Weekly Summary # 34

Oh boy. Another one of those weeks in which a lot of doing goes on, but not a lot of "done" accumulates. Where did all the hours go? I admit to feeling ashamed for my lack of productivity this week. It's not due to not having enough time, and I won't use my increased work hours as an excuse, but rather a case of not putting enough into the time I have. All there's left for me to do is to simply be more active and don't idle about. What I definitely need to work on is eliminating my fixation with my Short-term Aims and Concentration list, in which I document what I want to get done for the day, possible tasks for tomorrow, my weekly goals, and next week's goals. When I accomplish my daily goals ahead of schedule I give myself the false sense that my day is over and then refrain from attacking other possibilities on my lists.

Most notably, I've been experiencing a drastic increase in my anxiety lately. I'm encountering tough financial times, and it doesn't help my worries that I'm not only in a possibly unstable situation, but also the economy itself is nearing collapse and I haven't had time to garner the means to prepare for it. Worry, worry, worry . . . but at the same time Mind Over Mood has been awesome in helping me deal with the stress and feel a person with greater endurance, so I'm beyond glad I've read that book. Even if my situation grows more difficult I at least want to get myself to a place where I'm serene with my circumstance (lowercase c, for those who know what I mean).

The list:

1.) Write article for Modern Paleo: Wrote a rough draft and hate it. I've got to rewrite it.

2.) Look up "feeling art": Found it! It's called Touching the Art, by Luc Travers. I have no idea why I thought it was called Feeling Art. I've added it to my reading list, but since I don't have any goals involving art at the moment I don't know when I'll get to it.

3.) Read to page 150 in Schulz biography: Not yet, but thankfully this book is actually stored at the library I travel to, so I'll have a much easier time holding onto it until I finish it.

4.) Read to page 100 in Crash Proof: And beyond. Given the closing due date this isn't a sufficient pace, however, so I'll probably need to fill out a request for it again since I can't renew it. Blast. At the very least, I find reading the book helps me face the more difficult times ahead of us given that I'm granting it attention.

5.) Memorize the various muscle groups: I got some sites documented, but I didn't do the studies. Darn. I but merely plan on massaging my various muscle groups while I state their names (think of the song Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes without the singing). In retrospect this shouldn't be too time-consuming, so I'll go for it again next week.

* * * * *

My present problem seems to be that I'm accumulating more and more interests while I'm doing less and less to act upon them. It's time to essentialize and stick to certain concentrations in order to get something of significance accomplished regardless of how many tempting deviations may present themselves, unless I judge them to be of higher value. Of current, my main interests are:

1.) Computer coding: I've said in my New Year's resolutions that I want to redesign my blog layout. I should learn some coding to see how I could do that, but at the same time I've got some simple ideas that might make my life better, so I'm thinking of learning some easy and quick coding skills to see if I can get done what I want to get done and see if I want to take it any further.

2.) Chocolate: I simply want to read and learn more about it, and blog more about it beyond my too-seldom chocolate reviews. I need to search out more chocolate resources and books to see if I can cultivate something.

3.) Exercise: Weight-lifting is my second hobby in addition to walking. It's fun to go to the gym to see how I can test my limits, make myself stronger, and improve my well-being, physique, and appetite. I want to learn more about optimal practices. Right now, of course, I'm aiming to learn the various muscle groups in order to enable myself more rational exercise order planning, and I've submitted a library request for Body by Science Questions and Answers too, so I think that's sufficient for now.

4.) Get my financial house in order: I do not have the means of doing so right now -- and hope I'm not too late -- but acquiring the necessary knowledge is a must. I'm reading Crash Proof for that reason, but unfortunately may have to submit a request for it again since I may not finish it in time and cannot afford to buy it. Aside from stocking myself materialistically with food and medical supplies, my main thought in protecting myself is to convert my dollars to another currency. I don't want to play stocks right now; just protect my savings.

To get myself into a more focused mindset, I'm thinking of doing fewer goals this week with the thought of greater time dedication to each of them. So for this week I plan on:

1.) Memorizing the various muscle groups

2.) Reading to page 150 in Schulz and Peanuts

3.) Reading to page 200 in Crash Proof: And resubmit a request for it too since it's due soon.


4.) Submitting a request for a chocolate-based book (more informative, not recipes) and following more chocolate blogs

5.) Writing an article for Modern Paleo

That's it for now. On the sidelines, I should also work on getting up earlier and conducting earlier morning walks. I love walks so much, yet they're time-consuming given my immense value, so I ought to make more time for them. I'll also be managing anxiety in the meanwhile.