I was off my game today. I found out at work that I didn’t bring my laptop. That never happened to me before. I was just confused. Have been all week, maybe. Not sure how it happened, but the way this week unfolded was just weird. Maybe it was because I took Monday and Tuesday off? A short week sounds like fun, but it often just means more work in the remaining days. Maybe it was the content of my work for the week. Many random things to arrange, but very little actual feeling of progress. Reviewed two papers this week, plus I taught a couple of classes (including one on life tables… more like death tables, they drain my soul). Usually, you get very little to show for these things, except perhaps you can tick them off the to-do list. Luckily, I managed to finish, erase or undo most of the weirdness before the weekend, so I can start the next week with an emptier slate.
Hopefully a cleaner slate will give me some time and brain space to pick up some of my own work from the shelf – where it’s been lying for a while – blow off the thick layer of dust that has accumulated on it, and get it done. There’s a paper with very minor revisions to resubmit. It’s a shame that has already been postponed for so long. It’s not much I need to do. I just need to get it done. Another manuscript with nice data that I already analyzed, and only need to write up results and discussion to finish it. I just haven’t gotten around doing it. For those that liked my recent invited views piece, you will love this too! It’s all about light pollution and the phytobiome. It will be my favorite data paper, perhaps because it’s the first thing I designed after my PhD? But also because I think the story will be fun and straightforward. The story line is all there, with strong data to support it. I only have to put it on paper. I need a couple of calm days to focus! Lastly, I hope to brush up and submit my written grant proposal, with the feedback from my collaborators.
All I need is some time.
How can that be so hard?
Robin Heinen 