Learning by H.E.A.R.T: Time Management

This week I read the Time article "5 Secrets to Managing Your Time, Backed by Research" by Eric Barker. In it he gives five pieces of advice on how to manage time better. First he broke down the concept of work into two categories, "Shallow work" and "Deep work". He says that shallow work is what we spend most of our time on, but deep work is what really needs to be done. His first piece of advice is to schedule time to do deep work. You need to set aside time to focus your attention on the important projects you got going on. His second point is to keep track of how much time a day you spend on deep work. Mark it on your calendar so you can see your progress. Saying no to shallow work is his third piece of advice. Save your time for deep work, and say no to the unimportant work. The fourth point is to have a routine or ritual in place so that you can signal to your brain that you are about to get focused and do deep work. Having these routines can help you get into the zone when you have to do intense concentration. The last piece of advice was to ask your boss how much time they want you to commit to doing deep work and shallow work. By doing this you can show your boss that you are really using your time wisely and that you are an asset to your company.

I think that this was a great article and very useful for not only school, but work life. I never really thought about how much time is wasted doing tasks that, while useful in some sense, aren't useful to the overall picture. I think that applying these tips to school and work life will help me to cut out unnecessary tasks.


Time management

Growth Mindset: Time Management

I think that the only common denominator with all of my classes is that I have a lot of homework in all of them. A challenge I have with all of my classes is time management. I have so much homework due all at the same time, that I have to figure out how to do everything on time. I know it's close to the end of the semester, so this is something I should have figured out a long time ago, but better late than never. I have slowly been finding a rhythm for how to organize my life, which will be very helpful once I get out of school as well.


Time management

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Rama

This picture is of a Hindu god called Rama. He is considered the supreme being. He is one of his most popular incarnations of Vishnu. He is the seventh avatar (incarnation) of Vishnu.

Reading Notes: Brother's Grimm (Crane), Part A

A fisherman and his wife lived in a gross house by the sea. One day the fisherman went out and caught a flounder. The fish said he was an enchanted prince so the man let him go. When he told his wife, she made him go and find the fish again so he could wish for a better house. So, he went back and found the fish and wished for a little cottage, and his wish was granted. They lived in this cottage for many months, when one day the wife told her husband to go back to this fish and wish for a castle. The fisherman was quite content with his house, but his wife insisted that he go. So, out the fisherman went.

So, the man went to the sea and called upon the flounder again. The fish came and when the fisherman told him what his wife wanted, the fish granted his wish. He went back home to find a castle standing there. The wife was so happy. The castle had many nice things inside and many servants as well. The next day the wife decided that her husband should be the king. When he refused, she made him go ask the fish to make her the king of the land. So out the man went reluctantly, and asked the fish to make his wife the king. The fish granted his wish and the fisherman went back home.

When he got back home, he saw his wife sitting on the throne. She wasn’t happy though. She wanted to be the emperor. The fisherman didn’t think that the fish could do it, for there was only one emperor. However, he had to go and ask the flounder. So off to the sea he went. He didn’t think it was right, but he asked anyways, and the fish granted his wish. When he came back he found out his wife was the emperor, but again she wasn’t happy. She now wanted to be the pope. The fisherman now really didn’t want to do it, but his wife threatened him. So back to the fish he went, and again his wish was granted.

When the fisherman went back home, he saw a great church where is little hovel once stood. He went up to his wife and asked her what she wanted to be now. She couldn’t think of a response, but she knew she wouldn’t be content until she came up with something else to wish to be. By morning she decided that she wanted power over the sun and the moon, so the husband went out to find the fish. He granted her final wish, and in the end, she ended up becoming a part of a cuckoo clock.

A rich man had a sick wife. As she lay dying she told her daughter to always be kind to others. After the mother died the father remarried, and she brought along two very mean spirited daughters. They forced her to work for her food, and they made her dress like a kitchen-maid. One day her father went to a fair and asked what his daughters would like him to bring them. All his daughter wanted was the first twig that touched his hat on his way home. She planted that twig at her mother’s grave and I quickly sprouted a fine tree, and whenever she wept and wished, her wish came true. The king of the land invited all the young maidens to attend so his son could pick a wife. The girl’s stepmom would not let her attend because she was all filthy. The stepmother said that only if she could pick out all the lentils from the ashes in the fireplace in two hour, then she could go to the festival. The girl went out and cried and wished at her tree for help, and two birds came to her rescue. After she was done, her stepmom made her do it two more times. Even after that she still wouldn’t let her go. She went to her tree and wished for a dress to wear. When she got to the festival her stepmother and stepsisters didn’t recognize her. The prince wanted to marry her. The girl kept getting away from the prince and wouldn’t let him know her true identity. The prince got her shoe and decided to try it on all the maidens. When the girl’s oldest stepsister tried on the shoe it didn’t fit. So, she cut off her toe and shoved it on. It almost worked, but the prince saw the blood. Then the next stepsister tried and had to cut off her heel. Again, it almost worked, but he saw the blood. Finely the girl was able to try on the shoe and it fit. The prince found his maiden.

Aschenputtel

Bibliography:
Household Stories by the Brothers Grimm, translated by Lucy Crane and illustrated by Walter Crane (1886).

Story: Behind the Veil of Beauty

For the past four years Jessica Anderson has won homecoming queen despite the entire school population absolutely hating her. I, Natalee Germaine, head reporter of the high school newspaper had to get to the bottom of this. First things first, time to talk to the nerds. Everyone knows that Jessica loves to terrorize them every day, so why in their right mind would they vote for her.

“So tell me, what made you decide to vote for Jessica for homecoming queen this year?”

“Oh, um, well I just think that Jessica was the most qualified, you know? She is just such a great role model and a great student.” Tanner managed to stumble out.

Jessica and her King

I knew that Tanner was lying to me, I have seen the things that Jessica had done to him and his friends. I tried to push a little harder on the topic, but Tanner wasn’t budging. I didn’t want to waste my time any farther, so I headed over to my next source. I headed up a little higher on the school food chain and decided to interview Heather Wilson, the captain of the girls’ soccer team. Jessica and Heather have had a long standing feud going on ever since Jessica stole her boyfriend and convince everyone at school that she had herpes.

“So, Heather, I would love to know what made you decide to vote for Jessica for homecoming queen this year? I am sure that the history you have with her would have persuaded you to vote for someone else.”

“Are you taking about what happened between us last year? That was just a big misunderstanding! Jessica and I are on good term now!” I could see the anger in Heather’s eyes as she gave me her answer, but no matter what I asked her, her answer never changed.

I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I knew that something must be going on between Jessica and her so called “friends”. I couldn’t leave this story now, I still had so many questions. I went around the school and I asked a dozen more people, who I knew had bad blood with Jessica, why they voted for her, and every person said the same thing. Why are these people who I know hate this girl, saying all these sweet and nice things about her? It wasn’t until I asked Jessica’s little sister some question, that things started to unravel.

According to Lilly Anderson, Jessica’s younger sister, Jessica has a folder of black mail on at least of the students at our high school. She collects secrets and stores them away to use for her own personal gain. Lilly informed me that this has been going on since the start of middle school, and her stash of knowledge has grown quite big since then. Every year Jessica makes her rounds to all the people on her black list and reminds them of the dirt she has on them. In exchange for her silence, the person has to vote for her for homecoming queen. Lilly told me that everything Jessica said about Heather was true. Jessica found out that Heather didn’t vote for her last year and so she got her revenge.

I can’t wait to write up my article and post it in the school newspaper. When everyone finds out what Jessica has been doing, they won’t be singing her praises any longer.

“The Veneration that is paid to Great and Powerful Men, is but from the Teeth outward, not from the Heart; and more out of Fear then Love.”

Bibliography:

Fables of Aesop and Other Eminent Mythologists by Roger L'Estrange (1692).

Author's Note:

I took inspiration from a fable that has to do with fake praises. It talks about this eagle who claims that she is the most beautiful bird there is, and a peacock replies and tells her that she is. However, it goes on to say that the eagle had talons and a beak that would have hurt anyone who tried to disagree. So when I read that I thought of a high school homecoming queen. Usually the most beautiful girl or the most popular girl in school wins. So I wanted her to black mail her classmates into voting for her out of fear of her telling their secrets to the whole school. I wanted to write it from the perspective of a journalist because they always get to the bottom of a juicy story.

Reading Notes: Canterbury Tales, Part A

Back in the day there use to be a lot of fairies. The fairies don’t exist anymore. There was a knight who vowed to treat all women with respect, but one day he was rude to a woman. Since he didn’t stick to his word he should have been put to death, but he was loved by all that they pleaded for his life. Si King Arthur said that the Queen would decide. The Queen wouldn’t let him off without some sort of punishment. So he had a year to figure out what women wish for the most. So he traveled the world to find his answer, but no two woman agreed on an answer. He had to go back to the Queen without an answer. On his way he ran into an ugly old woman and she agreed to answer his question in exchange for a favor, which the knight agreed too.

The knight's bride

The old woman told him the answer and he was off back to the palace. He told the Queen that woman want to rule their husbands most of all. The Queen and all the other women in the court agreed so the knight left with his life. After he was set free the old woman who helped him came to claim her favor. She wanted the knight to marry her, which he didn’t want to do. However, since he vowed to do so, he married her. He was sad and glum on his wedding day. His new wife scolded him saying that just because she was old doesn’t mean she wouldn’t be loyal. When the knight saw that she made good points, he gave himself over to her. At once she became a beautiful, young, and charming wife.

Bibliography:
The Chaucer Story Book by Eva March Tappan (1908).

Reading Notes: Celtic Fairy Tales, Part A

The king of Lir thought he would be appointed king of all of Ireland. But one of the other king’s eldest sons was elected. He was angry and left the assembly. The other kings would have harmed him because of this but the new king wouldn’t let them. The king decided to join their two kingdoms by marriage to bring peace. He sent the king of Lir three maidens to pick from. He chose the oldest maiden. They had a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and then two more boys after. His wife died giving birth to their last son, and the king mourned his loss. After her death, the high king sent the maidens sister to keep the peace. His new wife loved his children at first, but then grew to hate them. She took the four children out to the lake one day. The kings daughter had a dream that her new mother was going to harm her and didn’t want to go, but she was pressured into joining. She told the people that lived by the lake to kill the children, but they would not. So she attempted to kill them but didn’t have the strength. She made them bathe in the lake, and turned them into swans. The king of Lir had suspicion that his new wife had done something to his children.

The king of Lir found the swans upon the lake, and since they would speak they told him what happened to them. The king then turned his wife into an air-demon as punishment. The king declared that no swan should ever be killed. The children got hurt and separated in a heavy storm, but they soon found each other again. They were so hurt and cold that they just nestled against each other for warmth.

The Children

Bibliography:
More Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs with illustrations by John D. Batten (1895)