The April’s Spell 2024

What if the month gave you an option to create your own new spell and make the magic out of it? Now that is the theme for my 2024 April. I want to create a magic spell and spread it across. However, here is the list I have for the month:

1. Complete the A to Z challenge with decided themes – one on blog post and one on IG.
2. Read and finish 5 novels
3. Conduct 2 workshops
4. Complete literature survey document for PhD Thesis (this sure is an never ending journey)
5. Prepare comprehensive document with necessary and required details
6. Write 4 research papers

The spell I want to create is ‘De La Luz‘ meaning – “of the light!”. My list above is to keep track and align me with my works. Otherwise, I have bigger plans. Let there be light! Here is to the most awaited month, April, ahead and upward.

Hello February 2024

I had every plans to make this post on 31st of January but here I am on the ninth day. Lazy? maybe. Maybe not. But I want a to-do list for the rest of the month. I have been wondering for a theme to select and I am in bits and pieces. Apart from closing an academic semester, the month so far has been handling bits and pieces of work and a few health concerns.

Theme: Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys

Yes, I want to handle my won circus and my own monkeys. Here is a list.

1. Reading: Complete 4 novels, 10 research papers

2. Writing: 10 blog posts, 10 instagram poems, 1 novella completed and published

3. Workshops: host 2 short workshops

4. Research writing: Organization of thesis chapters and first version of all chapters (200 pages)

5. Academic Writing: 3 camera ready papers, 2 paper drafts, 1 book chapter, 1 business/marketing paper submission, 1 concept paper, 5 reviews

6. Personal: Travel (short trip), eat a lot, exercise less, finish 3 series and take care of health

7. Collaboration: reach out at least 6 people for collaboration work

October and Sky of 2023

I have been doing monthly resolutions this whole year and I am up for new experiences. This has been a year of travel. Now that my workload has caught me and schedule got insane, I guess I have got the perfect theme for this month.

I have always been a people person. Or at least I think so. Have always prioritized the help one needed or meeting people a high priority than my personal or professional works. I have stopped reading a novel because a friend texted. Most of my works have been delayed because the time went by in helping or being with others. For the month that is remaining, I want to be MEAN. My theme for this month is ‘Being Mean‘. I want to do my works first and give them a high priority. This could be an experiment. I will revert back if it gets a disaster anytime between. But I believe its time to try being mean. I also know this is not actually a mean ‘mean’ or may be not even a mean.

Here is my list of works I want to get done being mean (with a super hectic professional schedule):

1. Host two workshops
2. Complete the research comprehensive document
3. Take a solo trip
4. Read three novels
5. Drastically reduce the screen time
6. Prepare for NaNoWriMo

I am already loving the vibes. 😛

September Wraps

After a long month of August, I had decided to take a quick break before I do my September goals. Here we are, 11 days passing by at a flash speed. Yesterday, I had two questions. Where did the 11 days ago? Also, as my son completed his 8, I had to ask again, how did the 8 years go!!??

My theme for this month is “Wrap It“. There are many things that I had started this year which all needs a wrap and I plan to use the remaining days to complete them. Here is a list:

ONE: Wrap up Research Papers (September has the deadline for all)
Submit 11 papers (6 were done last Sunday).

TWO: Wrap up reading two Novels
I am half way through both. I plan to complete both and finish at-least one more. (The Song of Ecstasy, The Vedas and Upanishads)

THREE: Wrap Up Comprehensive Document for PhD
I have around 50 more pages to go.

FOUR: Wrap up the Course Design
My course is completely revamped. New semester starts from Oct 3. Need to be ready with the new course content and design. Most of it is done. Need to give a final touch

FIVE: Wrap Up the Travel (that was planned)
I had made this travel plan with a friend. Our tickets are booked. Looking forward for those 5 days. I would love to be absconding from real world and be in my world of happiness.

SIX: Wrap up ebooks
I had started 2 ebooks and both are half way. This will be low priority work.

There are numerous other things that will be playing in the background. There are many birthdays of the people I love. There is my favourite festival. Well, September is going to be a complete package.

Love, August

Well, I was supposed to blog all through month and guess who did amazingly bad?

Here was my list:

1. Complete reading 4 novels – Almost in the verge of completing two

2. Write and publish 2 e-books – Could not

3. Read 2 new textbooks on research – Completed

4. Draft and work on 12 research papers – Work-in-progress

5. Design algorithms course using PBL – Worked on

6. Conduct 2 workshops – Conducted

7. Travel to 2 new places – With pleasure did

8. Watch 31 movies – Completed

9. Work on PhD research design and its components – Worked

10. List 100 modules of Knit – Could not

11. Make 20 blogposts – Made 2

12. Write 100 pages of thesis – Did write a 50

I am sure I will be back by or before September 10 with the goals for remaining days. For now, there is a lot to catch up on.

Layers of August 23

While I will be completing my three months internship today and heading back to hometown, from tomorrow, the first of August is a new start. New start in the same old place and back home. Trust me, so much can be done in three months and also, three months is not enough to do so many things. While a lot of commitments to meet people are still pending, I am left with no other options.

My theme for month of August is: (just being Italian) “Nuovi inizi”, meaning new starts. The idea is to see everything from a new lens. Pick every on-going aspect of life and give a new perception to it. Here are my goals as they align to the theme (will be):

1. Complete reading 4 novels

2. Write and publish 2 e-books

3. Read 2 new textbooks on research

4. Draft and work on 12 research papers

5. Design algorithms course using PBL

6. Conduct 2 workshops

7. Travel to 2 new places

8. Watch 31 movies

9. Work on PhD research design and its components

10. List 100 modules of Knit

11. Make 20 blogposts

12. Write 100 pages of thesis

June Story Wrap

Where did the time go? Here is my status:

1. Sleep well and continue to exercise – the only thing I did best.
2. Travel and explore – the second best thing I did with satisfaction.
3. Formulate research question and complete the data collection for internship – formulation took a lot of time. Data collection is 67% done.
4. Read 4 novels – In the half of first.
5. Write and submit 2 abstracts for REES – submitted 3.
6. Prepare 4 research questions for REU – Prepared. They need to be refined yet.
7. Complete the detailed design for DSA PBL delivery – completed.
8. Complete first 4 chapters for PhD thesis – started first.
9. Read 4 text books on qualitative research – completed one.
10. List 100 steps of Knit Engine design – could not start.

I don’t have any complaints of how the month went by. If anything, all I have is happiness.

April 2023? Where Did It Go?

Here is how I did on my April goals:

1. Complete A to Z challenge with two themes. (Look up for next post for theme reveal) – completed

2. Complete Camp NaNoWriMo (Novel Editing) – Could not work on and complete

3. Work out on internship proposal – Worked

4. Submit comprehensive document – Not yet

5. Read 3 Novels – Completed

6. Travel to one place – Done, two.

7. Exercise atleast 24 days – Did as many and I could not in last one week because I got a tattoo. Yay!

8. Surprise thy-self and live it out – Did that amazing!

Apart from this, I did do many other things. Many which I am proud of. The best of all was to get the long due tattoo. Well, every tattoo has a story and so does mine. And its it shall remain with me.

Well, how did your April go?

March of 2023

With a week more left in the March, as it has been so for the first 3 weeks, I would want to continue to have the messy-ness.

March? – A Mess

The highlight of the month was randomness, travels, mess, more mess, unexpected and then being with the flow. I don’t know how I pulled out the first three weeks. It amazes me for the things that I could manage through the first three weeks. The last week is a breather and I am very much in need of that.

I want to make the best use of remaining nine days. Keep it messy and be happy and proud of every moment that passed by. I have found a profound meaning for love and it makes me happy. Isn’t everything about being what we truly are and be fearless every single day?

I will be coming back for April goals. And April is A to Z and Camp NaNoWriMo. Okay, I need plans!

October Carnival 2022

I have been doing monthly resolutions this year and so far has been satisfying.

Do we need to reason for everything we do or feel? Not right!? My inner feelings holler me that this October will be the best of 2022, by far. I guess it’s the festivals and the holidays that make me feel so. Maybe that or maybe not and it’s also good to have positive vibes. Here are my goals for the month.

Writing

Personal Writing:
Plot and sketch the layouts for the novel – Love is Not Everything. This is my prep for NaNoWriMo 2022. I think I have an amazing plot (that I always do and I guess every writer is evidently supposed to feel that). I only want to have the outlines for now and the rest I believe will flow with words.

Research Thesis:
Write 20K more words for the survey thesis. Include and contribute to all chapters and also create new chapters.

Seminar Course Work:
Produce at-least a 100 page literature on how social problem scenarios can be used for problem based learning. This has to be completed before October 6 and presented for approval.,

Indian Relics:
Formulate and advance on the collaborated work with ideas, conflict and at-least 10 pages of work. Area of work is time and space.

White Paper on MSME:
Complete and submit the white paper for the contest. Have more surveys done. Around 7k words with proper design aspects is the aim.

Research Paper Writing:
Okay, this is a long list. I plan to do my best. Some are preparations for November deadline and some are for October itself. ‘WIP’ is a work-in-progress draft and ‘Submission’ is name-wise.

• Submit three camera ready versions for ADSSS (Submission)
• One completed submission to IEEE (Submission)
• Three ready first drafts for IEEE – REU (WIP)
• Two first drafts for MIT (WIP)
• One first draft for JEE (WIP)
• One completed guest editorial for JEE (Submission)
• One SLR paper – initial works (WIP)
• Guest Editorial article for SEE (Submission)

Blog Posts and Shorts:

• Write at least 2 technical blog posts
• Write at least 10 general blog posts
• Write at least 10 poems on Instagram

Others Goals

• Complete reading at least 4 novels, three on writing helps
• All above mentioned writing would need ample reading which I suppose cannot be quantified
• Visit at least 4 new places and travel more
• Be a host and conduct at least 2 workshops
• Makes notes for research methodology course
• Complete two MOOC courses relating to PBL

My end goal is to live more and be more present. I don’t know what that ‘more’ means but I will certainly do my best. We all can have our own definitions. And I know October has a lot of writing and I believe it is for the best.

I already had a fulfilling and productive day 1 and hoping the same for rest of the month.