Hey, this is a late review of the week March 25-31, 2019. I’m going to add a WIN / STUCK report here; I got this idea from my friend Jakob, who I check-in with weekly.

WIN – I finally got the MEME “draw graphics from data structure” code working in principle (see above screenshot). Now it has to be refined, but the framework for how it happens is solid enough to support the other aspects of the tool. The MEME tool is for a research grant that investigates how students can reason about system modeling in the sciences.

STUCK – Now that the crunch of last month is over, I am swamped with a hoard of other concerns. I’ll be going on a long family trip and need to prep on what to bring for a month. I am trying to help with a big community event. I need time for myself and my projects, too.

On the plus side, I have recognized that I actually do do a lot of work, whereas before I thought I was doing less than most people. I no longer think this is the case, so I am just trying to accept it gracefully. An unexpected benefit of this acceptance is that I’m feeling better about doing household chores, as I see this just as the continuum of work things I have to do. Before I thought it was taking away from time that could be spent doing important things. Now that I think of everything I do as important (at least to me, which is sufficient), I am not in the mindset of feeling ALWAYS BEHIND and NEVER PRODUCTIVE ENOUGH. This is one of those situations when “knowing that what I do is enough” and “feeling what I do is enough” are not aligned. Maybe now the alignment is there.

Those are the major insights from the last week. Let’s quickly review the details using the standard report format.

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WHEW it has been a busy week. I’m in a full-bore CODING MODE, which is an interesting mode because I’m putting must of my energy into it at the expense of other projects. This is fine, though, because it fits with the three slots of attention working model I’ve been working with for the past half year. Because I’ve been in coding mode, I’ve been having a “coder’s diet” (see above SPICY SICHUAN CHICKEN), which isn’t great for my waistline but damn is it tasty.

I have a new way of envisioning work focus that I am calling THE MENTAL SARCOPHAGUS, into which I “seal away the soul of my mortal concerns” so I don’t think about anything but work. Like a zombie, but in a good way! With the solitude and quiet that comes from having sealed my daily concerns away into the sarcophagus, it’s a lot easier to single-minded pursue the work for a bit. It’s similar to other approaches I’ve taken like CRUNCH MODE (a multi-day marathon) and AUTISTIC MODE (closing myself to inputs), but different in a way I have yet to determine. Largely it might be working because I just like saying the word sarcophagus over and over, and being amused by this helps my overall attitude.

But let’s get into the actual review! Hopefully this will be fast! (more…)