I'm in the midst of a hellish waiting game. Waiting for graduation. Waiting for vacation. Waiting for the cheese and wine pairing class I'm going to on Saturday. But more than anything right now, I'm waiting to hear back about an internship that could be a total life-changer, and going crazy in the process.
I know a useful distraction would be a better choice, and actually tends to move things along in that ironic fashion. Similar to when you go to make that quick phone call for a dental appointment in line at the drive-thru: Then and only then does the seemingly endless line decide to move, and you're the jerk on the phone, making either Ronald or Dr. Weinberg now wait on you.
But waiting for something important is its own brand of paralysis--at least when it comes to doing anything truly productive. And while pondering this unproductively, I came across a blog post that makes some suggestions as to what to do with all that finger-twiddling energy: Several Unproductive Things You Can Do While Waiting.
I couldn't have said it better myself. But I'm gonna try.
1) Make lists. There's a shocker. But if there's ever a time when you can sort out all the stuff you're supposed to be doing, make it look all pretty and color-coded, but not actually do any of it--this would be it.
2) Google anything and everything related to what it is you're waiting for. Baby stuff if you're pregnant. Stuff to do on a trip if you're pining for that vacay this summer. Packing ideas if you're moving. Monologues if you're waiting for Godot. You get the picture.
3) Stare at the clock. This works best if you're waiting on something short-term, like the end of a class or workday, or the beginning of happy hour. If it's a longer timeframe, I recommend looking at the calendar a lot, maybe doing the X's thing, and using a site like this to have a more accurate grasp on the countdown.
4) Clean stuff. This is just about the only productive thing I can manage while waiting on something. It doesn't take a lot of focus or brain power, and in the end, my whites come out whiter. If you're already a cleaner by nature, maybe tackle those once-a-year chores, like dusting the blinds or cleaning the inside of the freezer. (If you do these more than once a year, kudos to you. I really should make a list to do them more often.)
5) Pinterest. What a waste of time. What a ridiculous and lovely waste of time.
6) Sleep. It's one of my favorite pastimes anyhow. Plus, it worked on Christmas Eve when I was 8, why can't it work now?
7) Watch a lot of movies and television. This borders on productive, if you're like me, with a giant list of things you "have to" watch. Clear out the DVR, rate some stuff on Netflix, discuss it with friends, feel better somehow.
8) Talk incessantly to friends and family about this thing you're waiting on. Actually, don't stop there. Facebook, co-workers, strangers on the bus, the checker at the grocery store, the panhandler at the gas station--you tell 'em. Go ahead; it's not annoying at all.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
The Carefree Diaries
I've had a long enough hiatus from this blog, wouldn't you say?
Today's list will be a personal journey. OK, it's really not that sappy. Or maybe it is. Either way, you're getting this list, so keep calm and carry on.
My long-awaited, late-blooming graduation is now only three months away. And while I'm ready to relax and don sombreros in Mexico with my homegirls, it's not all fun and flan just yet. I have 18 units of absolute chaos to feel my way through first, balanced with a handful (read: three) of part-time jobs that keep the creditors away. And the group projects! So many group projects. I realize that's the case in the "real world," since I've been in it for some time, but more often than not, the real-world colleagues I'll be working with post-graduation don't ignore emails altogether and no-show to meetings. Le sigh.
Speaking of which, I have begun the incredibly intimidating, potentially life-altering process of applying for my re-entry to the real world, via internships and jobs that fall within--gasp--the field in which I want to work. I can't help but feel like it's a make-or-break moment for me: Will I work to live, or live for my work?
My point is this: I'm pretty overwhelmed at the moment. So in order to save myself from myocardial infarction, it's best to pull a Julie Andrews and simply remember my favorite things.
To round out this slightly stressful blog beginning, here's a relaxing end: a list of some of the strange and fanciful stuff that bring about my mellow. Feel free to comment and add yours; there's no such thing as too many of these.
1. Crayon-scented Volkswagen interiors
2. The Commodores' "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)"
3. Garrison Keillor telling me stories through my vintage radio/record player cabinet speakers
4. Road trips with good friends
5. Reading on a patio or porch (sublist: currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dante's Inferno, and Keith Richards' and Lucille Ball's autobiographies)
6. Theme parties
7. Bossa nova
8. The opening sequence to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, with the assembly lines of candy
9. Hiking with picnics at the end
10. Bob Ross
11. Golf and tennis tournaments playing softly on a TV in the background
12. Naps in the sun
13. Art museums
14. How my hands smell after I've been picking tomatoes from a garden
15. That wet musty asphalt smell reminiscent of log rides
16. Movies with balanced characters and ambiguous endings
17. Crossword puzzles
18. Coloring books
19. Knitting
20. The nostalgic feeling that winter always brings
Today's list will be a personal journey. OK, it's really not that sappy. Or maybe it is. Either way, you're getting this list, so keep calm and carry on.
My long-awaited, late-blooming graduation is now only three months away. And while I'm ready to relax and don sombreros in Mexico with my homegirls, it's not all fun and flan just yet. I have 18 units of absolute chaos to feel my way through first, balanced with a handful (read: three) of part-time jobs that keep the creditors away. And the group projects! So many group projects. I realize that's the case in the "real world," since I've been in it for some time, but more often than not, the real-world colleagues I'll be working with post-graduation don't ignore emails altogether and no-show to meetings. Le sigh.
Speaking of which, I have begun the incredibly intimidating, potentially life-altering process of applying for my re-entry to the real world, via internships and jobs that fall within--gasp--the field in which I want to work. I can't help but feel like it's a make-or-break moment for me: Will I work to live, or live for my work?
My point is this: I'm pretty overwhelmed at the moment. So in order to save myself from myocardial infarction, it's best to pull a Julie Andrews and simply remember my favorite things.
To round out this slightly stressful blog beginning, here's a relaxing end: a list of some of the strange and fanciful stuff that bring about my mellow. Feel free to comment and add yours; there's no such thing as too many of these.
1. Crayon-scented Volkswagen interiors
2. The Commodores' "Easy (Like Sunday Morning)"
3. Garrison Keillor telling me stories through my vintage radio/record player cabinet speakers
4. Road trips with good friends
5. Reading on a patio or porch (sublist: currently reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dante's Inferno, and Keith Richards' and Lucille Ball's autobiographies)
6. Theme parties
7. Bossa nova
8. The opening sequence to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, with the assembly lines of candy
9. Hiking with picnics at the end
10. Bob Ross
11. Golf and tennis tournaments playing softly on a TV in the background
12. Naps in the sun
13. Art museums
14. How my hands smell after I've been picking tomatoes from a garden
15. That wet musty asphalt smell reminiscent of log rides
16. Movies with balanced characters and ambiguous endings
17. Crossword puzzles
18. Coloring books
19. Knitting
20. The nostalgic feeling that winter always brings
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