Comments on: My daily writing quotient https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/ Writer, Author, Speaker Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:09:07 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: June https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31495 Wed, 02 Mar 2016 21:09:07 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31495 In reply to lauravanderkam.

Thanks I appreciate these suggestions. I have spent a lot of time trying to turn myself into a morning person.

]]> By: Jamie https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31494 Sat, 27 Feb 2016 03:27:31 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31494 This is such a timely question for me — I have been feeling painfully behind at work for the past couple of weeks. I am prepping two classes this semester, and there is a limit on how much content creation I can manage in a week. (I don’t have a number of hours for that limit, but I can say with confidence that it is lower than I would like it to be in these circumstances.) I have known for a long time that I max out on the amt. of grading I can do in a day — it’s as if my inner judger just runs out of gas, and attempting to push past that limit turns me into Crabby Mom.

]]> By: lauravanderkam https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31493 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:57:38 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31493 In reply to Lily.

@Lily – if you took a 2.5 hour nap, you probably needed it! Congratulate yourself on a productive day up to that point, and then a good dose of self care afterwards.

]]> By: lauravanderkam https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31492 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:56:46 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31492 In reply to June.

@June – you may just not be a morning person. And that’s fine! You can do some clearing the decks stuff in the AM, but set a time when focused work must begin. Maybe there can be some ritual for telling yourself it is time for the tougher tasks. You can start slow but then over time a good ritual can put you in a different frame of mind…

]]> By: lauravanderkam https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31491 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:55:22 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31491 In reply to Jerald.

@Jerald – I agree that the right sorts of breaks can do wonders. That’s why I often run in the afternoon. I like the idea of morning exercise, but I would probably still walk in the afternoon even if I ran in the morning. Fresh air wakes me up!

]]> By: Jerald https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31490 Fri, 26 Feb 2016 04:17:47 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31490 There is a common theme in my most productive stretches: work hard in short bursts of up to three hours, take a break to refresh, and do it all over again. I have noticed that my energy level and productivity declines after three hours. The breaks help refresh me and get focused for powering through challenging tasks. My favorite breaks include playing with the kids, exercising or sitting down for a meal with the family. Even just a ten minute walk can get me back on track. I have been able to put in some long hours when needed and have some quality time.

]]> By: June https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31489 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:25:36 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31489 In reply to Mary Vanderkam.

This is such a terrific response!

LV – have been thinking about my morning routine again, and it occurs to me that a lot of the problem is that I am very slow to get moving/fully awake. I am not one who pops up after X.Y hours of sleep. Any ideas how to better use the morning given my slow start – It’s tough for me to tackle harder tasks at that hour (physical or mental).

]]> By: lauravanderkam https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31488 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 20:01:04 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31488 In reply to beth.

@beth – probably true. I just have to make sure I hit that number frequently!

]]> By: Harmony @ CreatingMyKaleidoscope https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31487 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 19:14:26 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31487 I have given up on trying to explain mental fatigue to my husband. He is a laborer. If a wall needs to be painted, he pushes through and gets it done. He has never been able to understand that sometimes I just need a break. My brain gets tired and I can’t just “push through” like he does.

I hope to attend one of your events someday, when you venure a little closer to my neck of the woods 😉

]]> By: Lily https://lauravanderkam.com/2016/02/my-daily-writing-quotient/#comment-31486 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 18:57:15 +0000 http://lauravanderkam.staging.wpengine.com/?p=5947#comment-31486 I really need to have another go at tracking this and try to work it out! I think I’m improving at my time and task management – things like setting realistic goals for what I can get done in a day; planning my weeks/days/work sessions out; and generally getting more strategic about the chess pieces of life. But energy management is where it can all fall apart. Yesterday was a pretty good day – met friends for a quick breakfast, had a focused session at work, then walked to my weekly volunteer shift while listening to an audiobook, volunteered (writing an email to my mother in the few gaps when I was waiting around) and walked home. Friends! Work! Exercise! Volunteering! Making good use of little pieces of time! And then I decided to sit on the bed and listen til the end of my audiobook chapter before cooking dinner. Well, I woke up from my unexpected nap 2 1/2 hours later… So much for the planned healthy dinner and study session that would have made it an great day… I was groggy and exhausted, so had a quick snack, watched some tv and had an early night. Still I’ve been sneezing all morning so I suspect I’m coming down with something and shouldn’t be too hard on myself. But for me, unpredictable low energy levels are where it all falls apart…knowing when I’ve hit a ‘work limit’ might be part of making that more predictable.

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