Back at the end of December I wrote about some academic New Year’s resolutions and goals. Sitting by the fire on this bright and cold early February afternoon, I re-read the post and was actually quite pleased with the progress I have made over the past month.
One of main resolutions was to get writing, and tomorrow I’m handing in a draft chapter to my supervisor. I set myself a loose target of 2000 words per week, and some weeks I wrote more – some weeks less! I discovered quite a lot about how I like to write, and the processes which make it enjoyable for me. Looking forward, I already feel more settled and confident about keeping up a regular writing routine. Watching those pages stack up is most encouraging!
As well as a academic writing, I’ve also been working on putting together a blog post every week. This is fast becoming something I look forward to each week, and it’s a lovely extension to the ‘day job’.
Another of my resolutions was to get more exercise – namely running. The weather, especially the dark mornings, has gone against me here, but I have found a good replacement. After 2 years of walking past it, I have started using the college gym and swimming pool, and have made it part of my daily routine. I really look forward a morning swim, it gets me away from my desk and helps blow the cobwebs away!
So, so far so good really – here’s to another month of productivity, and hopefully, so brighter mornings and longer afternoons.
Kathryn Milligan 