Monday, September 10, 2012

RoW80 Update -The Balloon is Squeezing Me

For those of you that read my RoW80 post last Wednesday, I was being overly ambitious by trying to cram an immense amount of things into my day each day.  This was partially because I believed I could handle the pressure, and partially because I was running through the manic end of my mood swings.  (My therapist says I only have issues with depression, that I'm not bipolar, but sometimes I'm not so sure.)

I received comments from multiple people stating that they themselves would not be able to handle this kind of level of multitasking.  What they didn't say was that I probably wouldn't be able to handle it either.  Of course, my commenters don't know me very well yet, so they couldn't know that for sure either way, right?

Well... if you were thinking that failure was imminent... you were right.

Failed might be a strong word, but I sure didn't pass all my goals with flying colors.  I'm actually not going to go into detail about the end-of-week goal progress, because very little happened on my goals the second half of the week.  Between work, and the pressures there, and a weekend packed with activities not conducive to getting anything accomplished, it was a dismal few days for my goals.  I went from trying to squeeze the balloon... to the balloon squeezing me!

So, what should I do?  I'm not sure, but here's what I'm going to do:

I'm going to forget last week existed.

I have to set some new goals for this week, but that will be difficult as well, as my wife leaves Wednesday morning for a weeklong vacation in California, leaving me with the kids by myself.  As hard as writing, reading, etc., was with my wife around, it'll be doubly difficult with her gone.  So, I'm going to take a light week this week, and just shoot for some simple goals.  Here's what I'm planning:


RoW80 Detailed Goal Progress


Writing - I will write something toward finishing my as yet untitled book from NaNo last year, even if only 50 words, every day.  This Week's Goal:  Get from 61,172 words to 63,500 words in my NaNo novel.

Reading - I will read at least 10 pages of a book each day.  This Week's Goal:  Read to page 175 of Battle Royale.

Blogging - I will write at least three blog posts each week, one of which must not be ROW80-related.  This Week's Goal:  Write my Wednesday RoW update, one miscellaneous post, and keep up with reading my subscribed blogs throughout the week.

Exercise - I will get "real" exercise for at least 30 minutes, three times a week. This Week's Goal:  Get out for at least one walk with my kids this week.

Housework - I will, in some small way, make my house look better each night than it did the previous night.  This Week's Goal:  Try to keep the house as clean as it is when my wife leaves for California, if not cleaner.

12 comments:

  1. The great thing about ROW80 is that we can change our goals when they aren't working for us. I overestimate how much I can do on a regular basis. :) It's a continual learning process. Have a great week!

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    1. Yes, overestimation is one of my character faults. Wish I could fix that, but I guess it's better to be overly optimistic than overly pessimistic, huh?

      Thanks, and you have a great week as well.

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  2. Your list of goals for this week sounds really doable to me. Enjoy your time alone with your kids, and happy writing!

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    1. I'm knee-deep into one-on-two with my kids as of today, and things are going well so far. Hopefully the goals will follow, as I've gotten very little done so far this week.

      Happy writing to you too!

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  3. As one who doesn't have near the amount of responsibility that you do, Mike, I'm in constant admiration of the way you handle your goals. Right from the beginning you have grasped the need for flexibility, and I do like the way you set specific markers for each week. I find that a weekly accounting really does help me see my progress as a writer without getting lost or caught up in the numbers. Hope the week goes well for you, Mike.

    Karen

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    1. Thanks for all the praise. It's really nice to hear it, especially when I don't feel like I deserve it. I'm going to fight hard to meet all my goals this week, just because everyone is cheering me on!

      Have a great week!

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  4. Feeling the squeeze myself, Mike! It's been a rough week, and I've so much more to accomplish. Maybe my brain will explode...LOL. Hang in there and laugh. :}

    Your thoughts on the George Martin interview question and my post on 'Why Do You Read' were awesome. I enjoyed reading your comments a great deal.

    Have a wonderful finish to the week. And I hope you make progress enough to satisfy. All the best, Nadja

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    1. Thanks for the kind words about the comments I left. I write them, and then often forget about them, but the post about why we read stuck with me. I guess I'll be thinking about that one for a while to come... might even make my own post about it.

      Thanks so much, and I hope you have a wonderful finish to the week as well!

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  5. Sometimes we do have to forget last week existed, as you so correctly put it. Although I need to remember some of it so I'm not doomed to repeat it. Something I seem to be doing way too much lately.

    Onward and upward, as they say, right?

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    1. Correct... onward and upward. Says the guy who still hasn't written his Sunday RoW update, and it's Monday afternoon. Sigh.

      Apparently I'm doomed, as you so deftly pointed out. Guess I'll have to dig out over the next couple days so I can get back on track for Round 4.

      Thanks for the reminder not to so casually forget!

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  6. You should definitely put last week behind you. Your goals sound reasonable, so you'll probably feel better about this week. Good luck!

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    1. I'll be posting a new update tomorrow, to recap everything from my experiences in Round 3, so we'll see where the chips lie then!

      Thanks for the kind comment.

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