hard to get things done, taking things to the extreme, really going at it. Then I’m burned out again.

I think it really comes down to the fact that I hate working out of my house. I really wish I had an office that was not in my house.

Seriously, the level of “now is the time for work” that I get from simply being in a different place cannot be overstated. Sure, I can’t focus forever when I’m in a different place. But simply going elsewhere primes me for 3 or 4 hours of schoolwork, easy. I know what I’m supposed to be doing there, so I do it. I get things done.

When my work desk is also my fun desk, like it is here at home, this just does not work. I can’t focus. I take constant breaks. I burn out much quicker. People talk to me, and I take the time to talk back. It’s just… not optimal. And while it hasn’t gotten me in trouble yet, it’s to the point where I need to really do some fixes here.

I think today, I am going to try a different strategy. Today, as I work, and grade, I am going to do everything that does not need to be done on the computer on my dining room table. I’m going to see how much this helps me plow through what I need to do. Once I start it all, it won’t be that bad. Once I get over these big mountains of papers and actually work on clearing them, it will not take THAT long. I mean, it will take time. Clearly it will. But it won’t take weeks. I can knock this shit out in a few hours, or at least make such a significant dent that it gets off my shoulders. I can do two classes, at least, today, and at least one more tomorrow, if not both. I can finish this shit off, and then I will have much less stress in my life. I can then focus on better stress. Cooler shit. Yeah.

Anyway, this whole blog is basically me shaming myself into getting enough stuff done tomorrow. I’ll see you on the other side of grading hell, a hell I have built for myself.

Well, they say that you shouldn’t do anything in bed aside from sleeping, so you don’t mentally link “bed” with “not sleeping”. It seems reasonable that doing work away from the computer desk would help so that you’re not linking “work” with “not working”.

Comment by Cris — February 27, 2012 @ 12:23 am

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