fred_mouse

Follow up from https://fred-mouse.dreamwidth.org/701875.html

The 100 days project finished up Friday just gone. This stalled out badly - I worked out that spending time on the computer wasn't good for Things, and basically pulled back, and then pulled back some more. I'm happier for it, but saddened that I'm still not making the kind of progress I want to with languages. I did get about 200 more of the Wanikani vocabulary to the level desired, so I'm a bit of 60% of the way to the original goal.

Reading on the other hand, is going well. I'm reading more hardcopy than ebooks, which is the opposite of what I expected, but it is the same pattern as above, where being on the computer isn't good. However, I've now transferred a stack of interesting and potentially light reading options onto the work iPad (which means I can read the various graphic novels, which work much better in portrait than landscape), and that seems to be a much better choice. Ebooks are at about 50% of 'target', all the others combined are at about 140% of target.

( More detail on the reading )

I did finish the judging reading that I was doing, other than the one I declared DNF for not being appropriate for category. The shortlist has been released, and the rest of the judges work has been done, so that is off the list for now. I'm still planning on volunteering for a novel category this year, because I have missed that as an option.

The last challenge on that page was the 750 words for January. Which I did, and then lasted a few days into February, when I realised I'm much happier not thinking at that level about what I'm not getting done. If I could find a way to use it for good, for encouragement and celebration, I would. But I was using it for self-flagellation, and reflecting each day that I still hadn't finished anything and all those projects were there, not good. When it was possible to do first thing in the morning, the planning aspect is great, and gives me motivation. What I might give a go is to see how I feel if I use it just for building myself up. Start gently, trying 100 words. Only mentioning the wins of the day. (and just writing that is making the back of my brain arc up and complain).

So, for the next four months, I'm aiming to continue with the reading project. I'd like to maintain momentum with hardcopy books, and get the ebooks up to say, 60% of target. It would be good to get the textbooks to 1/10, and the non-fiction and beat the backlist to 5/10. Finishing the recent publications seems doable, as does the authors alphabet.

The other project I'm going to add is reading (and voting) for the Hugos. I need to contact my favourite local bookshop with a long email (currently in messy draft form) asking which of these they have in stock and which they can get easily. I need to add the works to my reading spreadsheet, so that I can keep track. The fabulous rmc28 has been providing links to the shorter fiction, so I can at least get started on those.

And I'm thinking about getting back to languages by reading kids books. I have a stack of italian kids books, so just reading those (and somewhat harder ones -- a handful of kids chapter books) would be a good start. I have some simple Japanese and Russian ones in my online bookshop wishlist, but that requires more ability to read. But having bought at least one Japanese one that has transliteration and translation, I might just spend more time reading that. And practicing looking things up by kanji!