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Taking stock
May. 30th, 2013 11:17 amIn the midst of the morning's scatterbrained breakfast conversation, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scrottie managed to spend a few minutes explaining to LM what his current work situation is like. I can't speak for S, but I will say I can empathize with a sense of frustration that develops in situations of extreme delayed gratification. Often, the type of work that S does (programming), and other things that are going on in his life (e.g. having a girlfriend, etc), interfere with his ability to pursue his independent projects and interests, which tend to require quiet and focus. While a person can generally tolerate some give-and-take in this department, in the long run it can seriously wear one down.
One hard part is that I'm in a different boat altogether. There's a clock ticking in the back of my mind, tied to the limited duration of the current job (I'll have one year left as of this October). I've got different "down time," a different relationship with my job, and different pursuits (though I can feel the urge for some long bike rides building up).
Periodically, I need to take stock of my projects and ambitions and focus, particularly when things get intertwined with others' projects/ambitions/focus. I want to do things in an at least somewhat reflective manner, which means that, for instance, the quilting project is dragging on, and I still have a backlog of baked goods I'd like to make (though that list has decreased considerably over the last couple of weeks!). I've managed to be more forceful about maintaining an erging schedule, but there are costs to that, such as not providing S with enough opportunities to exercise.
I am also trying to keep several academic balls in the air, juggling cricket work and ant work. Things are progressing, but switching between projects to keep them all moving forward sometimes gives me intellectual whiplash, as I compel myself to do this work fastidiously, and well, in the context of the demands of other people who have different priorities for the work. My overarching thought is that I want to create a beneficial intellectual legacy. This means thorough, thoughtful reviews of the literature (challenging when one is a bit sleep-deprived), and carefully raking through reams of data, all with the backdrop of trying to keep myself fed and bathed and human.
scrottie managed to spend a few minutes explaining to LM what his current work situation is like. I can't speak for S, but I will say I can empathize with a sense of frustration that develops in situations of extreme delayed gratification. Often, the type of work that S does (programming), and other things that are going on in his life (e.g. having a girlfriend, etc), interfere with his ability to pursue his independent projects and interests, which tend to require quiet and focus. While a person can generally tolerate some give-and-take in this department, in the long run it can seriously wear one down.One hard part is that I'm in a different boat altogether. There's a clock ticking in the back of my mind, tied to the limited duration of the current job (I'll have one year left as of this October). I've got different "down time," a different relationship with my job, and different pursuits (though I can feel the urge for some long bike rides building up).
Periodically, I need to take stock of my projects and ambitions and focus, particularly when things get intertwined with others' projects/ambitions/focus. I want to do things in an at least somewhat reflective manner, which means that, for instance, the quilting project is dragging on, and I still have a backlog of baked goods I'd like to make (though that list has decreased considerably over the last couple of weeks!). I've managed to be more forceful about maintaining an erging schedule, but there are costs to that, such as not providing S with enough opportunities to exercise.
I am also trying to keep several academic balls in the air, juggling cricket work and ant work. Things are progressing, but switching between projects to keep them all moving forward sometimes gives me intellectual whiplash, as I compel myself to do this work fastidiously, and well, in the context of the demands of other people who have different priorities for the work. My overarching thought is that I want to create a beneficial intellectual legacy. This means thorough, thoughtful reviews of the literature (challenging when one is a bit sleep-deprived), and carefully raking through reams of data, all with the backdrop of trying to keep myself fed and bathed and human.
