The indexing work is going quite smoothly and enjoyably (relatively speaking). I've completed the indexing for seven of the sixteen chapters and only have another 200 pages remaining to be indexed.
In the past, my tendency has been to work on a project, whether or not I'm getting any productive work done, until I'm exhausted or sick of it. But I think that one of the reasons that I'm still enjoying the indexing work is that I've been trying out the "Bonhoeffer approach."
In my masters' days, a work by Bonhoeffer was assigned reading. In it, he described how he limited the amount of time that he would spend on each project during his days in prison. Thus, if he had decided ahead of time that he would only write for two hours, then after two hours, he would stop writing and put that project aside.
I've adopted this method for this indexing project: I decide ahead of time how much time I will work on it (usually only one or two hours each day), and once the time is up, I save my work and close the file.
I'm pleasantly surprised that using this approach, I'm not only still enjoying the work, but also I've already completed half the work.
I'm sure that my supervisor will also be pleasantly surprised, too.
In my masters' days, a work by Bonhoeffer was assigned reading. In it, he described how he limited the amount of time that he would spend on each project during his days in prison. Thus, if he had decided ahead of time that he would only write for two hours, then after two hours, he would stop writing and put that project aside.
I've adopted this method for this indexing project: I decide ahead of time how much time I will work on it (usually only one or two hours each day), and once the time is up, I save my work and close the file.
I'm pleasantly surprised that using this approach, I'm not only still enjoying the work, but also I've already completed half the work.
I'm sure that my supervisor will also be pleasantly surprised, too.
2 comments:
For me, the problem is more in getting started. But I can imagine that if I saw my projects as limited in time/scope for each sitting, I might actually find it less painstaking to get started. After all, it is the monumentality* of the project that makes me hesitate to start.
What a brilliant idea. I'm going to try it.
*It is very much in my field to make up new words.
Starting for me is hard, too. But knowing that I "only" have two hours has helped.
Let me know how this "Bonhoeffer approach" works for you.
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