Countdown Commences

I am on a countdown calendar toward finishing my dissertation. The end is still months away, but deadlines are looming nonetheless. I have a few priorities right now: publish papers, finish the dissertation work, keep my sanity. Keeping my sanity trumps all others. What's the point of getting a graduate degree if I lose my sanity in the process? Then I'd be a mad scientist which always looks like more fun in the movies than in real life.

Here's my sanity plan:

• Limit unnecessary time on the computer. This makes blogging difficult and has made me miss a few Facebook event invitations, but it's necessary.
• Exercise. I have bicycling goals and running goals right now. I don't always meet those goals because sometimes I spend a day skiing or hiking instead.
• Spend at least one day a week not working. This is actually difficult when I'm in the middle of a program or paper but also necessary. If I don't take at least one day off on the weekend, then I find myself burnt out halfway through the following week.

I have several other blog posts in my head, just waiting for some spare computer time to get written. They are mostly about winter trails in New Mexico and knitting.