Long-time readers know that I love Beethoven (particularly his Sixth Symphony, the “Pastoral”).
Readers also might know that I keep a fairly busy schedule. Doing so requires sticking to routine, but that’s not always my strong suit. My mind tends to jump from one task to another, but I find that writing out a detailed “to-do” list and crossing it off helps me to focus in on a task for extended periods of time.
When I really get into something—working on a new collection of piano miniatures, grading papers, or writing blog posts—I can focus in for hours, and often do that. But working into that flow state takes time and, more importantly, motivation. It’s the latter that I have been lacking the past week, a combination of end-of-the-school-year exhaustion and a renewed interest in Civilization VI.
So I thought it’d be interesting during this winding down season—when my own routine is about to change to the more leisurely pace of summertime—to look at Beethoven’s daily routine, care of YouTube channel Inside the Score.