A Week Late and a Row Short

I am finishing the third week of Row80, but I entirely missed checking in for Week 2. I did have most of a post done last week, but apparently, I didn’t save it.  It’s odd, because I’m good about having several posts in progress, but my update wasn’t there. Even after I checked three times, it still wouldn’t magically materialize. I started to re-do it, but time got away, and I had a insane week. However, the insane week resulted in some good progress, so here we go.

I’ve already decided that I have to focus on one check-in a week, or I’ll drive myself batty. Plus, as one of my goals is to figure out what I’m doing with my blog, I’ve discovered that I will probably be posting only two to three times a week for a while. So once for ROW80 will work. I know myself well enough to know that if I check in every week, I’ll be just fine. (And even though I missed last week, just being aware I was missing check-in helped keep me focused.)

So that being said, I will report on what has been happening (or not happening) with my goals. Then I will list the goals that have emerged during the past two weeks that need to be added to Round 1.

Finish Accreditation Editing  (DEADLINE: January 30)
This project is going well. Ten of 15 chapters pretty much finished. The other five are well under-way. I have a meeting next week to finalize the recommendations. Then I can finish.

• I had the meeting, and that is what made last week so crazy. In addition to finishing the editing project, another short-term project was added. It had very high priority, and it required reviewing files, creating a summary, requesting supporting documents and three additional meetings. However, the good news is that the secondary project has been completed, and I am happy to report that just today, I finished the main editing for the accreditation. There may be minor adjustments after the 120 pages are read, but it’s mostly done. I do have to write an executive summary since that was overlooked by the committee that put the document together, but I have a few days to do that.
  
• GOAL: FINISH THIS WEEK

Finish Co-Authored Paper  (DEADLINE: January 11)
I’m waiting for my co-author to respond to my last take on the revision. This is relatively low-stress at this point, since we are largely in agreement about how to incorporate recommended revisions.

• After finding out about the missed deadline, we haven’t heard about ths status of our late submission. So this is on hold.

Finish planning courses and upload materials to website
I have to update my assignments and projects for Intro to Criminal Justice, but the Intro to Sociology will take a little more effort. I haven’t taught this course in a few years, and it’s a hybrid course (a few in-person meetings and the rest online).

• Criminal Justice is going well, and I did some brainstorming with the students in the Sociology course, and we have a plan. I am now in the middle of uploading several different types of resources, using the module function of Canvas, so I have high hopes of getting everything under control this week. The syllabus will definitely be done, which means the main assignments will also be finished.

Post on blog 25 days in January
I hope to publish something on my blog every day, but it’s better for me to exceed the goal than to miss it by one or two days. The January posts do not fit a specific theme. In fact, there is no real plan other than to experiment with all kinds of things, and see if anything sticks. Which leads to the next goal.

• This one was going great until six days ago when I was working on the ROW80 update. Luckily, I had put up a few extra ones early in the month. This post is number 22, and I am glad I revised my original idea of posting every day in January to posting 25 times. I MIGHT make that one.

Create a Blogging Plan
I am not talking about looking for a niche. I’ve made peace with the fact I don’t have to write about one or two topics and leave out things that don’t fit those topics. I admire people who have niche blogs, but as long as my life remains as eclectic as it is, I can’t expect my blog to be different. I’ll be looking for a couple of focal points for my life, but not necessarily for my blog. Still, I want to have a plan for publishing with a list of possible post topics and a rough schedule for doing so.

• As mentioned above, I think I need to set up a schedule that includes posting two to three times a week, reading other blogs, and responding to comments. It’s too easy to spend time here without a focus, and I want to make sure that my time here is productive and not just an escape from other things I should be doing. What that will look like should emerge over the next week or two.

Read Draft Novels (TBA)

• Nothing on this yet. As a move to another house is now part of my current life, the reading will have to wait a week or two. I’m keeping it here as a placeholder so it doesn’t get lost.
  

Work Out a Weekly Schedule
With all the various activities I need to do in a week, I need to schedule routine activities like grading, course prep, tutoring review, writing, and personal time. No reason to waste thinking time on remembering and scheduling these activities over and over.

• I had hoped to start the semester with a plan in place, but it hasn’t happened. I will try to form a draft plan this week based on the way classes and other commitments go.

Finish Jack’s Quilt
This is frustrating me the most, but two more weeks at the most. Finish the editing, get moved. Start quilting. REALLY, it’s going to happen.

Piece the back of Kate’s quilt
My daughter has given me until her 30th birthday to finish it, but I’m going to see how many months ahead I can manage to beat that deadline. (She’ll be 29 the lst of March.)

• This will be on hold until Jack’s quilt is done. But Kate’s is next before any new projects.

Get back into regular music activities
I got a call about scheduling some dates to play at a church nearby, and once I get back into it by working with them, I can be on a wider sub-list. this is one of those two-birds-with-one-stone kind of things. I want to brush up on my skills, and earning a little extra money will be good. Who knows, I may even pick up a couple of piano students.

• I’ve done the observation. I’ve done one practice session. I have an additional service for Tuesday. Going tomorrow to rehearse with them, and then make the big debut on Tuesday. I’ve gone over the music for next weekend. Will do some more practice tomorrow after the rehearsal. I’m also going to call to see about having my piano moved from my brother’s house into the new place.
  

Determine longer range goals
I want to make this year really focused toward specific goals, but I haven’t yet really defined what those will be. The first half of Row 1 is going to be focused on creating a plan that will carry me through the year.

• No real progress yet, but this is something I will grow into over Round 1. Not expecting any big shift here until mid-February or so.

ADDITIONAL ROUND 1 GOALS

The following items have emerged as active goals for the first round.

1. Move into new home. Immediate goals involve setting up utilities in my name. Start packing. Look into internet service.
   1. Water is switched over; as is electric and gas.
   2. Dave is taking care of Internet.
   3. Look into getting piano moved.
   4. Pick up rest of bedding that was ordered.
   5. Visit a couple of stores to look into a mattress and box springs.
   6. Pay first rent!  🙂
   7. Take a few things over to the house en route to other appointments and events.
   8. Look into address labels and business cards.
2. Get car serviced. Oil change. Other issues.
   1. Oil has been changed.
   2. Transmission will be serviced in February.
   3. Decide about windshield wiper switch; investigate further to see if it can be done less expensively.
3. Create rough outline of book based on student response to ESL writing course.  (on hold till after move)
4. Work out schedule to incorporate new student for tutoring.
5. Keep practicing music for upcoming events.

Whew! Wishing everyone a productive week!