Blog members sometimes ask me about my work habits:  I seem to get a lot of writing done in addition to the day job as a university professor and doing the blog and what not.  How’s that happen exactly?  I should say that it’s not happenin’ too well right now: start of classes – teaching 240 students remotely! – and lots of other things–I ain’t getting twit done on my research….

But normally I do try to pack it in.  And how?  My usual answer is that I don’t watch a lot of TV.  And that’s certainly true.  I do watch the news sometimes – I did a lot more, e.g., in election season; but I find televised news both problematic and inefficient, if what you really want is *news*.  It’s problematic because most news shows these days do not demarcate between information and opinion (it’s impossible to do that completely, of course; but sometimes you really do just want to know facts); it’s inefficient because the amount of news you can get in an hour-long show you can easily get in 10-15 minutes if you’re reading from a reputable source.  So there’s 45-50 minutes more to your day, just there!

I do watch sports.  But almost always when I’m working out, since it’s a good way to spend the time.

I used to say that I got a lot of reading and writing done because I didn’t sleep much.  And once in my life that was true.  But no more.  I’m far more productive if I get a good night’s sleep, so I almost always do.

I’d say that I manage to get a lot done mainly because I’m able to focus intensely, I am crazily disciplined, and I’m unusually obsessive about time.  I am not touting these as admirable traits.  Some of those close to me decidedly think they are not.  ?

The traits are all closely interrelated, of course.  Early in my career…

Most posts on the blog are not about me, of course, but about non-sectarian scholarship on the New Testament and early Christianity.  Interested in that?  Join!