This isn't a time to bemoan your lack of progress over the term; it's a time to pick up your pack and keep trekking--leaving behind the items that won't help you in the final push.
I'll post your original session goals and your weekly goals below.
Suggested format:
session goal reassessment
last week's goals
next week's goals
Session Goals:
Allan Wilson: A long list is possible here, but I am going to treat these serially. Work goals: first, to complete a data spreadsheet for the project where my loved collaborator is leaving town for good in around 6 weeks, so we can draft the first paper before he leaves. Second, to do one piece of data analysis (that I have been avoiding) so I can submit the paper FS, a hangover from previous writing groups and a previous postdoc. Third, to submit a long overdue paper with a motivated student – the first task here is to write and revise the first complete draft. Other goals: to exercise regularly, and to eat healthily.
Amstr
1) dissertation to book draft complete
2) exercise regularly, eat healthfully (track these)
3) declutter 4 rooms of the house (one a month)
Contingent Cassandra
--use lit class to experiment with digital-humanities teaching/analysis techniques; produce at least some materials (assignments, activities, student/class projects) that can serve as models that might be applied to other classes, and/or material for presentation/reflection (at least on the professional web page I’m developing, perhaps also in a conference presentation or article).
--continue developing a daily/weekly routine that includes healthy eating, regular exercise, and regular sleep patterns.
--make substantial progress on getting financial matters in order
--accomplish enough at the community garden to satisfy the powers that be; get as many project materials as possible out of apartment/car.
--as possible, work on getting apartment in order (in particular, building/painting/installing shelves, because that will facilitate a return to research and writing by making materials more visible and accessible).
Daisy
3 submitted papers, 2 (B and C) from thesis and one new project one (D).
Earnest English:
-think ahead in my classes and grade on a regular basis (which I've calculated means 4 projects or so per day).
-write scholarship for 1-2 hours per week to get the conference paper I have due in March done with as little panic as possible
-write on my project regularly, which means about 4/week and entails getting some kind of draft from my notebook to the computer each week
-develop a meditation habit
-develop a work out or yoga habit
-keep on top of gardening projects
-maintain personal and family happiness through downtime, reflection, and making time for fun
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
I plan to catch up with all the doctors’ and dentist appointments I’ve let slide for the past year.I want to be mindful about stress and stress-related eating, hoping to exercise to reduce stress and, as a byproduct, become more fit.
For sanity, I want to reduce clutter, both in paper and electronically, to be better organized and spend less time frantically searching for things.
Good Enough Woman
1) Work 10 hours per week on PhD thesis
2) Revise two PhD chapters
3) Write and present conference paper
4) Pursue various 30-day challenges (see below)
5) Declutter my clothes, kids closet/toys, linen closet
6) Maybe additional family goals (kid dates, etc.), but not sure yet
Humming 42
My goals are going to be process-oriented rather than product-oriented for a change. I have a lot of projects I would like to work on and with hope complete this year. Rather than saying I’m going to finish that manuscript or that proposal or that article, my not-urgent approach is to say that by April I’d like to have a firm habit of writing every day. My second goal is probably best articulated by saying I want be more active, less sedentary. So getting there will mean a bunch of small weekly goals like walking all the stairs to get to my office and going to yoga. Setting those goals and sticking to them is what can make the difference.
Jane B
* get at least two of the papers I faffed around with in the last iteration at least off to co-authors and preferably submitted. These are Crunchier, Repeater, Neglected Student Paper and Very Late - the first two are the most likely to be done, but any of them will count!
* make rough drafts (as in, 1-2 pages plus figure list plus chores lists) of Effie the first (the one which was sort of a conference paper), Effie the second (the big ambitious one!) and Brilliant Undergrads Project papers
* submit 3-4 abstracts to Big Conference (due 8th January)
* have started a draft of a grant for the deadline in July
* have an orderly home and office environment
* have done some fun things, and be healthier and fitter!
kjhaxton
Work: 1 submitted paper, 1 submitted ethics form, 1 project plan,
Other: enter a photography competition, create 60 hand crafted items (40 of one kind for a specific event), sort out my wildlife garden.
Matilda
1) To submit an article.
It will be a base of the introduction of my book. I am going to use Belcher's book of Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks as my guide this time, modifying its weekly plans quite a lot.
2) To start to research for chapter 1 of my book and start to write the draft.
3) To exercise regurarly and eat healthy.
Susan
Writing/research: finish substantive chapters, draft intro and epilogue
Write essay (pre-circulated) for April workshop
Home: declutter junk room, get rid of old computers
weed garden, get garden ready
choose new furniture for living room
Other: Keep myself moving, and eating heathfully
Weekly Goals:
Allan Wilson: (repeat goals from week 9?)
get paper CR rewritten and back to my co-author, again with enjoyment. NO
And stay up to date with my RQ work. BARELY- which is why nothing on paper CR.
Amstr: 1) exercise 4x
2) 1 hour on job apps
3) menu plan/grocery shop
4) write 6x30 min.
Contingent Cassandra: (1) continue self/care (walking, eating well, sleep); (2)(TRQ) get midterm grades for 200-level class in and begin catching up on delayed grading for 300-level ones; (3) do reading & other necessary prep for 2nd trip/conference.
Daisy: Paper B, complete the new draft and revise figures.
Revise Figures for A (again!)
Keep running
Earnest English:
Elizabeth Ann Mitchell: 1) Don’t flub the presentation. Rock presentation (or at least present presentably).
2) Write at least 500 words on the new article, which I wish I could name in some clever way, but don’t seem to have the brainpower to do so at the moment.
Good Enough Woman: (from week 8)
1) Read two articles and one primary source novella
2) evaluate structures of chapters one and two
3) Send follow-up email to supervisor about timelines
4) Exercise 3x
5) help son with Minecraft account problems (I've been promising to do this for a while) and prep daughter for next presentation
6) play son's homemade game with him
Humming42: (away last week)
1 Make progress on proposal #1
2 Draft proposal #2
3 Look for content for conference paper
JaneB: 1) rekindle 5 minuteses from Wednesday 2) do two work sessions of 30 minutes or so on Repeater 3) do some freewriting about funding application ideas/plans/whatever (1x15 minute minimum).
Kjhaxton: (from week 9)
1) finish up the marking and stray bits of paperwork from early semester tasks
2) plan the two articles that I will write
3) plan publication/presentation around small aspect of current teaching so that I can put an evaluation plan in place to get a good paper
4) make figures for the paper
Matilda: (from week 9)
1) Week 6-1 of Belcher's book.
2) Continue to read the important book. It is worth doing so.
3) Write the first section of the article.
4) Do 3 minutes exercise twice in the morning, twice in the afternoon.
5) Be tolerant of snacks, but try to have healthier ones.
Susan: 1. Block out remainder of paper, which includes sections from various existing projects
2. Finish book review
3. Do additional garden clean up work
4. Exercise 4 times
5. Do task on grant proposal
hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteReassessing goals- definitely timely. I can't believe this time has gone so fast. My overall goals were
1) to complete a data spreadsheet for the project where my loved collaborator is leaving town for good in around 6 weeks, so we can draft the first paper before he leaves. - DONE. I sent it through to him, we managed to squeeze in a second session to look at the data and discuss the paper shape (the day before he left) so I am fairly happy with that. I now have some further checking and tidying to do, and can't find a day to do it, but the next major step is probably to put some time aside and go and visit him in his new home so we can analyse and write a rough draft of the paper. He is a really great collaborator, so this is definitely in my mind.
2) finish FS- a not quite, but could be on track. . . . I have looked at it a couple of times, and have a scheduled visit with someone who's help I need this coming Friday. I am hoping to finish the awkward bit of data analysis with their help.
3) NOT AT ALL. If I brilliantly finish FS, I'll revisit this, and add a new goal.
4) Eat healthily and exercise- SOME PROGRESS. I haven't lost any weight which is a primary goal, but I have a better routine overall, and generally speaking, eat better.
So, this week's goals (completely forgot last week- too much stress!)
1) check all the data in goal 1 again, and remerge all the data from the sources available.
2) prepare for, and make the Friday meeting, and work it to get as far as I can
3) walk up hills at last 3x
Good luck everyone for the week. Allan Wilson
Second, to do one piece of data analysis (that I have been avoiding) so I can submit the paper FS, a hangover from previous writing groups and a previous postdoc. Third, to submit a long overdue paper with a motivated student
It sounds like this season has been one of good steady progress. I hope FS gets into shape without too much trouble.
DeleteInteresting to check in. I am doing relatively well, which is encouraging.
ReplyDeleteMy sessions goals were
Writing/research: finish substantive chapters, draft intro and epilogue
Write essay (pre-circulated) for April workshop
Home: declutter junk room, get rid of old computers
weed garden, get garden ready
choose new furniture for living room
Other: Keep myself moving, and eating heathfully
I've got the substantive chapters written; I've started on the pre-circulated essay, the garden is in good shape, and my eating and exercise have been pretty good. If I hadn't been sick this week, I'd feel a bit better, but what seems to have disappeared is the house stuff. Which is OK. I've started the redecorating of the living room, and mostly know what I want to do, but it's a matter of finding the right furniture, and getting a new TV and sound system. Not clearly that important to me!
As for the week:
1. Block out remainder of paper, which includes sections from various existing projects
2. Finish book review
3. Do additional garden clean up work
4. Exercise 4 times
5. Do task on grant proposal
Well, I blocked out the paper, but I've been sick, so am slowly returning to life. The paper needs to be written this week. I'll get back to the garden I hope when I have more energy, and am about to sit down and do the work on the grant. Thankfully, health is returning, but it's been bad. (When your doctor greets you by saying you look awful, you know you're in trouble.)
Goals for next week:
1. Get a good draft of the paper
2. Finish grant stuff
3. Submit conference proposal
4. Return to exercise
I'm keeping it simple, just because I have to get certain things done (there are real deadlines). And a week from tomorrow my mother has knee surgery, so my life will be very interrupted for a few weeks.
I'm sorry to hear you were so sick! And I'm glad you're on the mend. Congrats on making good progress on most of your goals so far.
DeleteTwo-thirds through assessment, timely indeed, as I have come to a small pause in the craziness of this semester.
ReplyDeleteMy session goals:
1) I plan to catch up with all the doctors’ and dentist appointments I’ve let slide for the past year. I have done rather well on this goal. I have seen two of my doctors and have appointments scheduled with one more. I have the dentist and two tests to schedule still, but I’ve done well.
2) I want to be mindful about stress and stress-related eating, hoping to exercise to reduce stress and, as a byproduct, become more fit. I plan to use a break in the weather to exercise outside more in the last part of this session, but I’m still waiting for that break. It snowed on Friday, ironic for the vernal equinox, and I’m writing this assessment before a roaring fire, as it is 19F outside,thank you very much. I am far more mindful of my stress-related eating, and feel better as a result.
3) For sanity, I want to reduce clutter, both in paper and electronically, to be better organized and spend less time frantically searching for things. I have been able to attack this goal in small increments, and happily, it lends itself to tangible results in small increments. I plan to concentrate on organizing my dissertation files in the rest of this session.
My last week’s goals:
1) Don’t flub the presentation. Rock presentation (or at least present presentably). Despite a beginning of several minutes of technical difficulties, which rattled me for a few minutes, I calmed myself and presented presentably. The person who was supposed to introduce me came on at the end and apologized, which was nice, so no one blamed me for being rattled. Actually, a few of the audience members thanked me at the end.
2) Write at least 500 words on the new article, which I wish I could name in some clever way, but don’t seem to have the brainpower to do so at the moment. Yes, actually I wrote 1,001 words on the new article, which I have dubbed Load. I wrote everything but the literature review, which my co-author is writing.
Next week’s goals:
1) Make doctor’s and dentist’s appointments.
2) Compare the cloud and hard drive dissertation files to find duplicates and confirm versions.
3) File into paper files for a half hour at least twice.
Congratulations on making good progress on your session goals! I'm pleased for you that the presentation went well, and that you got more accomplished than you planned on the article. Amazing!
DeleteMy session goals: I forgot I had some of these!
ReplyDelete1) dissertation to book draft complete
2) exercise regularly, eat healthfully (track these)
3) declutter 4 rooms of the house (one a month)
Well, I decided to cut the D2B from the list. It has been a really good and freeing decision. I forgot about my decluttering plan and only really made it through one month. I can make at least a little progress on a couple rooms before our session is over. I am moving toward eating healthfully, and I've kept up a really consistent exercise habit. So mostly success there. I'd love to step up my game on eating healthfully in the next month. (It's easier now that my family's favorite fruits are coming back in season!)
Last week's goals:
1) exercise 4x--yes.
2) 1 hour on job apps--nope.
3) menu plan/grocery shop--yes.
4) write 6x30 min.--nope.
I got distracted (necessarily) this week by another project and by editing my sil's paranormal romance novel (my new editor tagline: "because even sex should be grammatically correct"). It's a ton of work, but she already has interest from an agent. So exciting! But distracting from my own writing goals.
Goals for next week:
1) exercise 4x; eat more fruit
2) 3x20min. decluttering in dining room
3) 4x30-60min writing
Yes I'd forgotten about the session goals as well so this was a great reminder.
DeleteThe best thing about session goals is when you are able to drop something. And as the daughter of editors, I like your tag line!
DeleteSession Goals:
ReplyDeleteWork: 1 submitted paper, 1 submitted ethics form, 1 project plan,
Other: enter a photography competition, create 60 hand crafted items (40 of one kind for a specific event), sort out my wildlife garden.
I think I'm making progress, I've decided not to do the photography comp, have made about 46 hand crafted items and the wildlife garden is in progress nicely. Workwise, I'm reanalysing the data for the paper currently (learning new stats - ugh), the ethics form will wait until the project plan is in place but that's coming on nicely. I could do with a bit of space in my timetable to make real progress but things are coming along.
Week 9/10 goals
1) finish up the marking and stray bits of paperwork from early semester tasks
2) plan the two articles that I will write
3) plan publication/presentation around small aspect of current teaching so that I can put an evaluation plan in place to get a good paper
4) make figures for the paper
I've just about done (1) but more new marking has appeared. You can't win! (2) is in progress. (3) is in progress but I have submitted a couple of abstracts to ensure I do it, and I'm working on (4) as indicated above - reanalysing data with a new stats method.
To be honest for this week, I'm going to carry on with the same goals. I'm not finished them yet so just need to put in a few more hours to get them done before Easter holidays.
Well, as Amstr noted, sometimes letting go is helpful. But it sounds as if you've been making steady progress. It may not be dramatic, but it's good!
DeleteI have been MIA lately as I just scrape by from day to day. All has been well, but I've mostly been focused on things happening right in front of me. I did spent four days at a conference last week, and it was extremely helpful and inspiring in terms of the dissertation. But it means that I've spent a lot of the last two weeks either preparing to be gone for five days or catching up after being gone for five days.
ReplyDeleteSession goals:Good Enough Woman
1) Work 10 hours per week on PhD thesis. NO. But I haven't neglected it entirely, which is very good.
2) Revise two PhD chapters. Not even close, but I'm targeting the end of June now.
3) Write and present conference paper. YES. I did that.
4) Pursue various 30-day challenges (see below). NO.
5) Declutter my clothes, kids closet/toys, linen closet. NOT really. Did some work in the kids' room one day.
6) Maybe additional family goals (kid dates, etc.), but not sure yet. SOME of this.
Boy. I really haven't done much. I'm realizing that daily life takes up a lot of damn time, and it's a damn good thing I have sabbatical for fall, or I'd never get the damn PhD finished. I'm scared that even the sabbatical will not be enough time, and then I'll be screwed on the back end. But, for now, I'm maintaining optimism.
As for my goals from week eight, I haven't really done any of them totally, but I have been doing PhD reading, and the conference was very helpful. I helped my son a little bit with Minecraft, and I've promised to get that settled for him this weekend.
Goals for this week:
1) Email supervisor about timeline.
2) Read a secondary source book chapter or article.
Keeping it simple as I try to catch up with grading and the rest of life.
One of my rules is that everything takes longer than I expect. I've survived this year by allocating more time than I thought I needed for everything, and then having time to catch up when life intervened. Whether that helps you for finishing the diss, I don't know. But maybe?
DeleteIt's always good to go to a helpful conference -- I always find I have lots of ideas after one. Good luck with your week!
Life is so time consuming! And there are so many good things in it. I'm glad for you that you've continued to make dissertation progress. I think in the fall, you'll get what you need to done. The dissertation can really fill as much time as you give it (over the minimum necessary, of course), but when you hit that "do or die" time, I have a feeling you'll really be able to crank through a lot of it.
DeleteI'm glad the conference was good and motivating!
Session goals:
ReplyDelete3 papers, 2 from old work, and one new project...
The 2 old papers (A and B) are making excellent progress, so I think that is possible to keep as a real goal...
I've let go of the new project paper, mainly because the data turned out to be much less exciting than anticipated, as it is there is not enough for a paper. So, I'm doing more work for that one in April, and will reassess after that.
Last week kind of sucked - three snow days that sucked up time because there is no way to work with an excited 5 year-old on a snow day! This week has been traveling and a couple of research presentations.
Last week's goals:
Draft B: half done, I'm making slow progress.
Revise figures in paper A: DONE and they are really nice :)
Keep running: Half of the week was ok, the rest not, but better than nothing.
This week's goals:
1) Read 5 or 6 papers in new project area to design a new set of experiments.
2) One full day of work on paper B.
3) Keep running....
Congratulations on revising your figures to excellence! And for all the progress you're making this session.
DeleteYou've mentioned one of the things that we often forget - sometimes we think there is a paper and there isn't. Or it needs more than what we expected. If scholarly work were all mechanical, then it wouldn't be interesting. You can't just churn it out.
DeleteVery late reporting! If you read my blog you already know I've been signed off with "stress" for a couple of weeks - since the purpose of the leave time is to get my general stress levels down and restore my control of my coping mechanisms, I have decided that whilst I am eliminating two major stressors by not going into the office (the probability of encountering someone who will make life more difficult either with a crisis that increases my workload or a negative-outcome-type-conversation or just by existing, or sopping up the general unhappiness of the place right now, is high, and as I've mentioned my new office is much less of a 'safe place' than the old one, so there's little counteraction) and by not having anything to do with either of my administrative roles for the moment, I will continue to advise my project students (the guilt of abandoning them would be horrible!) and to work slowly and gently on some research writing (since NOT doing so has been stressing me out horribly). The other things are to look after all the usual food/sleep/exercise stuff, make sure I actually do nice stuff rather than ruminate (my crochet is growing, I'm watching quite a lot of mind-candy tv, something I never do normally, and have been re-reading Calvin and Hobbes cartoons), and slowly starting to sort out my really messy, cluttered, begrimed house (because like most of us I put most of my energy into work/being in public, and so the house gets neglected well before I start to not cope at work - living alone doesn't help but I know this happens with other people too, I just don't have the minor corrective of a second person not having a low point at the same time...).
ReplyDeleteAnyway!
last week's (and this week's) goals: 1) rekindle 5 minuteses from Wednesday 2) do two work sessions of 30 minutes or so on Repeater 3) do some freewriting about funding application ideas/plans/whatever (1x15 minute minimum).
achieved: nope, yes (and it is coming together), and nope (but I did some writing about another project where I'm a collaborator, which will yield a submitted paper and probably also a grant application before the end of my study leave, so that counts sort of).
session goals:
ReplyDelete* get at least two of the papers I faffed around with in the last iteration at least off to co-authors and preferably submitted. These are Crunchier, Repeater, Neglected Student Paper and Very Late - the first two are the most likely to be done, but any of them will count!
* make rough drafts (as in, 1-2 pages plus figure list plus chores lists) of Effie the first (the one which was sort of a conference paper), Effie the second (the big ambitious one!) and Brilliant Undergrads Project papers
* submit 3-4 abstracts to Big Conference (due 8th January)
* have started a draft of a grant for the deadline in July
* have an orderly home and office environment
* have done some fun things, and be healthier and fitter!
achieved so far:
* two papers off to co-authors and preferably submitted. Crunchier has gone off to co-authors. Repeater will be off by the end of March. April - I will either work on a third one from the list to the co-author stage or focus on preparing Crunchier for submission, and the choice will depend on the feedback on Crunchier and on whether I am making good progress on the stress thing (if I'm not then I'm not touching Crunchier, it's DEFINITELY a stressor not a gentle thing compared to the other two items).
These are Crunchier, Repeater, Neglected Student Paper and Very Late - the first two are the most likely to be done, but any of them will count!
* make rough drafts (as in, 1-2 pages plus figure list plus chores lists) of Effie the first (the one which was sort of a conference paper), Effie the second (the big ambitious one!) and Brilliant Undergrads Project papers - nope, but these are all short, tractable tasks that I didn't expect to get to until the Easter break anyway, so I guess we're on target there in a way.
* submit 3-4 abstracts to Big Conference (due 8th January) YES, plus two abstracts to Out-of-field-but-fun conference in September, and I've identified two other places to send abstracts.
* have started a draft of a grant for the deadline in July. Nope. But again that was an end of period goal. We'll see
* have an orderly home and office environment not at all!!! See report in above.
* have done some fun things yes, in a small way, and be healthier and fitter! um, no. I've had sick days throughout the period and am now officially having a block off...
Overall I'm quite happy with my progress, considering! April was always going to be when things had the chance to kick into gear, Crunchier is on someone else's desk, and other things feel a lot more possible than they did at the start of the period. Do other people find that? That sometimes what you need to do is work on other things whilst an irritating paper/research problem marinates away at the back of your brain, and one morning you finally wake up and realise the pieces have come together in a new configuration and you're ready to tackle it again?
Totally with you on things marinating in the background. And when I'm stressed because I'm behind because I'm sick (as I was last week) I do exactly what you're doing, find some gentle things to do so that I can feel as if I'm not entirely stalled.
DeleteAnd it sounds that in spite of the illness of the winter, you've made good progress. I hope for your sake that your collaborators hang on to Crunchier for a while!
I find marinating useful, too (one thing that came out of the last two weeks of conference-going, combined with the DH class, is that I'm once again thinking about my research and writing, and how I can resume forward motion on them. I'm not sure quit how to manage that yet, but it's nice to know they're still there, and maybe even making some progress while hanging around mostly in my subconscious).
DeleteThe stress sign-off sounds like a good way to at least partially detach from your department at the beginning of the research leave (which seems to threaten not to include much real leave). That, in turn, seems likely to bear fruit down the line, once you've had a chance to breathe a bit. The other thing that resonated for me in your report is the idea of balancing the stress of doing something against the stress of *not* doing it. Figuring out when to take a total break and when to take that sort of partial one, and on what things, is definitely something I need to work on.
Checking in very late again, for which I apologize. Traveling is finally over, so I should be able to be more regular from now on.
ReplyDeleteSession goals reassessment: I've been doing pretty well with the DH class -- not only keeping up with it, but publicizing my results a bit to my colleagues, and I've also built two conference proposals around it (one for an earlier, local conference and another for a national one a month or so later -- so, if everything works out, a dry run/dress rehearsal and then the full-dress presentation). There's plenty more to do for/with the class, but a lot of it is now routine (lots of grading), so I think I can consider this goal close to being accomplished, at least for this session.
I've also been doing pretty well on the cooking/healthy eating, and not to badly on sleep (that's definitely been more variable), and, now that the days are getting longer, have been working in pretty regular walking as well. So the main remaining goal there, too, is mostly to maintain (and continue increasing the exercise component).
That leaves financial matters, the garden, and apartment organizing. Of the three, financial matters (taxes!) are the most urgent, followed by the garden. As I rather suspected at the outset, the apartment-organizing is the goal that's going to end up falling by the wayside. And the one that I especially need to emphasize in the last 1/3 of this session is getting financial matters in better order.
Last week's goals: (1) continue self/care (walking, eating well, sleep); (2)(TRQ) get midterm grades for 200-level class in and begin catching up on delayed grading for 300-level ones; (3) do reading & other necessary prep for 2nd trip/conference.
DeleteAccomplished: (1) pretty good on eating and walking, not so much on sleep; (2) midterm grades in but still behind on delayed grading; (3) trip went well, but I have some follow-up to do.
Goals for this week (which is nearly over, so I'm writing down some things I've already done): (1) continue self-care, especially exercise & try to take a day off; (2) do a bit of the most urgent apartment cleaning/organizing; (3) begin work on financial stuff; (4) reconnect with garden.
Traveling really does mess up our goals, doesn't it? But I think you're doing well on the session in general, and I'm particularly impressed with the DH class. It's great to have something count for multiple things.
Delete