Welcome!
A new year, somehow shining and glistening with new promise at the same time as being slightly tarnished by the final months of 2016. For those of us in the Northern hemisphere, light will gradually start to seep into our days, while those in the Southern hemisphere will find the darkness creeping in once more.
We're aiming for 15 weeks, taking us through to Easter weekend for this block. Generally check-in posts will go up on Fridays for comments and updates.
The format will be the same as ever, but a recap: we will set goals for the whole session and then for each week. It's really easy to get carried away setting goals so I encourage you all to be optimistically realistic without creating a new source of pressure to perform! Goals can be in any aspect of life although the key focus is often writing tasks that are personally (and professionally important) but that never quite tip over into important AND urgent. Each week there will be a discussion topic, generally prompted by checkins the previous week but feel free to suggest topics to throw open to the group. If anyone wishes to include images in their checkins that I can put in the recap of goals post the next week, feel free to email them to me (kjhaxton at gmail). We'll recap the session goals for updating and refining at least once during the session, as well as the weekly goals. Feel free to comment on everyone's goals as much or as little as you like.
So for this week:
1. Who are you? What's your main focus at the moment? And where are you based?
2. Goals for the session. For the last couple of sessions we've framed this as what would you like to sit down and feel satisfied about over a cup of tea (or coffee or hot chocolate) in 15 weeks time. Common themes include research, home stuff, self-care, crafts, exercise, writing, gardening and you can be as detailed or brief as is helpful to you. Many of us give specific projects nicknames that help us keep track of things. I've started using those nicknames as part of the file system on my computer so I have folders called 'House', 'Scary', 'Kermit' and all the other silly project names I use here. If you anticipate any challenges for the weeks ahead, you can note them too.
3. Goals for the coming week. What do you want to get done in the next week? I would encourage you to be quite specific in your goals. I often find that setting a goal that is the obvious next steps in a big task is more achievable than 'tackle big task'. And don't forget, a lot of this is about the satisfaction of ticking things off the to-do list. So you can be as detailed as you want to in breaking goals down.
And finally, don't worry if you miss a few checkins. Life happens.
the grid
Hello! I skipped the last session, but I'm happy to be back.
ReplyDelete1. I'm heu mihi, a professor of medieval literature who is going up for tenure next year at a Northeast US R1. My main focus is my second book; I hope to have the manuscript ready for submission by September 1 (and to send out a proposal sometime in the next few months).
2. Session goals:
-MS revisions such that I'll be on track to have a complete, revised manuscript by September 1. For the next fifteen weeks, then, this means revising two chapters and the intro, and drafting the last unwritten section of ch. 4.
-Write 2/4 conference papers for Summer 2017. (Ideally, I'll write 4/4, but I'm trying to be realistic.)
-Return to and maintain my running schedule
(I did really well with this during the entire fall semester, but then 1) it got cold, 2) deer hunting season happened, and 3) I got sick. Hunting season is over, my lungs are almost back to normal capacity, and I'm going to live with the cold, so I'm nearly ready to start back up again!)
3. Goals for the week:
1) Start running again, which may mean just twice at about 2 miles per run. (I'm still recovering from bronchitis + a touch of pneumonia. Nearly back to normal, but I don't want to push it.)
2) Rewrite ch. 1's intro and conclusion. Add in fiddly bits that are obviously missing from the notes.
3) Read the last totally new book for my upcoming grad class.
4) Finish one syllabus.
Welcome back! I like that you're trying to be realistic with your conference paper goals.
Delete- Katy
Welcome back!
Delete1. I'm Luolin, an associate professor at a state university in the southern half of the US. It's been a few years since I participated in TLC or other groups. I've lost all research momentum, so the most important goal is probably to get back into a writing routine.
ReplyDelete2. Session goals:
Research-
Write regularly.
Revise an article that was rejected in order to submit it to a different journal.
Submit abstract for fall conference.
Self-care-
Get more sleep.
Get back to my running schedule. (Like heu mihi! except where I live, summer is least comfortable time to run, so I'm missing out on the good running weather right now.)
3. Goals for the coming week:
Reformat the bibliography
Put a regular block of writing time on my calendar.
Go to sleep by 11pm
Run 2x
Write 1 syllabus
Welcome! I hope that this helps to get you back into the writing and running routine!
Delete-Katy
Hi, I'm Karen. I'm a lecturer in a regional campus of a regional university in the southern hemisphere. I have a partner and two young-ish children, a garden I try not to neglect, and a variable number of guinea pigs.My theme for this year is intentional adventures (which has begun with buying a family-size tent).
ReplyDeleteMy semester starts in late February, as we teach in a new curriculum that I want to gatehr data on for SOTL while I also run a large online unit as part of a different course (most of my teaching is face-to-face or blended). Alongside that I'm curating an exhibtion with major logistical challenges (counts as research in our system), have a Masters student being examined in two weeks and potentially a few new postgraduate research students starting. Last year almost burnt me out, but with almost a month's leave I'm taking a deep breath and aiming better self-care and boundaries (I say, somewhat frantically, after having typed out the other stuff going on.)
Goals for this session are:
Use the early part of this session to get ahead and stay on top of teaching to keep space for other TLQ stuff.
Work with co-author to get Earth paper ready for submission.
Work with research mentor to clarify longer-term research goals and steps.
More research-related reading generally.
Set in place some foundational self-care habits in the the areas of energy (sleep, movement, food) and connection (with people, with the environment).
Goals for this week:
I return from leave on Friday this week, so goals are pretty limited.
1. Enjoy the rest of the time with family, low expectations and take the easy option on return travel
2. Reconnect with home with some garden time, and very mild declutter/organise as we unpack.
3. Gentle re-entry for one work day - focus on Master's student, start setting boundaries around email checking and system for noting tasks for later and designate times for student appointments.
Thanks for hosting, KJHaxton, and welcome to returning and new TLQ-ers!
Hello, all! I'm tenured at a two-year college in California (where I've been teaching for 19 years). I'm also just finishing a PhD at a UK university. I have a husband and two middle-school-aged kids.
ReplyDeleteThis session, I want to get back to planning and being intentional, especially about work and health. Last session, I was just scrambling by each week, and I let health and exercise go completely. This session will also have its challenges, but I'm too old to neglect my health (as evidenced by the kidney stone I had at the end of the last session. Ouch.).
Session Goals:
1. Drink more water (to avoid kidney stones).
2. Exercise 4x per week (walking and yoga, etc.)
3. Eat more veggies and develop some more healthy (healthful?) recipes for the family.
4. Totally finish dissertation (corrections, hard binding, etc.)--this extent of this goal will depend on what kinds of corrections my examiners require.
5. Complete conference paper (for Feb)
6. Submit one article for publication.
7. Take weekend time to work when necessary, but also carve out quality time for kids: hiking, board games, helping with projects.
This week:
I leave today for the UK, so that I can attend my viva voce on Thursday. I start teaching the following week back in CA. Since I just returned two days ago from a two-week family vacation, I have a lot to prepare (for both the viva and the new semester).
1. Read the thesis/dissertation twice before the viva.
2. Read three articles/chapter by external examiner that are not cited in the thesis (others are, but not these).
3. Re-read judgment articles before viva.
4. Review my notebooks before viva.
5. Try to relax during plane flight (I am a nervous flyer, and the weather in CA is a bit stormy today).
6. Finish one syllabus (or two?) while on trip.
7. Enjoy a couple of things in London!
Safe travels and good luck for the viva!
DeleteGood luck for the viva! And enjoy the trip!
DeleteDefend it with knives and hope!
DeleteHello! I hope the viva goes well.
Delete- Katy
Thanks, everyone! I passed the viva with just minor corrections. Really just typos. The examiners had a very positive response to my thesis! Huzzah! Thanks for all of your support. This TLQ was instrumental in my success. xo
DeleteWOOOOT!!!! Congratulations, Dr Woman!
DeleteYes!!!! So pleased for you! Now ha e a brilliant time in London celebrating!!
DeleteCongratulations, Dr. Woman! (I just had to steal that from Dame Eleanor, since it has such a ring to it!)
DeleteHurrah! Congratulations!
DeleteI'll post mine a little later today - but wanted to share this Monday motivator as it seems particularly timely: http://www.facultydiversity.org/?MM_Semester_Plan
ReplyDeleteHello! I like that a lot, although to me a 'strategic plan' feels a little too managerial for comfort. I also love the idea of regular daily writing sessions. Thanks for sharing the link.
Delete- Katy
Hi everyone! So glad to be spending this winter with TLQ-ers.
ReplyDelete1. I'm Earnest English, a tenured associate professor in a service department at a specialized university (whose specialization makes me feel quite out of place) in the snowy upper midwest of the US. My main focus is keeping my spirits up since winter is notoriously hard for me, my work environment is already pretty challenging, and obviously there are other things going on in the world that are worrisome. To me, this means focusing on being grounded, plodding in both creative and work endeavors, and planning to prevent panic. I am so glad to be here. The idea, the structure, and the people (especially the people) of TLQ makes life seem less overwhelming. Thanks so much for being here.
2. Session Goals
-Grounding: Winter is difficult, so I need to really focus on taking care of myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Sleep is a particular challenge both because of a limited day to get things done in (so I want to stay up and do or be more) and insomnia. Meditation and yoga would be wise. Baths and active self-care (such as singing) are incredibly important. I need weekly goals on this. I also have decided that I no longer want to give anxiety free rent in my head. So I'm going to work on more mental discipline aka distraction in my head.
-Spirited's therapy and education. We've started quite brightly this year, so I just need to keep on top of this.
-Gardening: Start early seeds on time at Groundhog Day and keep on top of gardening and associated projects.
-Plan and plod work: I need to keep up on my teaching and other work. This quarter I actually have a slightly reduced load and that plus winter usually means that I spend very little time on campus, which means I have to get work done at home. This is often difficult and filled with strife, both internal and external. I need to just establish a routine and keep on top of things at home and not feel guilty about it. I also need to research and come up with a snow day plan for taking my classes online.
-Writing Project: I've gotten behind on the writing (not the research, which I'm doing spectacularly on). I do need to step up my game here, so I'd like to get to 12X by the end of our session. I'm tempted to make a goal of 15x so there's 1x a week, just because that's a much more concrete goal.
-Big Report: I promised a colleague I'd write a big report, and I need to work on it a bit each week and incorporate that into my weekly plan so it will get done without panic.
3. This Week: Getting Back into the Swing of Things
-Grounding: in bed on schoolnights by 11pm! Eat well. Active self-repair on stressful days: baths, music. Meditate or yoga twice this week.
-Spirited: therapy exercises, HS twice this week; figure out about classes?
-Gardening: check to make sure I have the right artichoke seeds or get them ordered
-Plan and plod: plan and announce a couple 2-hour blocks of working; get stuff done and prep; contact Colleague L and P about backup plans for snow days; get needed two needed meetings on the calendar.
-Writing Project: keep morning time for writing (not work!); finish current research reading (may take another week); 1x; send out to deadline
-Big Report: get in touch with Colleague D and make a regular time for touching base about this. Figure out where we are on this and what needs to be done next.
Yay! Thanks for hosting, KJHaxton! Welcome and a great week to all!
I love the idea of plan and plod. Sometimes that's how we move forward!
DeleteHello and welcome back :) Like Susan I love the idea of plan and plod, such a great description of much of what we do.
Delete- Katy
I, too, like the idea of planning and plodding. And having a way of taking snow days online is definitely handy. I'm ahead of the game since I teach the same class in online, hybrid, and face to face versions, but I've definitely saved myself quite a bit of time and stress by insisting that, in most cases, we just keep moving forward. The students are surprisingly receptive: while they enjoy an unexpected day off, I think they've had enough experience with end-of-the-semester train wrecks to know that too many snow days exact a price eventually.
DeleteJust chiming in to say I'm in, but returning rather slowly from a full week away from the internet and work and another week mostly away from the internet (in fact, I still need to do my wrap-up from our fall session). I still need to think about goals (and, yes, how many are genuinely reasonable); I'll add those below sometime this week.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back! Weeks away from the internet are quite wonderful until you have to return and deal with the inbox.
Delete- Katy
And apparently I'm returning even more slowly than I had planned. The good news is that I did get a real break, and am feeling at least somewhat rested and refreshed. So here are session goals; I'll start weekly goals with week 2 above. They're mostly in the "make continued incremental progress" vein, since last fall's goals were overambitious, which tends to compound the discouragement I feel when I get behind on TRQ stuff as well. They're also more or less in order of priority:
Delete--improved self-care, especially continuing current trends toward moving more, cooking/eating more homemade food, getting sufficient sleep on a regular schedule, and doing more long-form reading (list is more or less in order of priority)
--continued progress on getting my financial (first priority) and physical house in order
--try to stay on top of teaching planning and tasks, the better to protect planned TLQ time from TRQ catch-up (and reduce the combined physical and psychological exhaustion that results from falling behind, and leads to lost/wasted time)
--get/stay in better touch with family and friends
--make continued reasonable progress on the grant-funded project (while keeping in mind that it isn’t currently actually funded, nor do I have any release time, etc., etc. to support it)
--prepare to apply for contract renewal and, if possible, promotion, next year
--continue thinking about next steps professionally, while focusing in practical terms on personal/household “infrastructure.” If I actually do something to advance professional goals, it would probably be writing about the grant-funded project and/or background reading for my own research
Thoughts/background: for the most part, this should be a fairly uneventful semester professionally. I’ve got a very simple (one might even say boring) teaching schedule, and no scheduled conference trips/presentations. On the other hand, it’s still a 4/4 schedule of all-writing-intensive classes, and the grant project (not currently funded, but ongoing, with the hopes of getting more grant money, and the knowledge that, funded or not, it’s a worthwhile endeavor with potential benefits for several groups, including participants and our colleagues and students) continues.
And I’ve also taken on a major new role at church, as a member of the search committee for a new pastor. That will involve weekly meetings, not always necessarily at the same time, and often scheduled not very far in advance, which makes planning difficult (I’m one of those people who at least thinks she’d like to do more or less the same thing at the same time most weeks, and thus not have to worry about what I’ll fit in when, though I’m fully aware that (a) there’s really no such thing as a “normal week” in modern – or perhaps any – life, and (b) in practice, I tend to rebel against, or at least fall away from, such routines when creating and keeping to them is possible).
But still, things should be pretty steady, with time to chip away at ongoing projects, and no major deadlines for major projects or other significant interruptions to the normal, if irregular, routine. Given those facts, I think an underlying goal is to observe and experiment a bit with those routines, trying to figure out what works, and where the friction points are (and knowing that I won’t always be able to plan for or keep to an ideal schedule, and that things, including what works best, will inevitably change, but that it might be useful, in this as in many other parts of life, to at least get a better idea of what I’d like to aim for).
And to complete the post not only late but entirely out of the prescribed/suggested order, here's my intro:
DeleteI'm a middle-aged, midcareer full-time contingent faculty member in the English department of a large state-funded university located in a state on the east coast of the U.S. My (4/4, writing-intensive) teaching load consists almost entirely of a required junior-level writing in the disciplines class which comes in disciplinary "flavors"; since our STEM schools are growing, and I'm willing to teach the writing-for-scientists version, all my sections this year have been the STEM version, which is generally fine with me, but I do worry about getting to a rut, at least when I'm not wondering why in the world I can't leverage the situation to my advantage by getting into a routine that would allow me a bit more free time, or at least brain space. I hold a degree in a traditional literature field described by time, place, genre (as well as gender and ethnicity of the authors I study most often), and managed to keep researching and writing, slowly, for a while, but can't claim to have done anything more than revisions on work that was already making its way through the publication process in the last few years. Money has been a major concern (and distraction), but has become less so after my father's death last year (basically, my overall income will probably rise to about the same level as a tenure-track professor in my department, which isn't exactly bountiful, especially in relation to the local cost of living, but it will help). The estate is still working its way through the processes that all estates (apparently even those held mostly in trusts that are supposed to avoid the delays of probate) do, so I'll be teaching again next summer, as I have for the last 6 summers (which, in retrospect, as I mention above, seems to be about the time my research started slowing down, and I really started to fall behind on home and self-care). So I'm trying to find a balance between making progress and not expecting more of myself than is reasonable, or at least possible.
Greetings all, especially our new hosts and new members! Nice to be back... I'm JaneB, I'm a 'continuing academic' at a squeezed-middle university in Northern England in the UK ("we" have a mission to Excel At Everything, a predominantly local/regional student base who are not the brightest or best prepared, and a serious mismatch between management expectations (skyhigh) and resources (middling to low to pay-for-the-priviledge depending on subject, year etc.)). I'm having a long, slow and annoying to all including me 'mid-life crisis' about whether this institution and/or this job is right for me now and for the next 20 years or so of my working life. I work 80% of full time, I have a whole collection of individually-minor health issues both mental and physical which together make life uphill at times, and my university is currently going through a huge Change Programme which to my low-level and probably selfish/resistent eyes is being handled very poorly and is poorly conceived. My main focus for the academic year is developing a large amount of new curriculum and writing grant applications, and for the calendar year is living deliberately in a world that at all levels seems to be hell-bent on sneaking in changes!
ReplyDeleteAlso my responses are either v. late and short or excessively wordy.
Goals for the session:
This is a bit of an odd one for me - I spend most of this month grading semester 1 stuff, then start teaching Semester 2 at the end of this month, and will probably be gearing up for a big trip at the end of March. So I guess my goals are:
1) self-care
2) domestic progress (my house currently shares many of the features of a packrat midden - I haven't YET peed on the piles of random stuff, but...) and in an ideal world would be orderly and clean enough to invite my parents to stay by midsummer.
3) know what the situation is with regard to the trip, and be prepared for it.
4) Have a grant application text out for 'internal review' within the University
5) have made measureable progress on one of the papers _I_ want to write for _my_ research agenda, such as it is (as opposed to those which are more obligations to others/projects) - in my increasingly daft nickname system this means progressing Picky, Twiddly or perhaps ProblemChild-1-2
Along with various TRQ items. But part of the purpose of this group is to help us remember those things aren't the only things, and to make sure a little time/energy/attention/intention gets given to the important-not-urgent stuff. So for this group, I'll focus on those.
the coming week:
is a bit of an oddity - I'm writing this from a chain hotel, having just finished a few day visit to my parents. Tomorrow I have an annual medical checkup (I still see an eye specialist in the city where I went to university once a year) then drive home, then Tuesday will be boring (I have to retrieve the furry one from the cattery, but otherwise work on a very overdue administrative report). Wednesday my real life writing group is taking a retreat together, and then a whole mountain of grading appears! I then have an unusually social weekend, so relatively little time for my preferred amount of pottering!
1) Get some exercise, and sleep a sensible amount each night
2) Resist the urge to buy more 'goodies' and eat up remaining Christmas treats slowly and savouringly (is that a word?)
3) Make good use of the writing day (I'm currently thinking of working on a paper nicknamed Ferret, since that is at a point where solid writing might be useful, and perhaps on zero drafts of two grant ideas. need to pin that down!)
4) Send a few emails regarding the possible trip
And that should be quite enough! Happy TLQ-ing, everyone!
Welcome back! Good luck with the grading and I hope the writing group retreat is productive and fun.
Delete- Katy
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteI am a social sciences postdoc in a very large city in the US and am split between two entities (a research mentor in one college and a mentor in a Center- all within one large state university in a state that is showing a huge lack of support for education). It is looking increasingly like I will be following my research mentor (I often refer to her here as the "best mentor in the world") to a top tier university in the largest city in the US, likely sometime this summer. This will be a great move for me but I have a lot of apprehension about it, and the lack of information on salary, resources, etc. is driving me up a wall.
Session goals:
Last session, I was either unrealistic or exceptionally lazy. This time I want to feel more successful at the end.
1. NIH grant application (I am taking a grant writing class, and we have to write a whole application by the end of the semester; for those who know NIH apps, this will be a K level application - I'm currently awaiting the results of my F).
2. Get relationship paper finished and accepted.
3. Write election paper (I am more excited about this than anything right now - we have been able to survey almost 1000 people and counting - within a specific minority group - on their feelings about the election)
4. Get a bad draft of policy paper (not excited about this one)
5. Bad draft of dissertation paper (not excited about his, but diss advisor says doing it shows "follow through").
6. Start getting rid of stuff in my house to prep for move this summer
7. Spend some time each day on things that are not work related and that make me happy (like cooking, singing to loud music, etc) - I tend to either work or avoid working - I want to do some more purposeful things in my non-working time.
This week:
1. Finish analyses for relat paper and write up
2. spend a chunk of time doing more recruitment for election survey (I'm hoping to get a chunk of people completing it after the inauguration so we have a little natural experiment there)
3. submit abstract
4. work on stupid newsletter
Hello again!
ReplyDeleteI'm a tt assistant professor at a tiny primarily undergraduate university. We're currently going through major labour and organizational upheaval. I have a partner who works 4 time zones away, and an elementary school kid with me.
Session goals:
Work:
1 - Get papers written - there are 3 for which data collection is just about complete, and need concentrated, sit-down, focused writing time. They will be my main priority.
2 - Ignore all politics, labour disruptions, gossip, and time-sucking whiny colleagues and FOCUS on Goal number 1...
3 - Hang out and work with good colleagues :)
Personal:
1 - Have lots of winter fun with kid - skiing every possible weekend, and other outside things.
2 - Get an exercise routine going so that it is an automatic part of every week.
This week's goals:
1 - Three conference abstracts for submission next week
2 - List of paper/conference talk figures
3 - Make one figure from list above
Best wishes to everyone for a great new year!
I love that #2 work goal--such a simple and direct statement how to contend with all of the disorder that threatens to distract!
DeleteHello Daisy! Yes, I think work goal number 2 could become a goal for the entire group sometimes :)
Delete- Katy
I'm Susan, a senior professor at a university in California. I am involved in the faculty Senate where I have a lot of responsibilities, and have just (with the support of this group) finished a book. My elderly mother lives in my small town, and while she's generally competent, when things happen, I'm on call. My brother, his wife and his 3 yr old twins live in the metropolis four hours away. I am a widow, have three cats, and am desperately trying not to be a crazy cat lady.
ReplyDeleteSession Goals
I'm keeping my goals modest, because on of my resolutions after finishing all the work on my book on December 23 was to try to slow down.
Research/writing
1. Write Way Outside Essay -- a semi-scholarly piece on a subject far from my expertise. I'm filling in for someone who dropped out of a collection, so the timeline is short.
2. Finish notes on forum contribution
3. Write paper for May conference
4. Start playing with material for my next (short) book, which I'll call Funhouse project. I'm teaching a graduate course related to this, so . . .
Health and home:
1. I gained weight in December, because of the cold that would not die, and then Christmas. I need to be regular about exercise. I normally go to an exercise session three mornings a week, and I'm trying to add to that. I'm not fixated on the scale, but I know I feel better when I'm exercising and eating well.
2. Declutter one room of my house, making it more functional.
3. Keep on top of incoming mail so that I don't drown in it.
Life in the world:
1. Spend time regularly with friends
2. Be an engaged citizen (rally on Jan 21, call congresscritter and senators, etc.) But try not to be overwhelmed.
3. Make sure I'm enjoying life
There are a few unknowns for the session, so these goals may change.
This week:
I brought my mother down to the big city for a joint celebration of her birthday and that of her twin grandchildren. Alas, she felt ill and fell, and is now hospitalized: as is often the case with the elderly, stress on one system leads to stress in others. So what should not be serious is a bit more complicated than any of us would like. I'm stuck for the time being at my brother's house, with none of my books or other work materials. She won't be discharged from the hospital before Wednesday at the earliest. So I'm going back and forth to the hospital, and learning that a house with twin 3 year olds is not entirely conducive to work. So my goals will be VERY modest.
1. Finish and post syllabi for classes that start next week.
2. Clear out email that got backed up at the end of the last semester (things you can do without books)
3. Draft abstract of Way Outside Essay
Depending on what's happening, I may try to go to My Favorite Library for a day to work.
Also this week, I have to start reading the 96 fellowship applications I'm reviewing.
DeleteI'd say you should own the Crazy Cat Lady label.
DeleteHello Susan! I hope you manage with your goals and family this week.
Delete- Katy
I second Dame Eleanor on owning the Crazy Cat Lady label! Work it!
DeleteI’m Linda (!!), AKA humming42, grateful to be here again. I’m an assoc prof, teaching in the humanities at a mid-sized state school in a small US town.
ReplyDeleteI...um...still haven’t quite submitted that book manuscript. But I’m on track to submit it by the end of this week. Classes start Tuesday and I must finish before then. I have a handful of abstracts and essays out for review, making it difficult to know just what I’ll be working on for this session. I do have some plans though.
This session:
1 Read book and review (book not yet in hand)
2 Finish two revisions and resubmit
3 Follow up on work under review as appropriate
4 Submit Circus abstract at end of January
5 Submit Glass essay
6 Write 5x/week
7 Read 5x/week
This week:
1 Submit book manuscript!
2 Finish syllabi
3 Revise book reviews and resubmit
4 Read 5x
5 Write 5x
Looking forward.
Hello! Good luck with the book manuscript.
Delete- Katy
I'll be here, but I've been mired in class planning all day. The more detail I get down now, the easier the semester will be. I hope to list some goals tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back! Class planning is one of my least favourite but also satisfying activities and you're correct in saying it makes things easier (otherwise I probably wouldn't do it).
Delete- Katy
Hello All, I'm Katy and in the UK. I'd probably classify myself as early-mid career but labels confuse me as they mean different things to different people and organisations. Currently working from home while dealing with some health issues which is both strangely productive and somewhat isolating. This block will take me up to surgery time. I have a lot of writing time which I plan to make the most of.
ReplyDeleteSession goals:
- Submit paper based on acronym report
- Write and send for feedback paper 2 (international) and paper 3 (testing)
- finish literature review for loop project and potentially review style article draft if co-authors interested
- Draft funding application on house project and decide between a grant or fellowship application (I can't do both).
- survive the last 5 rounds of chemo (every three weeks)
- walk every day, aiming for average of at least 3 km a day balanced between good weeks and bad weeks.
- work on crafty projects
Weekly goals, modest as today is chemo day.
- edit down acronym paper
- tackle the marking mountain
- come up with a comprehensive to do list
- get out of the house, at least to the nearest Pokestop each day!
- make progress on knitted shawl
I like the knitted shawl goal, which I should steal (the goal, not the shawl, tempting as that might be!). Specifying what I'm working on gives it more reality to me, I think, and I find do some handwork helps me think.
DeleteGreetings! I'm a mid-to-late career American prof trying to get unstuck from Associate and trying to get out from under The Wrong House. I don't really recommend doing both at once, but life happens. One husband, three cats, fibromyalgia and related health issues.
ReplyDeleteSession goals:
1. Life Stuff: get house on market.
2. Research: turn around two sets of revisions and get back to work on book-in-progress. Also prep for a conference in May (not a paper, another sort of thing).
3. Teaching: plan and deliver interesting classes, with useful and prompt feedback to students, without getting so detailed as to overwhelm any of us.
4. Health: maintain routines for safe food, appropriate exercise including stretching, yoga classes twice a week, and sitting 3-4x/week.
5. Leisure: plan and do at least one fun or social thing per week; plan and take a trip at spring break to visit my family.
This week:
1. First pass at decluttering/organizing my study, so that it is functional and attractive for the upcoming semester, and so that it will be easier to do a second round of decluttering before house goes on market.
2. Review most recently accepted article and plan the revisions. E-mail editors with self-imposed deadline.
3. Plan classes, write syllabi: as much detail as possible now, to save trouble later.
4. Daily stretching, cardio or walking; weights 3 times; 2 yoga classes; test one new food. Figure out what I can take to eat at one of #5's scheduled activities.
5. Two social activities already scheduled for this week, different groups of friends.
I'm looking forward to interacting with you all. This group is a great help, in so many ways.
Now how did that happen? I had a lovely post that disappeared. Trying again . . .
ReplyDeleteMid-to-late career American English prof, trying to get un-stuck from Associate and out from under The Wrong House. I don't recommend doing both of these at once, but life happens. One husband, three cats, fibromyalgia and associated health issues.
Session goals:
1. Life Stuff: get house on market.
2. Research: revise two essays and send them out (one now very old R&R, one accepted with revisions).
3. Teaching: plan and deliver interesting classes with prompt and useful feedback to students, without getting so detailed that any of us get overwhelmed.
4. Health: maintain safe diet, exercise program, and mindfulness.
5. Leisure: plan at least one fun and/or social activity per week; plan and take a spring break trip to visit family.
This week:
1. De-clutter and organize my study so it is functional and attractive for the coming semester, and so it will be easy to do a second round of decluttering before the house goes to market.
2. Review the recently accepted article, plan revisions, contact editors with self-imposed deadline.
3. Plan classes, write syllabuses.
4. Eat safely, test one new food; walking or cardio every day, stretching every day, two yoga classes, sit 3x.
5. Two social activities already on the schedule this week.
I'm looking forward to interacting with you all again in this iteration. This group is very helpful and supportive.
My post disappeared too!!!
DeleteI compose in Google Docs, then cut and paste. I've lost too many comments, so I take the extra step. YMMV, though, since my Irish heritage comes to the fore when my comments disappear.
DeleteIt seems life doesn't listen to our requests for sensible timing. Moving and promotion efforts don't sound helpful to one another, but might each stressor be an escape from the other? Just a thought.
DeleteI like your teaching goal, especially the "without overwhelming anybody" goal. I might steal that one.
DeleteOh my goodness, this post snuck up on me. I have had a handful of medical procedures in the past week, and have to have my eyes dilated tomorrow, so am undeniably late. Sigh! I will return when I can see, with goals in hand.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're okay! Or at least coping.
DeleteThank you, Dame Eleanor, I am coping. I'm probably okay, too. The doctors have ruled out most major problems, so I can relax while they are still scratching their heads over the minor ones.
DeleteI am a first-year postdoc in the social sciences at a state university in a large city in the US. My research focuses on an under-researched subpopulation (of which I am a member) that will likely come under fire under the new administration in the US. I have a lot of worries about that on a number of fronts, not the least of which is how it will affect research funding. I will likely hear about my NIH funding during this session - but even if it is funded, the money likely won’t come till this summer (due to congressional appropriations’ issues). So, funding is a big stressor and 50% of my funding likely ends in a few months. I’ve been admitted to a competitive grant-writing program, so am hoping that will help.
ReplyDeleteIn the last session, I did not at all do what I set out to do. I think that was a combination of thinking I could accomplish more than is actually feasible, having too much admin stuff on my plate (and concomitantly, finding it easier to do the admin stuff than write), and having a rough Fall due to our political landscape. I want to feel more successful this time around, so will try to make more reasonable goals. I also want to add in a priority to take better care of myself. I tend to swing between working way too hard and being so worn out (emotionally and mentally) that I just binge watch netflix. I want to try to do something good for myself every day.
My postdoc mentor and I haven’t really met since early Fall as she has been out of the state/country since October - and will be until March. I need to figure out how to get along without her because even though I am very good at working independently, it’s hard being so isolated. I have other good and supportive mentors - but they are all remote. I don’t have good local mentorship, and as much as I love email - I feel like I need some in-person contact to keep me on track and to just talk through ideas and plans. But I tend to be slow to warm and, at the same time, feel like a burden on others - so this is challenging. Finally, my mentor and I will be moving to NYC, so I need to spend some of my non-work time cleaning and getting rid of stuff to make packing and the move easier (this will likely occur this summer).
This session:
1. Draft qualitative paper
2. Submit relat paper
3. Outline for diss paper
4. Clean and reduce belongings
5. Draft equality paper
6. Gain a slightly better work/life balance
7. Learn how to do qualitative analyses (maybe this should have come before #1!)
8. Write NIH K (or K99/R01)
9. Figure out how to have local support
This week:
1. Submit conference abstract
2. Work on study recruitment
3. newsletter, etc.
4. spend time on relat paper
5. Do something fun every day
I think one reason we (I) tend to bite off too much is hearing other people say things like "X will expand to fill the time available" and "if you want something done, give it to a busy person"; the corollaries are that if you only have so much time, you'll get X done in that time, and the more you have to do, the more efficient you'll be. But this is not always the case, hard though this can be to learn. I can't speak to the admin or the rough fall (though I hope you're only anxious and not actually physically unsafe where you are), but it sounds like last session helped you learn how much time some things actually need when you're doing them in your life. And that's a good thing. It's one reason the time gurus urge time-tracking: not just to keep you on track, but to learn how much time you need for different tasks. If some of them need daydreaming time (for example), plan that into your days.
DeleteWhat fun things are you doing this week?
Yes, I feel like (and I've written about this before), I am given a lot of admin tasks that could go to our admin staff. Bu they tend to say no more than I do, or just don't do things to avoid saying no. They also tend to complain about how much they have to do or fail to respond (note - they are great overall though!). I think that's why my mentor will ask me to do things instead - I just make room and get things done for her.
DeleteI'm safe - I'm in a blue state.
This weekend, a button company in town is having free drop in hours for people to come make buttons for the marches on Jan 21, so a friend and I will do that. I think I will also go see a movie in an actual theater this weekend - yay!
I tend to binge watch Netflix after manic flurries of activity, too. I also completely sympathize with the need for local mentors. Although this group is great, I miss the in-person contact and the opportunity to bounce ideas around with other academics.
DeleteMovie in a theater? Sounds lovely.
Hello again, everyone. First, thanks to our hosts for this upcoming session of TLQ.
ReplyDeleteI’m Elizabeth, a tenured Associate Librarian at a STEM-heavy R1 in the upper Hudson Valley in New York. I am ABD in medieval studies, but decided in the last year that the rigamarole of getting the Ph.D. (retaking quals, resubmitting a dissertation proposal to a new committee, for example) wasn’t worth it. I am 5 years from retirement, and the degree would change nothing in my work life. I am chair of a department, so administrative duties loom large at times. My main focus is to protect my identity as a medievalist and scholar in a university where I am the only medievalist (or rare book librarian) among the faculty. Now that I am tenured, I am giddily pulling topics out of my idea file.
I live with a husband who is in the throes of submitting his own tenure dossier (due January 23rd, heaven help us!), two university-attending sons, and an incredibly spoiled Standard Poodle. We moved into a new house in July, and still have no room in the garage for the car.
Session goals:
Session mantra: Plan, breathe, create
Write at least five sentences every day.
Leaven the excitement of new projects with the gratification of finishing old ones.
Monitor food intake and movement.
Next week’s goals:
Finish plan for the month of January.
Walk the dog twice daily.
Write five sentences daily.
Edit one page of Prudence commentary daily.
I hope you're still enjoying the new house. I like the balance of excitement/gratification and the idea of leavening as an activity (rather than balance, grounding, etc). It sounds both fun and nourishing.
DeleteI am still loving the new house, to be honest, despite having to pay the property taxes last week and finding out that the exterior wall where the direct-vent fireplace was put in has no insulation (!!). It was soothing to curl up in front of said fireplace to read, knit, and nap after procedures.
DeleteI suffer from the common ADD affliction of loving to start things and not so much loving to finish them. The image of leavening is lightening to me, but your thoughts of fun and nourishment are quite attractive as well.