Recontextualization.
To me, productivity is always productivity for something. I see no point in being productive simply for the sake of it. That’s because it’s all about outputs. The thing I love about working at JISC infoNet is that I’m ‘measured’ on what I produce, not how I go about doing it. In other words, I’m treated as a grown-up.
Something that mature people do is constantly reassess what they’re doing and why they’re doing it; as their circumstances and priorities change, they adapt. The fancy word for it is probably recontextualization. At the moment I’m a husband and father who’s away from home more than I used to be, in the final year of my Ed.D. and blogging every day. One of those has to give.
Blogging every day since the start of the year has been a wonderful discipline for me. But there’s three reasons why I’m going to have reduce my outputs here:
- I spend at least 10 hours per week blogging. That’s time I need to spend getting my thesis done by 21st December.*
- Blogging produces ephemera. I want to produce more e-books (and physical books via Lulu)
- It’s time for me to prioritise things that don’t involve screens during my leisure time.
So what’s staying and what’s going? As a minimum Weeknotes (Saturdays) and Things I Learned This Week (Sundays) shall continue. Other items will appear as and when.
I hope you understand. 🙂
* Why 21st December? I’ll turn 30 on the 22nd and my wife is due to give birth to our second child on the 28th!
Image CC BY-NC-SA net_efekt
This sounds like a necessary and wise move I believe. While I will miss reading your posts each morning, before I head off to work, I can certainly appreciate your decision. When setting up my own blog, which is still very much in its infancy, I had full intentions to blog every day. With such significant commitments at work and at home I have found it very difficult to commit to blogging more than 1/2 times per week. I try to ensure that a majority of the time that I am at home is spent with my wife, away from the computer. A sound philosophy, me thinks! Enjoy re-prioritising your time! 🙂
Thanks James 🙂
I’m glad “Things I learned this week” will continue – a Sunday favourite! Enjoy the additional time with the family (and thesis!) ;o)
Cheers Steve.
I have recontextualised myself recently, from somebody who thought they had reached a limit in tech and could learn no more, to somebody who feels it is my duty as an educator to keep on top of new tech. It also coincided with two of my children beginning to be able to read and therefore gaining a marvellous independence – the pre-5 years are HARD! Thanks for helping me on my journey and don’t feel you need to respond to this comment – take time doing something else!
I’m glad it gets easier after 5! (although with another one on the way I’ll be 35 before the second one gets to that age…) 😮