This week’s theme: what is something important that you try to fit into busy times?
(I know, if a cat fits it sits…)
When we were chatting about time hacks a couple of weeks ago DEH reminded me of the well-known story of a professor/teacher/whatever who put rocks in a jar, then little rocks and gravel that settled between the big ones, and then sand that filled the gaps, and eventually a liquid. The lesson of the story is sometimes “put the important things in first because if you stuff the jar full of sand there is no room for the bigger things”, sometimes “remember there is always stuff that doesn’t fit in the jar and that’s ok” and so on… During my second year undergrad one of my profs actually told demonstrated this story, I had not thought of it in years… But in his version he went through rocks to gravel to sand, but when he got into the liquid part he opened a beer (a very cheap one, didn’t waste good stuff), poured in in and said “No matter how full your life gets, you can always make room for a beer with your friends!”
I think that is a
lovely take on the story… So for this week’s theme, what are some of the things
you feel like you can always make time for? Five points to your house if you go
out and do one this week, especially if it makes some of the unexpected crud recede a bit...
Goals below, check in with whatever you want to!
Contingent Cassandra (held over)
--Write two emails having to do with the study
leave and the October program (this is not done but really needs to get done tomorrow,
so good timing).
--At least begin listing and prioritizing the
things I could, should, or must do before the October program and beyond to
advance the study leave project
Daisy
Finish popular article on research topic
Three field trips
Read and comment on thesis chapters URGENT
Begin sample organizing process
Exercise at least 4 times, anything counts
DEH
- Basement
Cat to vet
- call washer hotline
- 20 minutes/day Alms, plus one longer session
- read at least one chapter in each of two scholarly books
- grade undergrad papers
- check grad bibliographies
- go to medical procedure, allow self the rest of the day to recover
- cardio + weights x2, swim at least x2, yoga x4
heu mihi
1. Finish
LOR for grad student
2. Loose ends for ch. 3; start editing ch. 4
3. Finish town document thing
4. Add ch. 3 to master document and fix notes; make progress on bibliography
5. Catch up with teaching stuff; schedule appointments with suspected AI-using
students
JaneB
1
SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing
(ii) continue book about Aztecs, finish or set aside current novel
(iii) play D&D with group or with nibling
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15
minutes
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) declutter kitchen
iii) do more sums/plan summarising related to latest voluntary redundancy
scheme
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) at least one teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep
(non-urgent = happening AFTER next week) ii) do all the needed things to be
ready for next week's teaching
iii) read chapter for grad student
4 RESEARCH
i) an hour of notes on my grant idea
ii) at least two hours on part 3 of discussion for consultancy paper
iii) make mutually agreeable plan for first few weeks with Visitor
Julie
1.
Teaching prep for two modules
2. Admin: organise a viva & a meeting with new TAs.
3. Progress review for a PhD student.
4. Organise photos & notes from trip.
5. Workshop to discuss a colleague's major grant application.
6. Fill in new diary for academic year.
7. Choose tiles for new bathrooms.
8. Exercise, eat healthily, sleep.
Susan
1. Enjoy
presentations at symposium Monday and Tuesday
2. Meet with curator to talk about art
3. Go pick up computer at depot
4. Make inquiries about trade-in of current car
5. Pick up stuff at home
6. Enjoy concert and talks related to it
7. See friends
I LOVE this version of the story!
ReplyDeleteI always fit reading in - I honestly don't know if there has ever been a day when I haven't read something. But there are definitely days when I read more purposefully, as opposed to the days when I re-read something familiar in snatches or as procrastination from something else. So I suppose it's more a case of fitting in reading in a mindful way: 30 minutes last thing in bed, reading something new that I'm enjoying, once other things are out of the way. I do also fit in exercise, but it tends to be that I run at weekends, or do a Pilates class the day I can work at home, whereas when I'm in the department, I go days without much movement, and then wonder why I'm grumpy. So again, remembering to go for a walk at lunchtime the days I'm in the department would help.
However, I am actually away next weekend hiking. So there will be exercise and something to look forward to however cruddy the week.
Last week:
1. Teaching prep for two modules - YES, but not finished.
2. Admin: organise a viva & a meeting with new TAs. - YES (but took a lot of time chasing people)
3. Progress review for a PhD student. - YES
4. Organise photos & notes from trip. - YES
5. Workshop to discuss a colleague's major grant application. - YES
6. Fill in new diary for academic year. - YES
7. Choose tiles for new bathrooms. - NO
8. Exercise, eat healthily, sleep. - YES, NOT REALLY, SOME
Also: did three hours driving yesterday taking son to various sports events, cooked early birthday dinner, including cake, for my dad, who is away for his actual birthday.
This week:
1. Finish editing module handbooks, decide on final readings and assignments.
2. Update VLEs for both modules.
3. Meet with TAs for first-year module.
4. Finish call for papers for workshop next year (five of us working on this, so a lot of back and forth in two languages).
5. Choose tiles if time (probably not).
6. Start organising stuff daughter needs for half-term trip.
7. Enjoy walking weekend.
I hope the weather is good for the walking weekend! This can be the BEST walking weather... (our first years went on a country walk this week - but on the day with heavy rain warnings, so hopefully they bonded over their sogginess)
DeleteRe-reading favorite bits can be very comforting! (Though it often leads to staying up too late re-reading the whole thing, in my life.) Echoing hopes for good weather for your walking weekend, which sounds marvelous so long as you don't get soaked. It sounds like last week was successful and had nice family things in as well as work accomplishments.
DeleteLots of stuff done!
DeleteLet's report next week on lunchtime walks, I will try to do a few and we can celebrate if we actually make it work!
I should do more lunchtime walks, especially here, where the gardens are spectacular. But it's been HOT. I hope the weather is good for your hiking weekend!
DeleteA lovely take for students especially, Apologies for typos there's a cat determined to intervene with whatever I'm doing this evening and he doesn't help with the typing. So, things I always try to fit in - I guess the basic is I always try to do SOMETHING not work related and NOT scrolling anything - that might be read a little, familiar or new, a five minute doodle, a row of knitting, a bit of diamond-gem-gluing, a bit of journalling, a painting exercise. Stretches are good, but sometimes my brain doesn't want to, or my hip doesn't want to. Sigh!
ReplyDeleteThis week was a week - I had two consecutive days on campus, my body did not like it. Visitor arrived, and we spent the whole week trying to sort out the visitors card that I spent nearly a year trying to get approved (the new HR portal, it turns out, is used by everyone except HR, who actually have to issue the card, and didn't like that all the approvals etc. were electronic, so once we realised this we had to print out a load of stuff in hard copy...). Hopefully it's done now. And this week's battle will be sorting out her desk, even though THAT was also supposedly approved in the summer. Honestly I could cry, it's so frustrating and embarrassing and exhausting.
Saw a lot of students, taught my first class to my finalists - thought it was well attended then discovered a lot of students registered late into the class (mostly students from another School who were displaced from modules cancelled due to staff taking voluntary severence last Easter - I hope they like mine) so it actually WASN'T that well attended, but, students. Met some of my new tutorial groups, the first year one could be fun but unfocused as two have ADHD and are very chatty... Also one student said to me about five minutes into our chat, "I really miss my pets. You look like a cat lady - would you like to see pictures of my cats?" (of course I did. They were adorable, a Mum and two teenage cats rescued from a breeding farm).
Somewhat drowning in Urgent Things, but it's not that I have a very large workload, it's that I'm short of capacity and sub-par. There's a lot of "fresher's lurgy" around at the moment - many varieties too. I am wearing my mask firmly and everywhere, but that does mean I end up a bit short of water drunk during the work day which doesn't help the energy. My sister has COVID again and is feeling pretty rubbish sadly; the nibling has avoided that so far, and is thoroughly miffed to have two 20-page readings for next week - I have to admit to having laughed, as kindly as possible, but still! They were rather miffed, but their character Levelled Up in our D&D game today (gets a few more abilities) so that balanced out...
LAST WEEK'S GOALS:
Delete1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing I did some knitting during a meeting...
(ii) continue book about Aztecs, finish or set aside current novel finished Aztec book (very good!) and a "life in primary school classroom" non-fiction book, set aside current novel - I was at 49% of the way through an Epic Fantasy Doorstop type book and it was incoherent and the main character, in both timelines, was still a whiny unattractive brat, and the dragon was mildly cool but felt oddly pointless to the plot, so i QUIT - and started a new novel. This is called procrastination and Ignoring Things That Are Super Stressful, but hey...
(iii) play D&D with group or with nibling both!
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes two days
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list no. Not a good chore week
ii) declutter kitchen no - decluttering person had to reschedule AGAIN because she lives on the coast and the route to me is quite rural/hilly, and the weather on the scheduled day was WILD on the coast and merely enthusiastic inland here, so... I mostly lay around, ate snacks and read about Aztecs and primary school children who say hilarious things and napped, which was reasonably therapeutic.
iii) do more sums/plan summarising related to latest voluntary redundancy scheme no.
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) at least one teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week) yes
ii) do all the needed things to be ready for next week's teaching just about. I hate waiting for people who assume that working on the weekend is plenty of time for next week's classes, but things are resolved for next week at least
iii) read chapter for grad student no but read chapter for a different grad student who is on a tighter deadline
4 RESEARCH
i) an hour of notes on my grant idea yes. it feels pants and I'm already unsure I'll make the deadline, but I also feel I have to try given everything that's going on
ii) at least two hours on part 3 of discussion for consultancy paper hahaha no
iii) make mutually agreeable plan for first few weeks with Visitor we had one chat, and we were able to identify what she needs to do to get her data ready to work on, so... all quite straight forward if I can only get her darn card and desk sorted!
In addition, we had a good productive meeting about the Very Slowly Developing paper and I then did a couple of hours work on it since I was in the flow, which I guess replaces Consultancy Paper. And Chapter For Eclectic Volume that I was working on at the start of last session came back with managable referee comments so that's good, but it's also another thing on the job list.
NEXT WEEK'S GOALS:
DeleteThis week I'm on campus Tuesday and Thursday, have a busy Tuesday with a full diary and a less full Thursday, and multiple calls on the off-campus days. I'm struggling to make enough allowance for how little time I have to actually work on stuff around the diary items and the emails and the interruptions - and yes, that is basically what evenings and weekends are for... The decluttering person is hopefully coming on Saturday too.
1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing
(ii) read the novel I started (& possibly start another non-fiction)
(iii) play D&D with group or with nibling
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) declutter kitchen
iii) do more sums/plan summarising related to latest voluntary redundancy scheme
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) at least one teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week)
ii) do all the needed things to be ready for next week's teaching - more chasing up of other people, sigh.
iii) read chapter for grad student - now urgent
iv) read funding application for other grad student (when it arrives at the end of the week)
4 RESEARCH
i) a couple of hours on my grant idea - I have to do more or I won't make the deadline
ii) at least two hours on part 3 of discussion for consultancy paper - we meet about it week after next so I need to get on with it
iii) resolve issues for Visitor and check we do have a plan
iv) meet with Former PDF to talk about the revisions for the Chapter (and to triple-confirm that the grant idea is something it's OK for me to put in alone and not one we should do together. It sort of overlaps a bit... or at least I kind of feel that it does? I don't know, I don't really trust my brain at the moment).
Oh my . . . what a frustrating hassle it must have been with the Visitor---and how avoidable, how silly of people (not you; clearly you tried) not to have sorted all that out properly in advance! I would be very flattered to be identified as a cat lady, and the student's cats sound delightful. May there be more such small moments of delight in the coming week!
DeleteGood luck for all the meetings and things to read and teaching!
DeleteAnd way to go on fitting in some fun things even when things are difficult!
Good luck with all the urgent things. I'm not sure how to respond to a student saying you looked like a cat lady - what does that even mean? Is there A Look? But I've long suspected there's a positive correlation between positive evaluations from students and how often pets feature in courses.
DeleteFitting things in around meetings/calls is SO irritating; I always think that I have much more time than I do, because just switching tasks takes time (and I never manage to accomplish anything in a 20-minute block, except perhaps to get distracted and then run late to my next meeting).
DeleteI had only ever heard the "schedule the big stuff first" version of the rocks/gravel/etc in a container, so it was helpful to read the other morals to the story! Especially the one in which it just doesn't all fit. Like Julie, reading is always part of my life (I might as well not breathe), and if a cat wants to sit on my lap, I will stay put as long as possible.
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
- Basement Cat to vet: YES, with unhappy diagnosis.
- call washer hotline: TRIED, got put on hold and then hung up on; must try again.
- 20 minutes/day Alms, plus one longer session. NO
- read at least one chapter in each of two scholarly books. ONE in ONE.
- grade undergrad papers. ABOUT HALF
- check grad bibliographies. NO
- go to medical procedure, allow self the rest of the day to recover. YES (except I did a bit of prep for grad class).
- cardio + weights x2, swim at least x2, yoga x4. YES, YES, x3.
New goals:
- provide lap for Basement Cat as often as he wants
- call washer hotline
- 20 minutes/day Alms, plus one longer session
- read at least one chapter in each of two scholarly books
- finish grading undergrad papers
- check grad bibliographies
- get flu/COVID boosters
- cardio + weights x2, swim at least x2, yoga x4
- pay bills
Time with a cat on one's lap is never wasted!
DeleteHope Basement Cat enjoys as much lap time and treats as he desires...
Sorry about Basement Cat's diagnosis. Hope lap time is a comfort for both of you.
DeleteSo sorry about Basement Cat. I hope he has lots of lap time as long as he can. It's so hard.
DeleteOh, I'm sorry about Basement Cat. Poor kitty. Poor you.
DeleteThe most regular thing that I fit into regular life no matter what is reading (almost by accident, cannot help it!). I’m very open to the “beer/coffee/walks with friends” category, in everyone’s busy schedules it is always worth moving things around for good people… On a bigger scale I try very hard to say yes to any interesting music things that come around if they will challenge me or just be plain fun. I have the luxury of only saying yes to things I like and they tend to fit mostly into evenings/nights/weekends so are almost always worth the time and effort it takes to squeeze them into my plans.
ReplyDeleteI got virtually nothing done last week except the basics, and a huge amount of administrative work that is usually not mine. All worthwhile (getting students paid is good, getting people keys is good, getting broken doors fixed is good, organizing speakers is good, getting photocopiers fixed is good…) but all of them were time-consuming.
Last week’s goals
Finish popular article on research topic NOPE
Three field trips DONE, WERE ALL FABULOUS
Read and comment on thesis chapters URGENT NOPE
Begin sample organizing process NOPE
Exercise at least 4 times, anything counts COUNTING THREE FIELD TRIPS and a random walk…
This week’s goals
Administrative assistant training, yay!!
Explore grant idea and map out draft
Finish popular article on research topic
Read and comment on thesis chapters URGENT
Exercise at least 4 times, two have to be weights
Hurray for fabulous field trips!
DeleteI love the idea of fitting music in whenever. The admin sounds very tedious, even if some of it was worthwhile.
DeleteHmmm. I think I always read, but I don't always read books. I read newspapers, magazines, etc. but I have got out of the habit of reading at bedtime. Something I'm trying to change this year...
ReplyDeleteGoals from last week:
1. Enjoy presentations at symposium Monday and Tuesday YES
2. Meet with curator to talk about art MOVED TO YESTERDAY, BUT YES
3. Go pick up computer at depot NO GRRR LONG STORY
4. Make inquiries about trade-in of current car YES/ leased new car
5. Pick up stuff at home YES
6. Enjoy concert and talks related to it YES
7. See friends YES
Mostly yes, and both getting the new computer and getting the car were massive time sucks, but my brain feels free now, so that's good. But it included going to the UPS depot to pick up a computer only to find that they had closed the customer service desk two months ago, but the people on the phone customer service haven't figured that out. And I spent all day Saturday on buying the car, which ended up as leasing. But now I'm relatively free of annoying life stuff. And I got food to prepare a bunch of things in batches, so I can eat relatively healthfully for a bit.
I'm going away again this week (Thursday and Friday) to connect with one of my closest friends and go to a show in Sin City. So not a lot done this week, but getting myself organized!
Goals this week:
1. Catch up on a gazillion emails that I'm behind on.
2. Read draft chapter of dissertation
3. Organize books and resources for November paper
4. Read for pleasure
5. Finish organizing things I brought back/clean the kitchen
6. Figure out more of how this new car works
7. Enjoy the show/ time with friends
8. Do something fun at the weekend
The computer and car sound so annoying, but good that they're done. Enjoy the fun stuff!
DeleteGlad the events were good! Have a great time on the short trip and enjoy the friend time.
DeleteWow, where is the time going?
ReplyDeleteI *try* to always fit in exercise, although with illness that wasn't possible, of course. If I'm eating lunch alone, I'll always fit in a little bit of mindless TV while I eat--it's such a pleasant indulgence! And I try to always have a novel going for pleasure; I now only rarely read for work before bed (under extreme duress), but love to enjoy at least a few pages of a novel before I go to sleep.
Last week:
1. Finish LOR for grad student - Yes
2. Loose ends for ch. 3; start editing ch. 4 - Yes
3. Finish town document thing - Yes
4. Add ch. 3 to master document and fix notes; make progress on bibliography - Yes
5. Catch up with teaching stuff; schedule appointments with suspected AI-using students - Yes!
Wow, clearing the decks while ill made space for a lot of necessary work! Now I have another dissertation to read, so I should get going on that, I guess.
This week:
1. Start reading the next diss (R); write down my questions for X (first diss)
2. Begin revisions to ch. 5; format ch. 4 biblio; write to friends who are supposed to be giving me feedback on a couple of chapters and ask them whether they still want to
3. Catch up on Italian! (Purgatorio 30, Paradiso 2)
4. Ask neighboring colleges about participating in spring event
5. Grad students: Send out call for applications for summer teaching; make promised website updates
6. Have a nice weekend with son while husband is out of town
7. A full slate of workouts! (Run x 3, swim x 2, yoga x 1 class)
We just had a guest speaker in town Sunday-Tuesday, hence the late-ish check-in. It really threw off my week!
It must be very satisfying to see all that "Yes!" I hope you're feeling better and able to enjoy more imaginative work this week, and that you have fun with your son. Also that you can enjoy your workouts!
DeleteWork reading is definitely better done sitting up, with coffee... novels before bed are a lovely way to end a day I think!
DeleteGood luck with all the dissertation reading....