Moderate Success

Day one of my new discipline enforcement program has been a serious success. I’ve had my most productive workday in months, I plotted out a schedule and stuck to it—including the writing of this blog post, which is happening precisely when I scheduled it last night—and I’ve accomplished everything I’ve set out to do today.

The most important thing here has been an absolute blackout of Facebook. It’s out of my phone, it’s no longer a tab on my browser, and for today, at least, I haven’t even thought about it. I haven’t checked it at all since before I wrote yesterday’s blog post, and I think this policy has saved me at least an hour today, if not more.

The Gmail situation needs improvement, but it’s still better than it was. I checked my email more than the once per hour I’d originally planned, but these were more “situational checks,” meaning I didn’t go anywhere near it until I’d finished whatever task needed my extended attention.

I’ve also gone back to my old habit of keeping a very detailed calendar. I planned today out on Google Calendar, allowing a decent amount of leeway in case something ran long—or in case things went completely sideways, which often happens. Thus far—and this period of writing is the last thing I have scheduled for today—everything’s been perfect. I’ve stayed within the time parameters I’d set up, I’ve stuck to my plan, and I’ve gotten a shitload of work done.

So far, so good. Hopefully this level of discipline, once it becomes habit, will enable me to dig out some entertaining shit on this site—but for now, you’ll have to bear with me as I exorcise all this shit in public.

On to DAY TWO.