Planning for Week 4.

I think I've figured out a good balance between the goal of the reading ban in week four and the needs of my own life. I'm posting it here now both so I don't weasel more room later, and to get a reality-check in case I'm being too lenient on myself. Because, let's be honest, I do live in other people's writing - a lot - way too much. This week is targeted at people like me. So, here are my thoughts - what do you think, am I weaseling or striking a balance?

First, I will start the reading ban Sunday morning and continue it until I get up the following Sunday morning.

Things I may read during the ban:

1. Anything required for work, based on the priorities of the tasks my boss gives me. Long-term reading items (like "learn this info by summer") may not be read this week, but if it needs to be read this week, it gets read.
2. Letters from friends.
3. I may spend a half-hour a day, no more, reading email, blogs and journals, and online comics that I normally read. External links may be bookmarked for after the week but not followed (this is not the week to start exploring new blogs!). Honestly, at this level of reading, I will have to skip or fall behind on some blogs, but not many.
4. I may spend four hours total throughout the week playing on mushes (which involves reading, but also writing and creativity). That is, actually playing and writing my character as part of what I do, so there's a creative element.
5. I'll probably still be on IM, since that's more conversation than reading, but I probably won't be on it as much. Still deciding on this.
6. Obviously, I may read the AW exercises - but I should read chapter 4 the Saturday before and Chapter 5 the Sunday after the ban.

Things I explicitly may not read:

1. Books, unless somehow mandatory for work (very unlikely), or the bits of the AW that I need to read.
2. Magazines and newspapers, online or physical (again, unless for work, which isn't likely).
3. Random browsing of the web / exploration of sites / online stories / etc.

Other things I'm banning are most online games. There is very little reading in World of Warcraft, but it's still an incredible time-sink and unlike mushing there is no real creative component, in my experience. (I also won't be watching TV, but since I almost never watch TV, that's not really impressive.) I'm also going to try not to use the radio in the car except when listening for the afternoon traffic reports on my way home from work. (The radio in the car is a great way to turn my brain off, I've found if the radio is off I do a lot more thinking. So.)

I may choose to take a day or two (maybe Tuesday and Wednesday) and even skip the 'net on those days, but if I do I'm going to "gift" their half-hour to the next day just to keep up. Yipe.

Yes, that's more than she said we had to give up, but I'm keeping a bit of reading so it seems fair to me - plus it's in the same spirit. Besides, I don't think World of Warcraft-type games were even on the radar when she wrote this book! :)