Dear Diary,
I didn't get much music written this week, and find myself feeling anxious, agitated and annoyed. Meetings, "pressing" e-mails and work deadlines ate huge chunks of my time. Squeezing in writing between appointments just isn't working. Somehow I need to block our more three or four-hour designated time slots in my week to do some focused arranging.
The problem is, when I ignore my e-mail inbox for just one day, there are usually at least 60 new messages waiting for me. Of these, about 20 will require serious consideration/preparation before reponding. 15 or so will require "urgent responses". More and more, I am finding it increasingly difficult to "unplug".
Following a day of musical productivity, I inevitably have to spend the following day catching up on what I have "neglected". E-mail has become the bane of my existence.
In addition to managing my inbox, I was so over-scheduled this week that I didn't even have time to put anything away. I would teach a class, drop my books off on my desk (or piano), and then run across campus for a meeting. My office looks like a refuse site. This is clearly contributing to my stress levels. Returning my work space to a productive environment will be my first step towards getting back onto the path of productivity. Deep breaths.
Perhaps my biggest challenge at this time is not allowing myself to be a grumpy, old bastard. My wife deserves better.
I generally pride myself in being good with time management, but this week I lost the battle. Tomorrow represents the beginning of a new week and a fresh start. I like fresh starts.
~ Earl
I didn't get much music written this week, and find myself feeling anxious, agitated and annoyed. Meetings, "pressing" e-mails and work deadlines ate huge chunks of my time. Squeezing in writing between appointments just isn't working. Somehow I need to block our more three or four-hour designated time slots in my week to do some focused arranging.
The problem is, when I ignore my e-mail inbox for just one day, there are usually at least 60 new messages waiting for me. Of these, about 20 will require serious consideration/preparation before reponding. 15 or so will require "urgent responses". More and more, I am finding it increasingly difficult to "unplug".Following a day of musical productivity, I inevitably have to spend the following day catching up on what I have "neglected". E-mail has become the bane of my existence.
In addition to managing my inbox, I was so over-scheduled this week that I didn't even have time to put anything away. I would teach a class, drop my books off on my desk (or piano), and then run across campus for a meeting. My office looks like a refuse site. This is clearly contributing to my stress levels. Returning my work space to a productive environment will be my first step towards getting back onto the path of productivity. Deep breaths.
Perhaps my biggest challenge at this time is not allowing myself to be a grumpy, old bastard. My wife deserves better.
I generally pride myself in being good with time management, but this week I lost the battle. Tomorrow represents the beginning of a new week and a fresh start. I like fresh starts.
~ Earl
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