Productivity

I entered this summer determined to set aside time for personal goals.  There was a new class I was excited about preparing for, a new research project I wanted to kick start, and a lot of crafting in my queue -- including learning a new skill.

As summer draws to a close, I'm impressed by how much I've accomplished, but also aware of how far I have to go to accomplish those goals.  The research project is well underway, and I have a better idea of what kind of products might result, but it's also clear to me how large it is and how many facets there are, including a related and larger effort that might end up being something that occupies me for years.  The class has taken shape, but I can see that it's only a pilot.  A course of this complexity and about a topic rarely explored in academia will take a few years to get right.

What I've most enjoyed is spending dedicated time on these efforts.  And it's great to see some concrete products, like the knitting and crochet I've been cranking out, as well as the course syllabus, the stack of research notes, and the books read.  I wish I could keep on spending several hours a week on my research, but maybe it's possible to carve out a couple, while treating the time I spend on my course as development efforts for its future.  I know I'm lucky to have the chance to devote work time to projects I'm passionate about, and as my schedule becomes orders of magnitude more crowded with the start of the semester, I'll try to remember that -- and not completely lose the momentum.