Week 4: Fantastical Goals and Where to Find Them

It's the end of the first week of term here and I'm exhausted. Both in the 'woo lots of people on campus lots of stuff to do but better food for lunch available lots of people to talk to' way and the 'grump no parking spaces no time to think too much teaching prep way kiss bye bye to real life for a few weeks while I get stuff done way'.  We're also in the middle of recruiting a fairly specialist hire in a process I have dubbed 'the unicorn hunt'. I've found out that this term has spread a bit throughout a few departments - I really must be more careful when I create terms!

All of this got me thinking about my TLQ goals - what's my mythical TLQ goal, the one that's so ephemeral in my mind that it's like reports of a mythical creature? The TLQ equivalent of the unicorn hunt, or rumours of a  phoenix reborn and taking flight. A goal that's perhaps too large, or too remote to voice in our session goals but that we know we're working towards on some level.

For this weeks topic, Do we dare name our Fantastical Goal? (without it becoming a weekly or a session goal, no pressure at all) Or is it safer just to discuss whether we do have such a goal, and why we don't feel comfortable naming it or overtly working towards it?


Amstr
-plan eating/menus and eat well
-1 hour coffee shop writing 5 days
-finalize YB
-redraft PO
-finish KLB handouts
-revise RB
-draft 10 pages of MF
-finish goals by Friday pm

Contingent Cassandra
--Lift weights 2x, garden 1x
--Keep working on more regular bedtime (after I get past the combination of two evening meetings tonight plus teaching tomorrow)
--Plan follow up on pedagogy project and send group email
--Rearrange books in apartment to make those relevant to Spring '18 classes more visible/accessible.
--Pick up at least one book relevant to Spring '18 classes at library


Dame Eleanor Hull 
1) Self: daily exercise, yoga (2x, preferably), enough sleep, work on at least 2 languages, do the necessary cooking so I can eat safely.
2) Research: 5 hours, focusing on product. I hope to put all the revised bits together and work on transitions.
3) Teaching: finish setting up assignments for undergrads.
4) House/Life: finish packing the guest room, do some other useful house thing.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell 
Create the tables for the survey article.
Edit the survey article without ticking off my co-authors.
Update my CV for the sabbatical application.
Spend at least six hours on the grant.
Organize, toss or scan one file drawer.
Continue to expand project file with one folder per project.
Walk more than 45 minutes a day.
Edit at least five pages of the book.
Write at least four pages of the novella.
Transfer the outdoor plants to the winter pots, even if it was 90F today.

Good Enough Woman
1) Pay bills.
2) Try to embrace my job (I've been resenting its demands this semester, but it's time to remember that I'm getting paid, and I need to get on board and think postively.)
3) Finish course proposal for science fiction class.
4) Write: 15 minutes x 5 (actual writing).
5) two walks, one swim, daily stretching (even if stretching is just two minutes) morning and evening
6) do some planning for middle school writing group (the first meeting was today--VERY SCARY, but fun!)

heu mihi
1. Read and revise ch. 5
2. Draft conclusion
3. Meditate twice (being realistic, given visitors)
4. Go for a walk/look out the window most days
5. Do prep work for prof. org. project

humming42 (carried over)
1 Write grant proposal
2 Work on manuscript every. single. day.
3 Breathe, be kind to myself, be mindful of creating distracting little projects


JaneB  
- survival

karen 
1. Finish off marking
2. Have complete draft of grass work.
3. Hour and a half on coauthored conference paper draft (already put into calendar)
4. 3 x walk/jogs (I don't think I can call them runs)


KJHaxton
- 3 decent walks at lunchtimes or at dusk (decent = 3 miles)
- use working at home day to make some progress on a potential publication (could be as simple as organising computer and physical workspace and files)
- try not to freak out that it's the first week back and first lecturing since last October.

Matilda (held over)
1. Finish revision of Chapter 1.
2. Finish writing up of the first part of Chapter 2.
3. Do 5 minute exercise every morning.
4. Have more vegetable, less bread.
5. Write my journal every day.
6. Practice writing. - Read a lot, write a lot, look up good dictionaries. Do you have any other practical tips to improve writing?


Waffles 
1. Finish the review I promised to do (okay, start it too!)
2. Outline for PTSD paper
3. Figure out my goals
4. Work on LHF grant revisions (my mentor gave me feedback, I started reading them and burst into tears and haven’t touched it since).

Week 3: Conditions for growth

From where I'm writing, it's a little less scenic and exotic than KJHaxton's Scottish adventures. But I'll also take my cue for this week’s prompt from my surroundings. I've got trays of vegetable and fruit seeds slowly germinating, trying to get ahead ready for planting when we're past the risk of frosts. I'm trying to make sure they have enough heat, light and water to successfully grow.

So what are the conditions in which you can feel you can grow? Within the limits of often difficult institutional conditions, can we nurture that growth.

Amstr

-plan exercise and eating and do it!
-no screens 3 nights (let's be realistic)
-1 hour coffee shop writing 5 days
-finalize YB
-redraft PO
-finish drafting KLB handouts

Contingent Cassandra
-Lift weights at least 2x, walk at least 1x
-Try to keep bedtime consistent
-Prepare and deliver presentation on pedagogy project
-Decide what to do about other pedagogy project (handoff? grant applications this year but no work ‘til summer ’18?)
-Begin planning Spring ’18 lit class (figure out what I need to do by when; begin planning readings and perhaps doing some background reading)

Dame Eleanor Hull
1) Self: daily exercise, yoga (2x, preferably), enough sleep, work on at least 2 languages, do the necessary cooking so I can eat safely.
2) Research: 5 hours, focusing on product.
3) Teaching: finish setting up assignments for undergrads.
4) House/Life: finish packing the guest room, do some other useful house thing.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Recalibrate the outline for the book.
Write my part of the survey article.
Spend at least five hours on the grant.
Organize, toss or scan one file drawer.
Continue to expand project file with one folder per project.
Walk more than 45 minutes a day.
Go to bone scan appointment.

Good Enough Woman
1) Research options/activities for middle school writing club, which starts next Monday (quite nervous about this).
2) Try to move like water with TRQ and family, especially with weekend guests, and also with helping daughter make matching T-shirts for an upcoming activity with friends. This will be a special challenge when it comes to the iron-on transfers.
3) Write 200 words of fiction.
4) Go to bed by 11:00 and focus on rest.
5) Pay bills.

heu mihi
1. Reread/revise ch. 3.
2. Enter revisions to intro & print so husband can read it.
3. Get one week ahead on reading for all classes.
4. Meditate four times.
5. Enjoy the outdoors for at least a few minutes every day; look out the window sometimes.

humming42
1 Write grant proposal
2 Work on manuscript every. single. day.
3 Breathe, be kind to myself, be mindful of creating distracting little projects

JaneB
1) self-care – sleep, fruit and vegetables (as well as chocolate if necessary; sound basics will help), being the rock or the water as the situation requires, not getting sucked into too much negative talk
2) get ProblemChildPaper3 completely written on the writing day
3) get those two figures done for SpecialIssue paper (TRQ, but coming here for crossing off purposes).

karen (held over)
1. Finish the reorganisation of the home filing system into something I can use.
2. Sow remaining early start veg.
3. Break down curriculum project tasks for the week and set up at least 5 meetings.
4. 30 min research projects work each work day.
5. Do either music or movement each day, 5 minutes min.

KJHaxton (held over, missing presumed having a wonderful holiday)
1. Be on holiday
2. Come up with topic for week 2 here.

Matilda (held over)
1. Finish revision of Chapter 1.
2. Finish writing up of the first part of Chapter 2.
3. Do 5 minute exercise every morning.
4. Have more vegetable, less bread.
5. Write my journal every day.
6. Practice writing. - Read a lot, write a lot, look up good dictionaries. Do you have any other practical tips to improve writing?

Waffles (held over, hope you are recovering)
Recovering from the move, goals to follow!

End of Year 2017: Week 2

Hello Everyone,

I'm currently on holiday in the Hebrides (islands off the west coast of Scotland) and it's a very nice place to be. On the current island there are lots of single tracked roads with passing places so journeys take a little longer, and most 'locals' wave at every car that passes them. It's small enough that we've passed the same cars each day as we've roamed around in search of beautiful beaches and rain-free spots. Simple things like waving to oncoming cars makes the place feel very friendly. Of course, there are other natives who find cars fascinating - we've been swerving to avoid the sheep and today encountered some wild ponies who wanted in the car! I'm posting this before moving to island number 2 as the internet access is comparatively good here, and I suspect it wont be in the next place.

So that rather circuitous start leads to a theme for the week is to think about what we do when the oncoming traffic forces us into a passing place, or to avoid an obstacle in another way. I wasn't particularly happy today when we decided to drive through this...puddle?...small loch in the road?...ford? I took the photo once we'd been through it and were going back for the return visit. I saw no need to document our stupidity if we'd gotten stuck (or flooded the engine - it was decently deep). 

Many of us have talked about themes or constraints for the session before us, considering how they will shape what we believe we can achieve, and the goals we will set. Let's think about our strategies for dealing with obstacles that arise unexpectedly and how we decide whether we slow and move to the passing place, or play a game of chicken with the oncoming traffic with the intention that they will. 

The format, as always: comment on the theme if you wish, review of last week's goals and setting goals for the coming week. If anyone wishes to join the session, or to post session goals, feel free to introduce yourself or post goals in the comments here. Just shout if I've missed anyone!

Amstr

-plan exercise and eating and do it!

-no screens after dinner (5 days)

-do 1 hour coffee shop writing first thing (4 days)

-draft 5 pages of novel

-finalize YB for packet

Contingent Cassandra

--Figure out some session goals and post them here.

--Work some kind of movement -- weight-lifting, walking, or gardening -- into most days

--Try to keep to a regular sleep schedule

-- figure out what to do about another ongoing project at work which I'm basically in charge of

Dame Eleanor Hull

1) Self: daily exercise, yoga (2x, preferably), enough sleep, work on at least 2 languages, do the necessary cooking so I can eat safely.

2) Research: 5 hours.

3) Teaching: finish setting up assignments for undergrads.

4) House/Life: finish packing the guest room, move file cabinets in my study.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

Organize, toss or scan one half of one file drawer.

Start project file with one folder per project.

Walk.

Go to dental appointment and call for bone scan appointment.

Good Enough Woman

1) Return ill-fitting shoes and order new ones (for kids).

2) 15 minutes x 5 of writing or planning (at least two session must be actual writing).

3) Print previous draft of article (We'll call it "Spy")

4) Research ideas for middle school writing club.

5) Turn in volunteer application and paperwork.

6) Get sufficient sleep. Aim to be in bed by 11:00.

heu mihi

1. Reread/revise ch. 1.

2. Send out necessary materials for upcoming talk that I'm organizing.

3. Help others: write recommendation letter, read dissertation chapter, assign advisors to new students.

4. Meditate 4 times.

humming42

1 Finish revisions for manuscript chapters 2 and 3

2 Submit abstract for photo essay (due)

3 Complete and submit TRQ proposal review

4 Get materials organized for grant proposal

JaneB

As mentioned, on leave! So:

1) more decluttering (with help from professional declutterer booked for Monday)

2) installation of new supposedly faster and better internet service

3) order and organise all the yarn for the rest of the crochet project

4) outline some ideas for the NaNoWriMo project

5) write report on PhD thesis I need to examine, and make sure someone does those proofs (may not have to be me...)

6) put all non-essential work related items that come up into the list in my day-book for dealing with later

7) read some more fiction

karen

1. Finish the reorganisation of the home filing system into something I can use.

2. Sow remaining early start veg.

3. Break down curriculum project tasks for the week and set up at least 5 meetings.

4. 30 min research projects work each work day.

5. Do either music or movement each day, 5 minutes min.

KJHaxton

1. Be on holiday

2. Come up with topic for week 2 here.

            

Matilda

1. Finish revision of Chapter 1.

2. Finish writing up of the first part of Chapter 2.

3. Do 5 minute exercise every morning.

4. Have more vegetable, less bread.

5. Write my journal every day.

6. Practice writing. - Read a lot, write a lot, look up good dictionaries. Do you have any other practical tips to improve writing?

Waffles

Recovering from the move, goals to follow!