A not-very-upbeat weeknote this week. My heart is heavy, I have not been keeping all the plates spinning as I’d like, and I don’t have many words left.
At work:
- Website co-production project: pulling more focus than expected, as there are a million details to sort out for two online events next week and follow-up conversations with beneficiaries – lots to squeeze in this side of the Christmas break. Also did some research interviews at a drop-in event in Swansea, which has given us our first insights, and the client team is happy to see results starting to come in.
- Social care engagement project: not doing well on the report writing, I can’t seem to give it more than a couple of hours at a time, when I am wishing for a single day of hyperfocus. I am going to have to negotiate an extension on the extension and I don’t like it – but I don’t have another option. I need to carve out the time to do it in small bits if I can’t do it in one big bit, but there’s zero time available next week so that’ll pushing it back ~a lot~. I’ll just have to apologise extremely profusely and explain and hope for the best.
- Co-production resources project: working with the digital development team is going well, but I have catching up to do on the drafting and writing up of resources, and I ~feel~ this hanging over my head! My attention has been pulled in too many directions and I’m unhappy that some projects are bearing the impact of this.
- Facilitating 2 days of business development meetings: finalising the planning ready for delivery next week.
- Project supporting team development: started the ball rolling to arrange 121s with the team and get to know them before we all break for Christmas, and pencilling in a team session in early January. I recorded a little video to accompany my email to introduce myself.
Deliverables this week:
- An advisory and mentoring session for a university co-production group, around their approach to co-evaluation. Always interesting deep dives, I really enjoy these sessions.
- Check-in with business development meetings client to finalise the planning, all is on track.
Development this week:
- Had to turn down a request for tender about the partnership building work that I was told about 3 weeks ago (weeknotes 21) – it was published with a week to turn it around and my days are too full right now to fit in writing a tender, it’s unfortunate timing.
At home:
- I dropped off the left over cat meds and unopened food to the vets. They were lovely and knew who I was the minute I walked into the surgery. After a few days of not feeling a lot about Tom being put down last week, it’s hit me properly this week. I am noticing the absence of all the things that he brought by his presence, the little noises and big demands for attention, and the fact I can now wear my good navy jumper in the house without it getting covered in cat hair, or a claw pulling a loop in the knit. I hate it.
- I struggled with the Welsh lesson this week, I have missed 3 through a combination of PMT, work meeting, and looking after Tom last week. I totally forgot to catch up on the recording of last week’s lesson, and only realisd when I opened my folder and found a gap in my notes. I feel like I have forgotten everything I have ever learnt, and finding the words to say what I want feels frustratingly out of reach.
Photo by Noah Silliman on Unsplash