Tuesday 13 July

Another ridiculously busy pre-vaca day (I feel ya, Mama_Cat!). Already handled sponsee calls, breakfast, J meds, several dozen emails and work tasks, a major presentation, and now must:

Pay car ins immed
Return call to m
Attend 2 hours training
Write a 25-page training doc
Write and send em monthly report
Back up all work processes for vaca
Check some client websites
Memo to vr re websites
Dust and vaccuum
Stock camper for trip

Funny quote for the morning: "I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once."

Greetings all!  I've been off of here for a few weeks, I suppose because the excitement of the 'newness' of this site wore off and I thought that I could hack it all on my own. Hmmm..wrong.  One: I really missed the great support here and two: I need accountability. So, glad to be back and will work on checking in every morning. I have a large project that I really want to make some progress on and have had difficulty breaking down into smaller steps.

Here's todays list:

• Break down large project into small doable pieces (1 hr)
• work in 25 minute blocks on some of the small steps
• Check with RG to see ifwe need topay (also check on contract)
• Gather stuff together for meeting
• Edit presentation for boss (1 hr)

I'm giving myself plenty of time for breaking down the large project as I think it will help in the long run. Finding the small doable pieces is very difficult for me, but I know it will improve the more I try it.

Have a wonderful day all!

Despite some minor successes getting moving recently, I am still way behind and not adequately making up delayed work. Very frustrating. I am going to try to take things up a notch today. Review of my recent work logs (since starting here 1 week and 4 days ago) gives me the impression that - while focused - I can crank out regular case reports in about 20 to 30 minutes, and brief ones, like followups of previously started ones, in 10 to 15 minutes. (Of course, that begs the question of why my daily productivity is still so low, but that *is* my $64,000 question.) Difficult cases may require a couple of hours of study plus further followup, but although those are the ones I view with fear, and the ones that weigh on me the most, they are only a minor component of the work, in reality. Anyway, the goal today is not to move faster per se, but to increase the amount of time in focused effort.

Day's goal: complete 15 cases.

Plan: devote 5 hours of focused effort without distractions, even if it is 1 hour at a time.

Rate: try to average 3 cases per hour

Reporting: once every hour, starting now, @ 9:32 AM, otherwise I may not begin the 5 hours until 4 PM

Back here in 1 hour. Go!

Oh, my...3 hours gone, and no progress on the case backlog. In fairness, part of the time has been spent dealing with new issues and legitimate interruptions, but the bulk of the time has been "padding" around the actual work. Not feeling very heartened. I can certainly see how the days slip away from me. Okay, back to it. Back with an interim update later.

Good morn'

I'd planned to not spend [I almost said 'waste' but corrected to positive word] time on check-in of ANY kind so as to make 2 morn events things.  However,  after quick chatbox, I still felt tired so have decided to skip pool aerobics since (i) time tight afterwards incl having to eat lunch in car (ii) got desire to not use recent exercise interest (pool) as distraction from other tasks and (iii) back is a bit sore so over-exertion not good.

INSTEAD - logged back on PA now, quick check-in and THEN morning (just an hour) for (a) laundry (otherwise it would have waited for mid-p.m.), (b) bedding, **(c) JUST START the "other thing" staring at me in closet for 2 months ** (d) 11 am bridge perhaps (e) quick lunch & (f) shower -- all before noon appt.....EVEN THOUGH I set the noon appt last wk based on pool fitness times today.  DONE SORT OF AS PLANNED EXCEPT FOR BIT TOO MUCH TIME ON NET -- AND MOST OF THESE BLED INTO P.M.

Finally, I will do this to-do list ONLY through the morn events and NOT dictate the rest of the afternoon to myself so I can smartly re-evaluate this afternoon after 1:30 pm. OLD FRIEND FROM 10 YR ABSENCE IN TOWN SO THAT HAPPILY TOOK PRECEDENCE THIS EVENING. ALSO OUTREACH ON ANOTHER SUPPORT GROUP. MISSED PM PHONE BRIDGES BUT NOT MUCH TO SHARE ANYWAYS.

Summary: today is a "be engaged but bit on-the-fly-day,"--FLOAT LIKE A BUTTERFLY & STING the tasks LIKE A BEE....- Thanks to Muhammad Ali! 

So, there!

**--on editing this email (2nd draft) this is not realistic at present so saving (c) for the afternoon--maybe NOW RIGHTLY MOVED TO ANOTHER TIME.

Hi all - 

leaving the state tomorrow to visit family and lots to do today. Feeling overwhelmed and trying to break it up into chunks.

It is easier to focus on JUST the tasks immediately at hand, so--I'll just start with this morning's tasks, then go on from there. Here goes! :)

THIS MORNING: 

--- DONE --- * Call JB and ask about L&J visits 8-)

--- DONE --- * Send E-mail to L&J about JB, suggest abridged visits--possibly serve as intro e-mail 

--- DONE --- * Send second intro e-mail to L&J and KG 

* E-mail clients back-up info

--- DONE --- * E-mail RB to ensure all went well and request payment 

* E-mail CH to ensure all is well

--- DONE --- * E-mail confirmation to LS 

* Send references to LB & KG

OK, done for now - going to get ready and head out for client visits. Didn't get everything done, but - overall - a VERY productive morning. EXCELLENT!

Have a great day guys - back later.

MC 

• HS prop to NY
• OMF
• send BVE
• call car insurance
• call car $
• CC changes
• 3 seo to JD
• call Rob re SSF
• RF proposal
• get 2 appts

i haven't checked in for the past weeks but i feel the need to make it a routine again instead of dawdling away through my days. here's what i want to do today:

• CI DONE
• breakfast & shower DONE
• app for sst DONE
• outline s-p (by 2.30) DONE
• read through project presentation (by 3.30)
  
• note down first ideas (by 4)
  
• email to U (by 4.15) DONE (and got an instant, friendly reply)
• email to L
• email to SK (no address) called but they won't answer
• look up how to get to L DONE
• text/ call I DONE
• text/ call M DONE
• call M
• call T DONE
• go shopping (leave at 4.30, be back at 7-8) DONE (i actually found something i was looking for. however, will have to go shopping again, probably tmrw)
• drop letter at KK DONE
• change tr DONE
• go running (at 8-8.30)
• make some salad

got more done than i thought i would after some bad procrastination earlier. i didn't go running and didn't do some other things which would have been important. however, a friend called whom i haven't seen or talked to for quite a while so we talked for about 3 hrs and i couldn't get anything more done. all in all, the day was not too bad. will try for an earlier ci tomorrow! good night to all of you!