Scheduling for the New Year

Vacation ends today, so inevitably, I have started thinking through work in the new year. Scheduling is a key aspect. Something like this? Obviously, it will need to flex in a variety of ways — if I’m elected to school board, there’ll be frequent evening meetings starting in May or thereabouts, for example, but the lack of socializing due to pandemic does make it a little easier to keep to a schedule, I think. This is mostly a Jan – Apr schedule, for spring semester.

Note that this is dependent on me getting myself on a bed at 10, get up at 6 sleep schedule. That’s the schedule I’m happiest on, and I’ve slipped a lot from the during the pandemic, so want to try again to address it.

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6 – 7: wake up, coffee and breakfast and meds, water plants and tend indoor garden, read a little, FB check in, morning exercise, turn off social media (using automated Self Control program, so I don’t have to think about it).

7 – 9: writing time

9 – 3: e-mail, Slack, teaching prep, actual teaching, help kids if needed with e-learning schoolwork (though they’re thankfully very self-sufficient), meetings for Serendib House, SLF, whomever else needs to meet with me

3 – 6: meetings if necessary, but otherwise, social media comes back on, teatime, put out snack for kids, take a break, afternoon exercise

6 – 6:30: dinner (which I will occasionally make)

6:30 – 7:30: hang out with Kevin, watch some TV, etc.

7:30 – 9:30: second sprint of work (if I feel up to it), or chores if needed, or helping kids with homework

9:30 – 10: bath, reading, go to sleep. (no devices other than Kindle)

CODICIL: Two days / week, try to keep free of meetings, so there’s the option of longer writing stretches. Currently thinking Thursday and Saturday, since I’m on a MWF teaching schedule.

CODICIL THE SECOND: Aside from 2-3 hours for podcast recording with Benjamin Rosenbaum and Darius Vinesar and often Jed Hartman, take Sunday as day of rest. No work, family time, cook something elaborate and fun, etc.

And yes, I know that I’ve scheduled myself 10 hours of work a day, 6 days a week, but I will also tell you that’s notably LESS work than I was doing for much of the fall, so it looks quite luxurious to me right now…

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