This post is in response to the contest (or should I call it a challenge?) organized by @anomadsoul. The post announcing the contest can be found here.
Before diving into my own quarantine challenge, I want to profusely thank the organizer of this challenge for waking me up from my self-induced slumber. I have been grounded at home for over a week now and I am ashamed to announce that the only positive thing I have achieved so far is breathing out carbon dioxide. Apart from causing global warming, we all know how important the gas is to keep all living organisms energized and alive (through photosynthesis).
So far since the lockdown, my typical day involves waking up late to pray in the morning, sleeping back almost immediately after, waking up again to eat breakfast, gallivanting around social media and discord, more foods (and praying in between, I am a Muslim) and tv watching till night comes......rinse and repeat. I've not had any motivation whatsoever to do something meaningfully different until today (after reading anomadsoul's post about this challenge).
I have witnessed a lot of things in life and these experiences have shaped my view about life in general. I personally do not see the need to strive to live beyond just sustenance. I see this life as being temporary without any need to grow beyond what one needs. Consequently, I have repeatedly passed on several opportunities to do something that raise me beyond just sustenance. I was wrong, even though the primary focus for everyone is sustenance, one needs to seek it in a sustainable way and that includes seeking much more than one needs. After all, no one knows tomorrow!
I work as a Research Assistant in a university and got into the lockdown with a ton of examination scripts to mark. Ordinarily, the deadline should have been this last Friday granted that there is no lockdown. Almost two weeks into the lockdown now, I have not touched the scripts until today.
As a researcher, I have got a few completed research that needs to get out there to the scientific community. The only thing delaying this is for me to complete the paper draft and send it out for review in a reputable scientific journal. Publishing these research will, without doubt, advance my career growth but hey, why be in a hurry to advance when all you need is just sustenance!
I am in the process of securing a Ph.D. placement somewhere outside the shore of my country where I will be able to get adequate funding and equipment for my research. One of the things left for the process to come into fruition is to draft a well-thought-out research proposal that is Ph.D. worthy. In order to do this, I need to read and review several research papers in relation to my proposed topic. Guess who has been dilly-dallying!
I have a huge interest in learning how to write codes, especially those that can enrich me as a researcher and data analyst. I started off learning pythons some way back but I have not really progressed the way I should. This quarantine period represents a perfect opportunity for me to start afresh and see how far I can go before the usual hustle and bustle life resumes.
Lastly, I use to be an ardent blogger of stem related articles on steem. My enthusiasm got dampened with low user activities on the blockchain and the emergence of a new hive chain creates an opportunity to start afresh. At least, that is what I thought. Unfortunately, weeks after the launch of hive, I have not made a single stem post. The aim is to publish, at least a stem-related article per week on the hive chain, with or without quarantine.
For the rest of this lockdown period, below are the things I wish to achieve. While some of them are outrightly achievable within the lockdown period, others will take me closer to the finish line.
- Dedicate at least, two hours period to marking of the examination scripts in my care. If I can do this every day for a period of 7 days, the scripts will get done.
- Dedicate another two hours to reading research papers and developing a research proposal to be submitted to my potential supervisor abroad. While I might not be able to put a specific timeframe to when this will get done, I am quite sure I will get a headway within a few weeks.
- I also hope to spend between one to two hours watching videos and reading relevant materials to advance my coding knowledge. I want to see how far I can go with self-taught coding before enrolling in a physical class.
- Writing drafts for research to be published in a reputable journal requires maximum concentration which is quite not possible with my wife and kid within the house. Hence, I guess this will have to wait till I can go to the office, after the lockdown.
- Lastly, I genuinely hope to spend time updating my hive blog by creating stem-related content at least, once a week. Spending thirty minutes per day on writing for six days should be enough. The success of this resolution can be examined via my blog. If I do not update it at least, once in a week, perhaps events have overtaken my schedule.
Doing all these, I believe, will advance myself, my career and place me in a better financial position in the nearest future - ceteris paribus. I will be living beyond "just sustenance".
Thank you all for reading.
You have received an upvote from @build-it as part of our support for participating in the HIVE CHALLENGE! - My Quarantine Goals and Challenges. Thanks to @anomadsoul AND @blocktrades for this amazing challenge!
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