So today I’ve already had to make an adjustment to the schedule (but only for today) because I rose late and I’m not getting started at 7 am.
The first thing I decided was that I’m going to have to have some rules for adjustments. :)
Rules for adjustments to the schedule
- Lost time should be made up in the same day.
- Lost time should be added to the end of the 1–3 time block.
- The 11 am to 1 pm break should stay the same no matter what time I get started.
- Assume there’s an “if possible” tacked on to the end of every rule above. :)
Benefits of the rules
- Sticking to the planned number of hours of work gives me plenty of time to meet my writing goals: 3,233 words a day, 98,333 words a month, 1,180,000 words a year. If it’s ever going to happen, I’ve got to guard the time I need for it.
- Even if I skip my entire morning, I’ll still only have to work until 7 pm to make it up! Meaning I don’t even have to take a break for supper because although I don’t like eating late, 7 pm isn’t too late. ;)
- A simple, recurring lunch schedule throughout the summer means my children can plan to have lunch with me if they want without having to wait to see what kind of work day I’m having. At their ages, they don’t always want, but sometimes they do.
- Having some leeway in the application of the rules always makes me feel better.
I’m feeling hopeful about this schedule. I’m also not feeling pressured the way I usually feel, even though I’ve already messed up with today’s late start, so I’m hoping that’s a sign of good things to come from this experiment!