On doing things on time
Featured image by Aron Visuals on Unsplash
Next week, my friend Jo and I are going to Abidjan ✈️ to attend the eLearning Africa conference. We are going to give a knowledge exchange talk about how open science is paving the future of scientific research and scholarly publishing in Africa.
This talk is kind of strategic for us and for AfricArxiv since it’ll be the opportunity to meet and talk to decision-makers in higher education in Africa; about what we have been doing for more than one year now.
On this pic, from right to left, Jo, Freda, I and Kajsa, last December at re:publica Accra; where we discussed local languages and Open Science in Africa.
Since I’m the main chairperson of the talk, it is my task to compile the slides that I’m going to use the D-Day. That’s something I should have done by the end of last month. But I didn’t.
When discussing with Jo yesterday morning, I told her this:
« Hello Jo,
So I’m doing great. Physically, mentally, ?.
I have stepped back from some tasks at work and others in order to get more rest. I also plan to take advantage of Abidjan to rest a little. »
She immediately called me after I sent the message, and I felt that she was a little bit exhausted (upset?). And she was right. Abidjan is a crucial step for us and we need to make it ??.
This episode made me realize (again) that I need to set my priorities, to organize better my time, to avoid being overwhelmed with work, to do what I have to do on time.
I just ended up with the slides.
Dear Jo, I greatly appreciate having you as a friend ?. And I know we’ll rock at Abidjan. See you soon ✋✋.
Yesterday, I decided to write one (small) article a day on my blog. This article is, therefore, the second in this series. Like the first two, all the other articles that follow will be in the Daily Notes category on the blog.
EDIT
I just shared this post preview with Jo and asked her if she’s ok if I publish it. And she answered:
« You are the greatest ?
Of course you can publish it. You should add that you are a highly professional and widely interested person and for us it is easy to get confused with priorities sometimes. It is also normal for us to finish things on the very last minute. And yes I am currently exhausted, for exactly those reasons 😉 »
