Week of accomplishment, endorphins, and checkboxes

There is something so rewarding about checking off a little box. I mean, it feels goooood. I'm sure that the explanation is quite simple: You set a goal, and now you've accomplished it. Endorphins are released and your mood is increased. Just like anything else associated with endorphins (e.g., running, eating) I really think that the whole thing can be a little addicting... if you let it. Therefore, my plan this week is to become addicted to box-checking. Week of accomplishment, we will call it. And you, dear readers, will be responsible for holding me accountable...

How is it addictive, you ask? I'm tellin ya, that feeling of glory that comes along with the accomplishment can't be beat. Its the same feeling you get when you finish a marathon you've been training for, I think. Or when you finally get into the grad program of your choice. Check! Just sent out an email that you've needed to send for about 5 days... check! [enter glowing feeling of accomplishment] Same deal... lesser scale.

This week, I have several things I want to accomplish. Some work related, some school related, some personal things, and some social things (its good to mix it up, I think). In previous weeks, I do sometimes set my goals too high, so this time I'll try to make them clear and reasonsable. Here we go...

Monday:
- Post in blog about checkboxes (check!!! and the endorphins are flowin'... )
- Attend lab meeting
- Make intelligent contribution to meeting
- Advise young minds on graduate education (i.e., meet with a student who is considering taking a graduate level course)
- Email to finalize phone meeting with professor from Cornell
- Conduct structured interview
- Write report of interview
- Conduct another structured interview
- Write report of that interview
- Prep for meeting with Michael Tuesday morning
- Find time between the above things to consume some type of nourishment
- Listen to music on my iPOD between these tasks that will motivate me to continue completing them (e.g., Rocky theme song)

Tuesday:
- Meeting with my advisor to discuss Masters thesis project and prepare for phone meeting
- Conduct annual review with advisor and determine sufficient explanation for my pitfalls in the first year (eek!)
- Attend consensus meeting for interviews conducted yesterday and last week
- Conduct structured interview
- Find time to run sometime??

Wednesday:
- Update on progress on above tasks and finish the rest of the week. (not gonna lie, I got a little overwhelmed in terms of where to go next... baby steps, people... baby steps)
- Learn how to post actual checkboxes in my blog instead of these lame dash marks . . .