Plan Post: 1/17-oh, who knows, Sunday?

Self-discipline is a fickle beast. Somehow, I've managed to integrate daily meditation and exercise in my life, but I can't seem to keep up with my Gipson goals. Right now I'm literally locked in my bedroom, but I've managed to write a blog entry and play Scrabble on Facebook for the past, oh, 2 and a half hours. My back is crying "yoga, yoga!" and there's that nagging voice inside my head that is letting me know that this paragraph simply functions to make excuses.

So what did I get done last week? I've read a little bit of both Peraino and Rich, but not anywhere near my goal amount. The second chapter of the Peraino book is all about the confessional and music, so I'm pretty jazzed to take notes on it tonight. I'm obsessed with the poem "Transcendental Etude." I also wrote the rough draft of an introduction to my project that references texts as diverse as Gertrude Stein's Three Lives and the introduction to Michel de Montaigne's Complete Works. I will send copies to my advisors this week, as I would be getting worried if I were them.

I've also worked on a poem that is seriously suffering from the lack of synonyms for "to hover above."

This week, I want to zero in on exactly what it is I want to write about. Using the second and third chapters of Peraino, I would like to critically listen to some music, evaluate her ideas and see how they mesh with mine. While I know it is important for me to keep reading, I need to be writing more-- both poetry and music. I'm weighing the benefits of purchasing Finale 2008 for my laptop so I can compose in peace. My biggest goal is simply to take the time to do my work, to make it as important as meditating and exercising. This week will be the test to see whether I can be my own taskmaster. Otherwise, advisors, expect and email asking for harsh deadlines and other spirit-squashing punishments.

Hopefully there will be notes in here later.