6 May 2009 – Balancing Act, originally uploaded by academichic.
Sources:
- Green gingham button down – J.Crew, remixed
- Black cuffed jeans – DKNY, thrifted, remixed
- Green loafers – Anne Klein, remixed
- Scrabble piece pendant – Its All about the Print on Etsy, remixed (and see detail shot here)
- Book – Manifeste und Dokumente zur deutschen Literatur, 1890-1910
Endnotes:
These days I’m having a somewhat difficult time striking a balance. I went from having every moment of my day perfectly scheduled and color coded in my iCal to facing a completely blank calendar page with a big fat comprehensive exam deadline staring at me mid May. And you should know, my iCal pages are never blank! I currently have thirteen color coded categories on the left of it, ranging from the more enjoyable ”Running” and “Visitors” to the less enticing but not-to-be-forgotten “Meetings” and “Deadlines”.
So it’s not surprising that it’s somewhat of a struggle adjusting to big blocks of time that I’m supposed to use for big chunks of work. I got used to little blocks of time, all back-to-back, all lasting all day long, with me running around like the little energizer bunny. Now I’m supposed to take my battery out, plug myself into a stationary location, and work on one thing all day long. I’m only fretting about it because this schedule is indicative of my schedule to come once I start my dissertation this summer, so I better get used to it. For now, I’m trying to still strike a balance by working a bit in the morning, going for a run pre-lunch, working some more in the afternoon, and enjoying dinner and some evening activities with T.
How do you strike a balance in your life? What do you do to motivate yourself to tackle tasks that seem daunting? How do you balance work and play? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this! S.
6 May 2009, originally uploaded by academichic.
Green Loafers, originally uploaded by academichic.
You look adorable here! It makes me want to go apple-picking…
I totally empathize with the scheduling issue. I am also a rampant list-maker and scheduler. Once I finished grad school I felt like all structure was gone from my life. I have work, of course, but that’s pretty much it in terms of commitments. I even bought a planner and started writing random stuff in it (grocery lists, thrift shops I want to go to) just to feel like I had more going on! I MISS SCHOOL (and I NEVER thought I’d say that!).
Hahaha cuffing our jeans seems to be all the rage lately, huh?! I have done it 2 days in a row and all you ladies have been doing it too. Love it!
As for striking a balance… I am the worst person to comment on that! I work best under pressure and typically leave things to the last minute, despite whatever planning I may have done. SO maybe my advice is just don’t do what I do! :)
Good luck!
LOOOOVE you in braids. Love.
I feel ya on the scheduling. I do much better with structure, and find large, self-directed projects daunting. The only thing that works for me is to set smaller, milestone goals – even daily ones. Though even THAT backfires sometimes.
Keep us updated on how you find the balance. I’m having a similar issue in my life right now. Trying to figure out how to get my lunch time hike in without losing the ability to feel cute when going back to work after my hike. I can’t hop in the shower but I certainly can’t not sweat either. I’m having a very hard time with this.
I do agree with Sal though. Changing big blocks of daunting tasks into smaller, more manageable tasks makes things easier for me. Good luck getting back in a groove!
And you look super cute :)
Funny–I felt that I had loads of free time in graduate school, and when I moved to the work environment and onto a particular project, all I had were meetings all day long and no in between time. I usually had lunch meetings too. But I’ve left that particular project and now I have oodles of free time. I feel I’m far less productive too–it is so easy to get distracted. I agree–set small goals and make little appointments–call so-and-so, etc. That helps.
And Kaylyn, if you figure out an answer to the need for exercise and still look good enough for work afterwards, let me know! I’ve lost my workout time since my kids were born–free time is allocated to them–and I can’t figure out how to exercise during lunch without the large repair job afterwards!
De-lurking to offer my 2 cents: Having just finished my own comps, I can only offer the scheduling strategy that worked for me. I took my best four working hours (10:00 – 2:00 in my case) and devoted them without exception to reading & preparation. Then I tried to spend another hour late in the day going over the material. Some days I worked a lot more, but that was the minimum and it kept me sane and focused, with enough flexibility to get out of the house/library vortex on occasion. Good luck!
Also, I love your blog.
Hey everyone, thanks for you feedback!
@ Kaylyn – sorry, I’m not sure how to advise on this one, since I do have the luxury of working out and going back home to shower/change. I don’t know how one does it over a lunch break from the office, although I’m super impressed with any one who does!
Have you considered getting up early and hiking before work, so that you can go home and get ready for the office from there? I know that getting up really early sucks, but A. and I got up to run at 6 am and even earlier! last summer when it would just get so hot and we couldn’t plan on running at lunch or later in the day. You get used to getting up super early and it can be a very motivating way to start your day.
@ everyone else who chimed in – yes! Small goals helps a lot! And I’ve been thinking a lot about how to structure my days once I’m ‘dissertating’ and will likely write a post about it soon and would love more of your input then!
@Robin- thanks for speaking up! My ideas on how to structure my ‘dissertating’ days are similar to what you said and I’m excited to read that you’re implementing what I’ve been thinking about. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on it as I post about it in the future in trying to carve out a routine that will help me work productively from home.
Your braids make me miss long hair! The working from home thing and a loose schedule can be difficult, but it looks like you’ve got a really great strategy for it. I want to start running (well, walking fast and eventually running) and get back to doing yoga, but I hesitate because I’m not sure how to fit into my day. I like the idea of breaking up the day with an activity like that – I might try to change my afternoon around a bit. Please keep us posted on how it’s working for you!
I also prefer meetings over just blank days to “work.” It feels so much more productive. But I set aside small goals for myself (doesn’t everyone say that?). And also deadlines. One thing that helped me was to make regular appts with my adviser each week or every other week. That way, I HAD to have something done by then. But perhaps you can do the same with a friend. Having those deadlines really helped me get things done.
I like your casual outfits! You look great!
This looks so cute, and where I live with the rain a big comfy cardigan would look perfect! BTW I am so impressed by you girls training to run, I will be able to do that. someday… :)
Kaylyn, have you tried wiping down with babywipes after the hike? A friend of mine used to run at lunch, even in the 90 degree heat and high humidity of summer, and she would use the wipes afterward since she couldn’t shower. She always looked and, ahem, smelled just fine afterwards (her desk was just a few feet from mine, lol).
Emm – good point! A. and I have done that after races when we’d change in a bathroom somewhere to be able to go eat with friends right afterwards. We used Target cleansing wipes (from their make up section), I totally forgot about this! Thanks for bringing this up!
Cute look! Reminds me of Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits.
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I love those green loafers!
I find that I tend to work better with a more structured schedule as well. I often find big open blocks of time daunting, and I never know which task to get started on first.
I do the same thing. Actually, on a more micro-level, the job I am currently at is the first one where I’m never entirely sure of my schedule during the day. I have to create structure (tasks to complete during downtime, training sessions I can take) to keep busy, but also be flexible in case the plan changes. As a person who thrives on planning in advance, this has added a whole level of challenge.
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Thanks for the tips all! I am going to try some simple wipes for now and try some cleansing spray with them.
And Spacegeek- I know with kids its tough to find time to get exercise in, but maybe you can do something small with the kids. You’ll feel better doing something little every day (or even every other day) rather than nothing any day. Maybe walk to a park that’s not so close to the house or somewhere else the kids enjoy… Just a thought! :)