summer plans

Tags

Germany, monday, orgainise, photo, plans, summer, travel

With all of my end of year assignments handed in and all of my students work graded it is now time to start thinking about the summer that lies ahead. My plan is to head over to Germany for a few weeks – some family celebrations and a wedding are calling – and I have decided to stay there and write.

My trip abroad is only one month away so I’ve asked my godmother if I can stay in her weekend get-a-way and she has said yes. So I’ve booked an outbound flight and now I need to figure out when I’ll be coming back.

With that in mind I have a lot to plan, organise and finances to sort out – emails to write are at the top of my list for today. And since I will have a house guest staying in my home while I’m away I need to make sure everything is tidy and clean.

But for now I can say I am getting excited about what lies ahead and only hope everything goes off without a hitch!

where I’ll be staying this summer

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: State of Mind

Tags

future, not knowing, photography, photos, plans, questions, State of Mind, uncertainty, Weekly Photo Challenge, Weekly Photo Challenge: State of Mind

Currently my future is filled with uncertainty. I am waiting for my work issues to be sorted, waiting to hear back from those in charge and get that all important mediation appointment, waiting to now how my summer pans out, waiting to make up my mind what to pick for my Master Thesis – I seem to be in a perpetual state of uncertainty.

Uncertainty is not the most pleasant state of mind and takes up way more energy than you’d deem possible. I find my mind wandering, trying to find answers, trying to come to some sort of conclusion, wondering what different possible outcomes would mean.

So since there isn’t really anything I can do but wait and see I have decided to try and refocus my mind on what I do know and hope that time will pass and that answers will arrive – allowing a clearer view on what the future holds for me.

 

preparation is key

Tags

busy, classes, cycling, Dublin, plans, preparation, schedule, teaching, work

The next two weeks are going to be extremely busy for me. I have a packed schedule and my friends will only see flashes of me as I cycle from one job to the next and climb the stairs to my master classes. I have everything carefully timed and planned out and only hope that rain will stay away – drying off periods are not included in my schedule, nor or flat tyres, so fingers crossed.

But to be able to manage my frantic schedule I will have to pre-prepare – pack my bag in advance and make sure I have lunches tucked away in my saddlebags (I have big red saddle bags that embrace my bike in an eternal hug of practicality).

So yesterday I prepared today’s and tomorrow’s classes, photocopied up a storm (there was actually whirling and twirling of paper as I flicked through pages as fast as I could). And last night (before I had my shower and washed my hair – yes, even personal hygiene has to be scheduled) I packed my bag with all essential paperwork, pens and electronic devices. I even soaked my oats in milk over night to streamline the porridge-making process this morning.

So, yes – preparation is going to be key over the next few weeks and hopefully all will work out as planned. And if any surprises present themselves I just hope they’ll be pleasant ones, ones I’ll love to be interrupted by!

 

 

free fall Friday

Tags

busy, free fall, hardship, hope, masters, MfA, parachute, plans, thoughts, writing

If you FALL, I’ll be there

Floor

After an extremely busy and challenging week today I feel as though I am in free fall. My plans deconstructed and the future uncertain I am struggling to see where things are going.

As I slowly reorganise my life, apply for jobs and attempt to right the wrong I find it hard to feel overly enthusiastic or excited about the great adventure that is my MfA, and so want to, as my lecturers are quite wonderful and may fellow bards are lovely.

But as my back-account quickly drains, my shoulders slowly rise up towards my ears, stress building tension permeating every fiber of my being. However, if the myths are to believed, hardship makes for great writers, so at the very least my grades should be good.

So maybe, for today, I will try and enjoy the thrill of free falling, lie on the wind and allow it to carry me somewhere unknown. And hope that there is a parachute packed safely on my back and that when I pull the cord, as I plummet downwards, it will releases and allow me to securely reach the ground.

change of plan

Tags

cognitive resources, Peter Drucker, photography, planning, plans, procrastination, psychology, quotes, roy baumeister, time and mind, travel

Although I am not teaching at the moment my desk calendar still seems to fill up quickly. And with time running out fast until I hop on a plane for Berlin I have to plan a little bit. And of course there still is my to-do-list of all those little and big chores that seem to pile up no matter what time of year it is.

Studies done by E.J. Masicampo (Wake Forest University) and Roy Baumeister (Florida State) showed, that when we plan ahead we allow our brains to free up our cognitive resources (perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning) for other things. This means that when we plan, we are not just making it possible to succeed in reaching specific goals, but we are actually giving our minds space to deal with other stuff, too. One plan made means; we have time and mind-power to think of the next thing. However the follow-through is an entirely different matter!

As a long-time procrastinator I am a great planner, after all thinking about doing things is what we procrastinators do. But when it comes to completing the plan I am not so great. That is why I was thrilled when I was so organised and had my trip to Berlin all planned out and booked early on this year. Not only did I have a cheap flight and train ticket, but also a lovely place to stay all lined up.

So when I found an email in my inbox this afternoon telling me that the flat I was going to stay in was no longer available (personal issues) I was devastated. For once I in my life I had planned long-term ahead and to no avail. And now I had to change my plans. However as a procrastinator I am great at getting things done at last minute so I have sent out a flurry of emails and pleads looking for a new abode. And I am sure someone somewhere will find a bed and roof for me in the next two weeks. If not I am hoping for good weather and a comfy bridge.

It all goes to show that the famous management consultant and author Peter Drucker was so right when he said:

 

Unless a commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes … but no plans

some afternoon treats to soften the blow

counting down the days

Tags

dreams, inner child, miscellaneous, plans, sandcastles, summer

In two weeks the semester is over and my summer will officially begin. And somehow the anticipation of this summer makes me feel like  a little school girl again. The excited feeling in the pit of your stomach that makes me smile for no reason at all, the need to draw big red crosses on the days that are passing and all those plans and dreams bouncing around in my head.

There are so many things I want to do and so many projects I have planned that I fear the summer may not be long enough. But  with the promise of warmer weather and a city adventure on the horizon I am sure this will be a summer I will remember.

However as I yearn for tomorrow I must not forget today nor should I neglect my duties that I still have. My students are busy finishing up their projects and deserve my full attention, then there is grading and paperwork that needs to be done.

So I am trying to put my dreaming on hold, anchor myself in today and be right in the now. Hard when your inner child has already packed her brightly coloured  bucket and spade and is impatiently waiting to go down to the beach and play. But she will have have to wait for a little while longer count down the days until it’s time to build sandcastles out dreams.

castles, dreams built of sand