You'd think this would fill me with joy and peace, but instead, I'm feeling anxious. Big surprise, eh?
Mostly, I'm worried that I won't get done what I want to get done, and paradoxically, that I'll be so caught up either in working or in worrying about working that I won't actually relax and enjoy the time. After all, the whole purpose of a sabbatical is to renew and recharge. The term comes from the same root as "Sabbath," as in, a day of rest after six days of work. Only here, it's a rest after six years of work.
My other concerns have to do with time sucks that I need to avoid, since they're generally not good either for working or genuinely relaxing: housework and Facebook, I'm looking at you.
Anyway, I'm going public with these anxieties so that I know that I'm accountable to you, loyal reader--and to ask whether you have any suggestions about maintaining a reasonable balance between productivity and relaxation. What do you do to stay focused? What kinds of things keep you on track toward a goal? Do you have a regular daily schedule that you follow, or do you go as the spirit moves you (or some hybrid of the two)?
Stay tuned for updates...
