So, sadly it is December 1st. This means that our National Be Creative Month is now over. Here is what I learned through the experience:
- Even if I don't meet my goals (which I didn't), I still get more done when I set aside time for my academic creative pursuits, rather than letting weeks (or months) go by without engaging in my scholarly work. I did get a lot closer to my goal (producing a publication-ready essay) than I was when November began.
- I work best with uninterrupted blocks of time solely devoted for the activity at hand. This means: no email, no browsers open, office door stays closed.
- I think it is better for me to set monthly goals rather than overarching, annual goals that I never seem to meet. I think I will get more tangible work done this way.
- I like doing research.
Even though the November challenge is over, I am going to stick with my research schedule (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 8-9 am and Thursday evenings 6:30-9:30 pm). I like this special time I have carved out for my work.
Now, I am setting aside (temporarily) the project I was working on in November. Here's what's on tap for my December goals:
- Revise and prepare a paper for presentation at the Women and the 19th-Century Lied Conference, which I will be attending in Maynooth, Ireland later this month.
- Begin seeking copyright permissions and revising a paper I wrote earlier this year for possible publication in an online journal. (The deadline for this is February 1.)
