Midsummer: Taking Stock

Good heavens, it's already July 15. This is not a good thing. While I have had a very good and eventful summer so far, things have not happened as they need to. July 15 seems a good midpoint to the three summer months, although technically I was done with regular semester classes and teaching by May 15 or so.

Here's what I've accomplished so far this summer:

• Packed up and cleaned my old apartment
• Closed on the house
• Painted several rooms of the house
• Moved into the house
• Unpacked the house
• Hosted five sets of visitors for varying periods of time
• Planned and taught one course
• Planned and taught 1/3 of a second course
• Read seven books for pleasure
• Had one meeting with one of my exam committee members

Not a horrible list. However, there are too many more things that need to be on that list to feel any real sense of accomplishment. I'm also trying not to beat myself up too much about it because that will only be discouraging in attempting to actually accomplish what ought to be done.

I have 4 more weeks of the course I'm currently teaching, then 2.5 weeks off before classes start on August 31. I have approximately five months until the scariest exams of my life and have done NOTHING for them this summer. This is very bad. I also have a 15 minute paper that I'm giving in nine months, with the final draft due in six months, that has received none of my attention. Bad, bad, bad.

By posting this entry, I am now making myself accountable since I have put it into the public sphere, or at least to the 2(?) people who read this blog.* I MUST make goals for how much I want accomplished at the end of August. I MUST make a daily schedule to maximize my time. I MUST stop acting like such a slacker. I'm starting to feel that horrible feeling of sinking underneath all that must be done and hasn't been due to poor time management. This is all very interesting because I'm not a procrastinator and generally manage my time quite well. Something about the summer. And a new house that provides a constant to-do list. And a husband who works hard all day that I like spending time with in the evening. And hilarious blogs to read. And groundhogs to stare at out the window. And a million other things that I let hold me back.

Thank you for reading. Your participation in this makes me accountable :)

*That number is based on the maximum number of comments I've received on any one entry in the last month