I recently suggested that students make the most out of their summer and realized that I too needed to get off of my butt. I remembered the Beginner Blogger Challenge so many of us participated in and thought I too could harness the support of the readership and bloggers. And then it hit me… lets have a summer productivity challenge!
Instructions for the 9-Week Summer Productivity Challenge
- Decide on 9 items you will complete in the next 9 weeks. The goals can be big or small, personal or public, tangible or esoteric. Think of why you want to complete these goals and jot them down.
- Provide an introduction of why you want to complete the goals. This too can be personal or more vague, but it has to connect with your vision for the future.
- List your 9 goals in your blog post along with a short description of why you want to complete the item.
- Link back to this post so that other bloggers reading your post can find the rules and join in on the fun!
- Comment in the discussion below to let others know (including me) where your post is located.
- Complete this no later than June 15.
- Its fun to do this and to read what everyone else is doing.
- I’ll write a summary post around July 5 where I feature posts. This will also give you a chance to write your own post with an update of how you are doing.
- This is easy to do and write about. We all need things to write about and this is a great way for us to share what we are all doing.
- We learn from each other and find strength in numbers! Managing a blog is hard, but with the support of others we will continue to post while also completing the list of items we want to do.
After a grilling year in graduate school where I worked on my dissertation (some) and major research (a lot) I was feeling drained. I took some time off to enjoy the outdoors, something I’ll write about later, and decided to make a list of everything I wanted to accomplish by August 1. The list is demanding and will require some serious discipline but I want to complete this list because I really want to get on with my life; being in graduate school is holding me back. I want a house. I want a family. I want to BBQ on the weekends, lol. With this list I set the stage for my future. My list is longer and more detailed so I have decided to list 9 categories I will work on during this period.
- Work daily as if I have a full time job. I got lazy this year and realize my bad ass-ness was more like … just ok work. So I’m enhancing my schedule and keeping productive.
- Enjoy Nature in the Evenings and Weekends. Since I will be working hard during the day I am going to make extra effort to go home at 5 and enjoy my wife and pets. And on weekends we are going to enjoy the outdoors – for free, of course.
- Exercise daily. I too am out of the habit but a new hobby of racket ball I’m ready to work out for an hour each day. If I don’t want to do racket ball I can swim or do yoga.
- Finish the Dissertation. I have some major re-writing to do. Major. But in 9 weeks and 3 hours a day I can get some serious work done. Maybe 3 chapters. Its a goal and I’m rocking out.
- Write Winning Grants. I also was lazy and stopped writing a few grants, odd since I believe in my 1 in 5 rule. I have to get back on track by working on several small grants and will also work on a MAJOR grant for my own employment once I’m done. I’m also going to put my application together early for loan repayment and forgiveness.
- Write my Post-Doc & Job Materials. Yeah, graduation is 6 months to ear away. Time to make my destiny… which means putting a job portfolio together.
- Learn New Coding Skills. I have a bad ass idea for a new application and am learning to code. Watch out!
- Continue to Save Money. Ride my bike. Take my breakfast and lunch. Make my own coffee.
- Learn New Financial Skills for a House. I;m going to speak to a bank to see where I stand. I may not be ready for a house yet, but in a few years I’ll need to be ready. By speaking with a bank now I can set a goal for the future.
- Personal Bonus Item: Blog Regularly. I enjoy doing this even though I don’t make any money. Lets keep up the conversation.
So what are you going to do for your 9-Week Summer Productivity Challenge?