It really feels like a chore to write a new post. I am SO not a writer. If I should ever go to graduate school I would first need to "make my peace" - as my choir director is so fond of saying - with writing.
My quote-unquote "self-improvement" project is going pretty well. As expected, pefection is not being achieved. So far I haven't even used the little chart, although I may eventually. I did observe an almost immediate shift in focus in my day-to-day activities last week, however. Appropriately enough for "spritual discipline week" (last week) it was a renewed focus on the important things, the eternal things - on God. That shift in focus effected a shift in priorities, and I watched in amazement as other areas of my life fell into place. For example, in order to have time to read the Bible I have to make time, which requires me to stick to a slightly more detailed schedule. I began to be more conscious of using my time well and being more prompt. And - bonus - this has allowed me to start going to the gym more regularly, even before "physical wellness week" (next week) starts. So cool.
Of course, now the challenge will be to turn these short term changes into good habits.
I could blather on, but with all this talk about my "self" I'm feeling a bit "self-conscious" (shout-out to Jessica G).
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Mid-Week Review
Doing pretty well, I guess. Monday night I paid for my Easter frivolity and stayed up all night finishing tax returns and lesson plans. Tuesday I felt accomplished and, um, tired. Being tired is not good for praying and reading the Bible. I watched an Easter sermon before falling asleep and letting my computer run out of battery. Slept in a little too late this morning to have any real quiet time. This evening I made up my mind to go to a Handel's Messiah sing-along at church - kind of a preview for a performance we're doing this Christmas. Of course that was amazing (I even used the old orange score from Hillsdale).
It's sad how seldom I get up to go do things. I forget how much I'll enjoy activity and company - or conversely, I forget how bad I feel if I'm just lying around doing nothing.
So made up a little "self-improvement" chart but haven't used it yet. Tuesday I was too tired to remember; today I was too busy (the day having been cut short at both ends). Maybe tomorrow I'll be back on track.
I'm amazed at how much of the week is already gone. That's what comes with having Mondays off, I suppose. The upper school final exam schedule just came out - the entire last week of school is devoted to reviewing for and giving finals. That means, after this week, there will be only four weeks of class left! And my birthday is next week. My, how time flies.
It's sad how seldom I get up to go do things. I forget how much I'll enjoy activity and company - or conversely, I forget how bad I feel if I'm just lying around doing nothing.
So made up a little "self-improvement" chart but haven't used it yet. Tuesday I was too tired to remember; today I was too busy (the day having been cut short at both ends). Maybe tomorrow I'll be back on track.
I'm amazed at how much of the week is already gone. That's what comes with having Mondays off, I suppose. The upper school final exam schedule just came out - the entire last week of school is devoted to reviewing for and giving finals. That means, after this week, there will be only four weeks of class left! And my birthday is next week. My, how time flies.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Time-Waster, Procrastinator
Okay, it's a good thing "time management week" is coming up, because I just spent more time than I would care to admit working on the details of this new blog layout. I couldn't just paste in the ready-made template...no, I had to fiddle with the code in order for it to be perfect (of course it's still not perfect, but I'm trying not to think about that). See the little link at the top labelled "Blog Archive"? Yep, I put that there, having mastered the HTML command for a page jump. I also added the "Home" link at the bottom of the page next to "Older Posts". And the main reason I'm posting now is so that the ugly Star Wars video will be bumped of the front page. Even though probably no one would notice. Good night!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Self-Improvement
Regardless of whether it is good, right, and necessary, the Sisyphean task of improving myself is a something I'm going to be focusing on for the next several weeks. As all we Hillsdalians learned in Western Heritage, Benjamin Franklin had a certain amount success in self-improvement (and I must interject that I can't help thinking of that one episode of The Office whenever I think of old Ben)...so then why-oh-why can't I?
I have found, at lowest count, five areas I wish to strengthen:
1. Spiritual discipline
2. Time management
3. Physical wellness
4. Reading/leisure habits
5. Writing/communication strength
Continuing on the inspiration of our eldest founding father (and now, oh lord, I'm thinking of the musical "1776") I think I'll make a little chart. I'll have a description of what each category encompasses and make a little grid with a square for each for every day of the week. If I mess up in a specific category, I have to mark it with a dot. I'll focus on one area per week, but keep track of my progress in all of them.
I know this is kind of strange. I'm just sick of letting my life run away from me. I've been so lazy and I hate it. I think this kind of situation results from being a type-A/type-B personality mix. Anyway, I'll posts updates on how this crazy scheme is going (especially in week five, when my goal will be to update daily). Ta-ta for now.
I have found, at lowest count, five areas I wish to strengthen:
1. Spiritual discipline
2. Time management
3. Physical wellness
4. Reading/leisure habits
5. Writing/communication strength
Continuing on the inspiration of our eldest founding father (and now, oh lord, I'm thinking of the musical "1776") I think I'll make a little chart. I'll have a description of what each category encompasses and make a little grid with a square for each for every day of the week. If I mess up in a specific category, I have to mark it with a dot. I'll focus on one area per week, but keep track of my progress in all of them.
I know this is kind of strange. I'm just sick of letting my life run away from me. I've been so lazy and I hate it. I think this kind of situation results from being a type-A/type-B personality mix. Anyway, I'll posts updates on how this crazy scheme is going (especially in week five, when my goal will be to update daily). Ta-ta for now.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Scientific Method
You know how they say you can affect something just by observing it? I like how life is going right now, and I think that's maybe why I'm afraid to blog. Or...maybe that's just an excuse. It is now March - seven days before the Ides, as we learned in Latin class today. It is four days before spring break and New York, eight days before Tennessee and home.
Last weekend, a fellow teacher and I implemented the first step in a great experiment. Our goal is simple: to be more sociable. We have rules. Rule Number 1: Go out every Friday night, no excuses, to a different bar in Annapolis. Rule Number 2: For the sake of finances, it must be during happy hour. Rule Number 3: For the sake of finances and time, drinks are limited to one, two at most. By following these rules, we can happily go out every week on our schoolmarm salaries and schedules, and meet and talk to people whom we don't see at school all day long. We had an enjoyable evening last Friday - spent a little over an hour and felt like human beings. Our companion for the evening was a guy from her Bible study, and more friends are being recruited. Follow-up activites (concerts, etc.) are being planned. The experiment seems promising.
If I go to bed now, it will be the first normal bedtime in forever. We'll see how it turns out.
Last weekend, a fellow teacher and I implemented the first step in a great experiment. Our goal is simple: to be more sociable. We have rules. Rule Number 1: Go out every Friday night, no excuses, to a different bar in Annapolis. Rule Number 2: For the sake of finances, it must be during happy hour. Rule Number 3: For the sake of finances and time, drinks are limited to one, two at most. By following these rules, we can happily go out every week on our schoolmarm salaries and schedules, and meet and talk to people whom we don't see at school all day long. We had an enjoyable evening last Friday - spent a little over an hour and felt like human beings. Our companion for the evening was a guy from her Bible study, and more friends are being recruited. Follow-up activites (concerts, etc.) are being planned. The experiment seems promising.
If I go to bed now, it will be the first normal bedtime in forever. We'll see how it turns out.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Must Break the Writer's Block
Been listening to ABBA music on YouTube and now really want to watch Mamma Mia! Anybody seen it?
Just finished the second trimester and got all grades and student comments in on time! It feels weird to be finished...on time.
Read the first two books of the Aeneid and enjoyed them much more than I did freshman year of undergrad.
Looked up airfare to Athens and Rome. Also looked up rent on apartments in the Annapolis area. Will be saving for a while.
Will be going to bed soon.
Just finished the second trimester and got all grades and student comments in on time! It feels weird to be finished...on time.
Read the first two books of the Aeneid and enjoyed them much more than I did freshman year of undergrad.
Looked up airfare to Athens and Rome. Also looked up rent on apartments in the Annapolis area. Will be saving for a while.
Will be going to bed soon.
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Notes from Time Management Week
It really feels like a chore to write a new post. I am SO not a writer. If I should ever go to graduate school I would first need to "make my peace" - as my choir director is so fond of saying - with writing.
My quote-unquote "self-improvement" project is going pretty well. As expected, pefection is not being achieved. So far I haven't even used the little chart, although I may eventually. I did observe an almost immediate shift in focus in my day-to-day activities last week, however. Appropriately enough for "spritual discipline week" (last week) it was a renewed focus on the important things, the eternal things - on God. That shift in focus effected a shift in priorities, and I watched in amazement as other areas of my life fell into place. For example, in order to have time to read the Bible I have to make time, which requires me to stick to a slightly more detailed schedule. I began to be more conscious of using my time well and being more prompt. And - bonus - this has allowed me to start going to the gym more regularly, even before "physical wellness week" (next week) starts. So cool.
Of course, now the challenge will be to turn these short term changes into good habits.
I could blather on, but with all this talk about my "self" I'm feeling a bit "self-conscious" (shout-out to Jessica G).
My quote-unquote "self-improvement" project is going pretty well. As expected, pefection is not being achieved. So far I haven't even used the little chart, although I may eventually. I did observe an almost immediate shift in focus in my day-to-day activities last week, however. Appropriately enough for "spritual discipline week" (last week) it was a renewed focus on the important things, the eternal things - on God. That shift in focus effected a shift in priorities, and I watched in amazement as other areas of my life fell into place. For example, in order to have time to read the Bible I have to make time, which requires me to stick to a slightly more detailed schedule. I began to be more conscious of using my time well and being more prompt. And - bonus - this has allowed me to start going to the gym more regularly, even before "physical wellness week" (next week) starts. So cool.
Of course, now the challenge will be to turn these short term changes into good habits.
I could blather on, but with all this talk about my "self" I'm feeling a bit "self-conscious" (shout-out to Jessica G).
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Mid-Week Review
Doing pretty well, I guess. Monday night I paid for my Easter frivolity and stayed up all night finishing tax returns and lesson plans. Tuesday I felt accomplished and, um, tired. Being tired is not good for praying and reading the Bible. I watched an Easter sermon before falling asleep and letting my computer run out of battery. Slept in a little too late this morning to have any real quiet time. This evening I made up my mind to go to a Handel's Messiah sing-along at church - kind of a preview for a performance we're doing this Christmas. Of course that was amazing (I even used the old orange score from Hillsdale).
It's sad how seldom I get up to go do things. I forget how much I'll enjoy activity and company - or conversely, I forget how bad I feel if I'm just lying around doing nothing.
So made up a little "self-improvement" chart but haven't used it yet. Tuesday I was too tired to remember; today I was too busy (the day having been cut short at both ends). Maybe tomorrow I'll be back on track.
I'm amazed at how much of the week is already gone. That's what comes with having Mondays off, I suppose. The upper school final exam schedule just came out - the entire last week of school is devoted to reviewing for and giving finals. That means, after this week, there will be only four weeks of class left! And my birthday is next week. My, how time flies.
It's sad how seldom I get up to go do things. I forget how much I'll enjoy activity and company - or conversely, I forget how bad I feel if I'm just lying around doing nothing.
So made up a little "self-improvement" chart but haven't used it yet. Tuesday I was too tired to remember; today I was too busy (the day having been cut short at both ends). Maybe tomorrow I'll be back on track.
I'm amazed at how much of the week is already gone. That's what comes with having Mondays off, I suppose. The upper school final exam schedule just came out - the entire last week of school is devoted to reviewing for and giving finals. That means, after this week, there will be only four weeks of class left! And my birthday is next week. My, how time flies.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Time-Waster, Procrastinator
Okay, it's a good thing "time management week" is coming up, because I just spent more time than I would care to admit working on the details of this new blog layout. I couldn't just paste in the ready-made template...no, I had to fiddle with the code in order for it to be perfect (of course it's still not perfect, but I'm trying not to think about that). See the little link at the top labelled "Blog Archive"? Yep, I put that there, having mastered the HTML command for a page jump. I also added the "Home" link at the bottom of the page next to "Older Posts". And the main reason I'm posting now is so that the ugly Star Wars video will be bumped of the front page. Even though probably no one would notice. Good night!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Self-Improvement
Regardless of whether it is good, right, and necessary, the Sisyphean task of improving myself is a something I'm going to be focusing on for the next several weeks. As all we Hillsdalians learned in Western Heritage, Benjamin Franklin had a certain amount success in self-improvement (and I must interject that I can't help thinking of that one episode of The Office whenever I think of old Ben)...so then why-oh-why can't I?
I have found, at lowest count, five areas I wish to strengthen:
1. Spiritual discipline
2. Time management
3. Physical wellness
4. Reading/leisure habits
5. Writing/communication strength
Continuing on the inspiration of our eldest founding father (and now, oh lord, I'm thinking of the musical "1776") I think I'll make a little chart. I'll have a description of what each category encompasses and make a little grid with a square for each for every day of the week. If I mess up in a specific category, I have to mark it with a dot. I'll focus on one area per week, but keep track of my progress in all of them.
I know this is kind of strange. I'm just sick of letting my life run away from me. I've been so lazy and I hate it. I think this kind of situation results from being a type-A/type-B personality mix. Anyway, I'll posts updates on how this crazy scheme is going (especially in week five, when my goal will be to update daily). Ta-ta for now.
I have found, at lowest count, five areas I wish to strengthen:
1. Spiritual discipline
2. Time management
3. Physical wellness
4. Reading/leisure habits
5. Writing/communication strength
Continuing on the inspiration of our eldest founding father (and now, oh lord, I'm thinking of the musical "1776") I think I'll make a little chart. I'll have a description of what each category encompasses and make a little grid with a square for each for every day of the week. If I mess up in a specific category, I have to mark it with a dot. I'll focus on one area per week, but keep track of my progress in all of them.
I know this is kind of strange. I'm just sick of letting my life run away from me. I've been so lazy and I hate it. I think this kind of situation results from being a type-A/type-B personality mix. Anyway, I'll posts updates on how this crazy scheme is going (especially in week five, when my goal will be to update daily). Ta-ta for now.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Scientific Method
You know how they say you can affect something just by observing it? I like how life is going right now, and I think that's maybe why I'm afraid to blog. Or...maybe that's just an excuse. It is now March - seven days before the Ides, as we learned in Latin class today. It is four days before spring break and New York, eight days before Tennessee and home.
Last weekend, a fellow teacher and I implemented the first step in a great experiment. Our goal is simple: to be more sociable. We have rules. Rule Number 1: Go out every Friday night, no excuses, to a different bar in Annapolis. Rule Number 2: For the sake of finances, it must be during happy hour. Rule Number 3: For the sake of finances and time, drinks are limited to one, two at most. By following these rules, we can happily go out every week on our schoolmarm salaries and schedules, and meet and talk to people whom we don't see at school all day long. We had an enjoyable evening last Friday - spent a little over an hour and felt like human beings. Our companion for the evening was a guy from her Bible study, and more friends are being recruited. Follow-up activites (concerts, etc.) are being planned. The experiment seems promising.
If I go to bed now, it will be the first normal bedtime in forever. We'll see how it turns out.
Last weekend, a fellow teacher and I implemented the first step in a great experiment. Our goal is simple: to be more sociable. We have rules. Rule Number 1: Go out every Friday night, no excuses, to a different bar in Annapolis. Rule Number 2: For the sake of finances, it must be during happy hour. Rule Number 3: For the sake of finances and time, drinks are limited to one, two at most. By following these rules, we can happily go out every week on our schoolmarm salaries and schedules, and meet and talk to people whom we don't see at school all day long. We had an enjoyable evening last Friday - spent a little over an hour and felt like human beings. Our companion for the evening was a guy from her Bible study, and more friends are being recruited. Follow-up activites (concerts, etc.) are being planned. The experiment seems promising.
If I go to bed now, it will be the first normal bedtime in forever. We'll see how it turns out.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Must Break the Writer's Block
Been listening to ABBA music on YouTube and now really want to watch Mamma Mia! Anybody seen it?
Just finished the second trimester and got all grades and student comments in on time! It feels weird to be finished...on time.
Read the first two books of the Aeneid and enjoyed them much more than I did freshman year of undergrad.
Looked up airfare to Athens and Rome. Also looked up rent on apartments in the Annapolis area. Will be saving for a while.
Will be going to bed soon.
Just finished the second trimester and got all grades and student comments in on time! It feels weird to be finished...on time.
Read the first two books of the Aeneid and enjoyed them much more than I did freshman year of undergrad.
Looked up airfare to Athens and Rome. Also looked up rent on apartments in the Annapolis area. Will be saving for a while.
Will be going to bed soon.
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