I intended, as I often do on these occasions, to take advantage of the peace and quiet to get some good work done. Mainly I had some computer stuff I wanted to do -- reviewing a blog for a new friend, getting caught up on my own blogging after a busy few weeks, and putting together some notes on a new project I'm working on (the Consortium). I figured I'd do a little lawn and house work, too, since our property got hit pretty hard with last week's apocalyptic hailstorm.
Anyway, when I got home from work to an empty house Thursday afternoon, the first thing I did was make a To Do list. (I estimated roughly that each item in the "Must Do" list should represent about 90 minutes of work).
- Must Do
- Thursday night
- Write Sun/Mon/Tue blog posts for next week
- Prepare newsletter for Saturday
- Friday morning
- Mow the lawn
- Clean out the gutters
- Friday afternoon
- Write Thu/Fri/Sat blog posts for next week
- Set up blog review spreadsheet on GDocs
- Friday night
- Review Julie's blog posts
- Review Julie's blog posts
- Saturday morning
- Chainsaw some trees
- Paint hall and bathrooms
- Saturday afternoon
- Review Julie's blog posts
- Review Julie's blog posts
- Saturday night
- Edit and link next week's blog posts
- Prepare next Saturday's newsletter
- Sunday afternoon
- Email Julie about the Consortium
- Complete detailed descriptions of the Consortium in Wave
- Sunday night
- Write Sun/Mon/Tues blog posts for next week
- Outline blog posts for June
- Remember to Eat!
- Lunch with D-- (discuss Consortium as non-profit)
- Dinner with K-- and N-- (discuss Consortium network/software)
- Lunch with Courtney (recruit her to the Consortium)
- Dinner with B-- (discuss Consortium business plan)
- Extra Credit (if I have free time)
- Recruit Carlos to the Consortium
- Social Writing
- Help Toby program BookMaker utility
- Get in touch with Doolin
- Email Julie about blog review
- Get Courtney her photos (from a Julie V shoot)
- Design novel template in GDocs
- Scan many things
- Edit/link guest posts for Doolin
- Make chapters for Carlos's e-Book
- Review Carlos's other support requests
- Call OU Admissions department
- Email Shawn about the Consortium
- Finish Ivanhoe
- Email Courtney about her blog
- Contact Schwinn customer support
- Lowe's run
- Fix exterior lights
- Drop seed, weed killer, and fertilizer on lawn
- Clean out garage work area
- Put some stuff in the attic
- Convert Becca's and Bryce's books to e-Book format
- Read Becca's and Bryce's books
- Check out Courtney's new WIP on GDocs
- Write Thursday's Creative Copy Challenge post
- Reply to many comments on my blog and Doolin's
Of course, I ended up adding to the list before I was done.
- Added since Thursday afternoon (all extra credit)
- Email Courtney about new photo policy at my blog
- Update About Page photos in color
- Clean up storm detritus on driveway, porch, and sidewalks
- Replace shattered plastic house numbers over garage
- Pick up a birthday gift for K--
- Fix fallen A/C register and attach headboard to bedframe
- Murder weeds growing in driveway, porch, and sidewalks
- Patch busted wood trim around bathroom door
- Caulk floor joints both bathroom
- Organize tool chest drawers
- Wash and put away three loads of laundry
- Paint over garage hail damage
- Take out the trash
- Do the dishes
- Email Cindy about the Consortium as a non-profit
The problem, it turned out, was that 45 minutes jogging wasn't close to enough time to balance it out. I got started working on the lawn Friday morning, and found myself still working outside when it came time to go to dinner Friday night. Woke up Saturday, went for my jog, and figured since I was going to have to shower anyway, I should do a thing or two outside first.
By the end of the day Saturday (my forty-eight hours), I'd spent about fourteen hours sleeping, eight hours at business/social meals, and a hair over an hour (total) sitting at my computer. The other twenty-five hours I spent toiling -- repairing my house, cleaning, or working in the yard. And none of that was by choice or priority -- it just sort of happened. I was driven.
When everything was said and done, by the time I went to bed Sunday night, I'd completed 34 of the 62 items on my To Do list, including just half of the "Must Do" items. The finished list looked like this:
- Must Do
- Thursday night
- Write Sun/Mon/Tue blog posts for next week
- Prepare newsletter for Saturday
- Friday morning
Mow the lawnClean out the gutters- Friday afternoon
- Write Thu/Fri/Sat blog posts for next week
Set up blog review spreadsheet on GDocs- Friday night
- Read Julie's blog posts
- Read Julie's blog posts
- Saturday morning
Chainsaw some treesPaint hall and bathrooms- Saturday afternoon
- Read Julie's blog posts
- Read Julie's blog posts
- Saturday night
- Edit and link next week's blog posts
- Prepare next Saturday's newsletter
- Sunday afternoon
- Email Julie about the Consortium
Complete detailed descriptions of the Consortium in Wave- Sunday night
- Write Sun/Mon/Tues blog posts for next week
- Outline blog posts for June
- Remember to Eat!
Lunch with Dan (discuss Consortium as non-profit)Dinner with Austins (discuss Consortium network/software)Lunch with Courtney (recruit her to the Consortium)Dinner with Bruce (discuss Consortium business plan)- Extra Credit (if I have free time)
Recruit Carlos to the Consortium- Social Writing
- Help Toby program BookMaker utility
- Get in touch with Doolin
- Email Julie about blog review
Get Courtney her photos (from a Julie V shoot)Design novel template in GDocs- Scan many things
- Edit/Link guest posts for Doolin
- Make chapters for Carlos's e-Book
- Review Carlos's other support requests
Call OU Admissions department- Email Shawn about the Consortium
- Finish Ivanhoe
Email Courtney about her blogContact Schwinn customer supportLowe's runFix exterior lights- Drop seed, weed killer, and fertilizer on lawn
Clean out garage work area- Put some stuff in the attic
Convert Becca's and Bryce's books to e-Book format- Read Becca's and Bryce's books
- Check out Courtney's new WIP on GDocs
- Write Thursday's Creative Copy Challenge post
Reply to many comments on my blog and Doolin'sEmail Courtney about new photo policy at my blogUpdate About Page photos in colorClean up storm detritus on driveway, porch, and sidewalksReplace shattered plastic house numbers over garagePick up a birthday gift for KrisFix fallen A/C register and attach headboard to bedframeMurder weeds growing in driveway, porch, and sidewalksPatch busted wood trim around bathroom doorCaulk floor joints both bathroomOrganize tool chest drawersWash and put away three loads of laundry- Paint over garage hail damage
Take out the trashDo the dishes- Email Cindy about the Consortium as a non-profit
