Setting Schedules: Life Planner and Daily Routine

I want to make the most productive use of my time, but it can be difficult to be productive when I have the luxury of free time. When there's a day off, it's easy to let the time get away from me; early on, when the entire day is ahead of me, it can be overwhelming, and there isn't the sense of urgency that might motivate me to do something fun or rewarding. Then, when my time is nearly up, it is easy to become either frantic or defeated, and feel unable to get anything done at all.

I've tried various methods of time management and scheduling, including using a few iPhone apps that are designed to help you schedule your day. When I know that I'll have a dedicated period of free time, it can be helpful to plan it out ahead of time. It forces me to think about what I might be able to accomplish, realistically, when I have some time to myself. Just as importantly, it helps motivate me to get started on a particular task rather than dragging my feet and hoping there will be time for it later. I find that it takes less willpower to work on a project if it is already on a schedule and I am being "forced" to do it, because there is less to keep me in line or make me feel obligated when my schedule is open-ended.

Book Review: Everything is Illuminated

I will be posting reviews of the various books I've been reading as part of the book club. The first book on this list is Everything is Illuminated, by Jonathan Safran Foer, which we read during October and November of 2013. The illustration is by Gemma Correll, of the Picture Book Report blog. Please note that this review does contain plot details and spoilers.

Everything is Illuminated is ostensibly about the author's search for a woman, pictured in a photograph, who saved his grandfather's life during the destruction of Trachimbrod, a remote Ukranian village, by the Nazis during World War II. However, the story of his search, as narrated by his guide, Alex, is interwoven with the fantastical history of the shtetl itself, and with the story of Alex, his family, and their connection to the story of Trachimbrod.