the grid

the grid

Monday 17 December 2018

September-December: Week 15

It's harvest time. Some of us have reaped what we sowed; some reaped the whirlwind; some seeds were blighted while others may just be awaiting a new season. Oceangirl had unexpected storms and a ravaged plot, but we'll gather round to offer neighbor(u)rly help and bring flowers we grew in other gardens. 

I've tried to gather both the original session goals and the last posted goals, whether from last week or farther back. Apologies to anyone I've missed, and for not finding the midterm corrections, and for wonky formatting (I'm away from home, without all my usual programs). Let's think about the whole time: How have the last 15 weeks gone for you? 

Bardiac
Session Goals: revising a small paper, my sabbatical project (getting a solid draft of a paper in place), working on and submitting my promotion materials.

Daisy
Last posted goals
This week I will finish the revisions for my accepted paper and get that sent off as an early Christmas present to myself!

Session goals:
1) Finish student paper with graduated student
2) Write Northern project paper
3) Write Pretty Area paper
4) Write at least part of Fiddly Methods paper, for sending to fiddly methods people to finish
5) Do all the data parts of ongoing joint project papers

DEH
Last posted goals
1. Health: the usual.
2. Teaching: finish grading for both classes.
3. Research: finish the introduction! Polish the conference abstract.
4. Life Stuff: deposit/bills, more Xmas shopping/cards, more trip planning/prep.

Session: Live my life, i.e. try not to put things off b/c we want to move.
Finish the last set of revisions, answer queries about the translation in a timely manner, return to book project.
Keep on top of teaching/grading/planning.

EAM
Last posted goals:
Pack for the trip.
Practice zen at every opportunity.
Unpack what I can from the office.
4 hours on the dissertation.

Session goals:
Plan re-entry from sabbatical, endeavoring to hold on to lessons learned.
Intersperse fun things.
Foster mindfulness.
Move--walk, do Tai Chi.
Create--write, knit, draw.

GEW
Last posted goals:
Between now and Dec. 21:
1) Finish grading and write rec letters.
2) Finish Christmas shopping and wrap presents.
3) Meet with co-instructor for SF class to plan syllabus.
4) Prep revisions to research/argument class.
5) Clean linen closet.
6) Clean garage piles.
7) Spend 2-3 hours drafting conference paper.
8) Pay bills
9) Prep for trip (pack, get house and notes ready for housesitters)
10) Walk 2x, Yoga 2x.

Session Goals:
1) Be a gracious and helpful Drama Mama*
2) Do special outings with my son every 2-3 weeks
3) Read two SF criticism books
4) Access and read the year-in-review article for c18, and read one c18 monograph
5) Draft conference paper for spring (since next semester will be super busy)
6) Clean out my piles in the garage, clean linen closet, working on picture framing
7) Do NaNoWriMo (I want to do this but am not sure if I can)
8) Do final edits for accepted article

heu mihi
last posted goals
1. Language x 5, write x 4, sit x 4, exercise x 5.
2. 2500 words of Novel.
3. Solve thorny historical problem for Silence.
4. Spend at least 2 hours of daylight time neither working nor doing anything on this list.

Goals for the term:
1. Submit Wonder.
2. Deal with other writing projects as they arise.
3. Write 30 minutes daily (M-F).
4. Language review daily (M-F).
5. Sit more.
6. Dillydally less.

Humming42
Last posted goals
1 Write winter blog posts
2 Write 1000 words for Tiny Project

Session
1 Finish and submit Sweet
2 Write 25000 words on Tiny Project
3 Submit way, way overdue film review
4 Make plans with Overlooked co-author
5 Write Snow short essays (left over from late winter)
6 Submit abstract for Pop
7 Submit abstract for Roads
8 Write lit review and methods section for Hashtag

JaneB
Last posted goals
1) write this year's "christmas letter"
2) wrap all the gifts I need to mail, and mail some of them
3) self-care: the usual
5) write talk for end of semester conference
6) work up diary now next semester's timetable is finally available!

Session
1) write one grant application
2) Progress equivalent to one paper on publications.
3) self-care - to re-establish adequate habits around sleep, water and food, exercise, housework, sitting
4) self-care - financial. Sort out all the paperwork and re-establish a filing system of sorts and a more thoughtful budget.
5) self-care - Doing Things Other Than Work. NaNoWriMo, a substantial amount of handicraft progress, and continuing to explore bullet journalling or other ways of Making Marks On Paper Which Are Pleasing To Me.
6) teaching prep - have made reasonable progress on setting up new teaching and major revision of statistics handouts for the second trimester (say have a document which identifies the class topic/key outcomes and a couple of readings/activities identified for every new classroom session plus have at least half the statistics material done).
7) be kind to myself! 

Oceangirl101
Last posted goals
get back to my home in Arizona relatively unscathed by all of this and to figure out my Christmas plans

Goals for this session:
1. Complete one chapter of the book (writing and copy editing)
2. Submit one article (about 75% written)
3. Do teaching prep/grading as needed, and with more leeway time than normal the weeks I will be traveling to my Mom's
4. Do admin to get family leave for the Spring
5. Exercise 3 x a week
6. Call friends as needed (1 x a week or more) to get support with the ugly family stuff
7. Visit Mom once every 4 weeks, call daily to check in with her or her caregivers

PlantGirl
Last posted goals

1. Run at least once before TG and once after (if possible)
2. FL work x2 or 3
3. Read something for fun
4. Do something artsy again
5. Collate responses to book and organize notes in preparation for working on it again after TG

Waffles
Last posted goals
1. Draft of JAMA peds paper
2. Draft of review letter
3. Review of journal article
4. Read over mentor's feedback on F32 paper and make a plan
5. Abstract for atlanta conference
6. Make plan for K based on mock review feedback

Session goals
1. PTSD
2. Aim 1
3. Asthma X2
4. YRBS
5. Diss
6. Methods paper
7. Journal review

21 comments:

  1. Last week
    1. Draft of JAMA peds paper - DONE
    2. Draft of review letter - DONE
    3. Review of journal article  - DONE
    4. Read over mentor's feedback on F32 paper and make a plan - DONE (and not as bad as I thought)
    5. Abstract for atlanta conference - DONE
    6. Make plan for K based on mock review feedback - DONE


    I had a decent week last week. I had my mock review for my grant and there was strong support for my ideas and my approach - comments were solely about the presentation of my ideas and approach - so yay! I interviewed the last couple for my study - which is good, but a little sad. I am glad to be able to go back to working in my pjs on the weekends rather than having to do interviews!

    Session goals
    1. PTSD - SENT TO CO-AUTHORS
    2. Aim 1 - NEED TO DO REVISIONS
    3. Asthma X2 - SENT TO CO-AUTHORS
    4. YRBS - UGH
    5. Diss - UGH
    6. Methods paper - NOT DONE
    7. Journal review - STILL COLLECTING DATA

    I was scared to look at my session goals - but I didn't do horribly. I think writing an NIH K may have impeded progress a bit, but I'm okay with the progress I did make.

    Goals for the holiday break
    1. Journal review data extracted
    2. Aim 1 paper revisions done
    3. Either diss paper or YRBS paper - both are so close to being done.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are a powerhouse! I'm glad you're making the most of the move. Yay working in pjs!

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  2. Quick note to say thank you so much DEH for doing this. I had planned on it, especially since I knew you were out of town, but have been sick and generally falling apart at the seams.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wishing you a quick recovery!

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    2. Seconded! I hope by now you're managing to sew up the seams and keep your stuffing in. :-)

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  3. Thank you, DEH and GEW, for the wonderful hosting!

    last posted goals
    1. Language x 5 -Yes, write x 4 -Yes, sit x 4 -x2 or 3?, exercise x 5 -Yes (counting heavy yard work as exercise).
    2. 2500 words of Novel -Yes.
    3. Solve thorny historical problem for Silence -Maybe? Thanks for the help, DEH!
    4. Spend at least 2 hours of daylight time neither working nor doing anything on this list -Pretty sure I did, but don't ask me what it was.

    Goals for the term:
    1. Submit Wonder - Done
    2. Deal with other writing projects as they arise - All that arose was the Silence essay, which I'm dealing with. My stupid second book has now been under review for 14 months and I'm full of rage on that front, but what are you going to do.
    3. Write 30 minutes daily (M-F). -Looking back over my weekly notes, I can see that I did very well on this in nearly all weeks. The exceptions were two very meeting-intensive weeks. I've made a lot of progress in setting up some habits, thanks to the accountability required by this group!
    4. Language review daily (M-F). -See #3.
    5. Sit more. -Eh. I did sit *more*, but seldom as much as I planned. I really need to rethink my approach here. But the mere fact that I'm thinking in terms of how I approach it--rather than just DOING IT, which is how I make myself do most things--is part of the problem. Sitting is in some weird Non-Task Category that I have a really hard time making conceptual space for. I need to figure this out.
    6. Dillydally less. -Forgot that this was one of my goals! I do think that, thanks to all my daily tasks, I managed this one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to help, sorry about the long review on your book, congrats on NaNoWriMo progress, and yay getting habits in place!

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  4. How I did:
    Last posted goals
    1. Health: the usual. VERY GOOD; having a little trouble with food on this trip, though not sure what went wrong.
    2. Teaching: finish grading for both classes. YES as of 5 minutes ago!
    3. Research: finish the introduction! Polish the conference abstract. NOT YET. Maybe this week!
    4. Life Stuff: deposit/bills, more Xmas shopping/cards, more trip planning/prep. YES, SOME, YES (more to come).

    Session: Live my life, i.e. try not to put things off b/c we want to move. YES. Got a library card, tried yoga classes near my house, planned some trips, agreed with my husband that whatever happens with the house we will go on trips next summer.
    Finish the last set of revisions, answer queries about the translation in a timely manner, return to book project. ARGH. The translation project is ongoing. New press! Still working on revising the introduction. Other research work on hold due to that.
    Keep on top of teaching/grading/planning. PASS. Grades aren't due for another 7.5 hours, so I've filed under the wire. I did not do very well about getting things done in a timely manner this term. I taught a lot of new texts and I forgot how much prep work that takes, so I lagged with grading. Maybe I can do better in the spring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I get to go home today! I think I've got through the trip without anybody getting really ticked off, though maybe I shouldn't say that till I'm back. Anyway, my dad seems to be doing well, situation stable despite one brother's worries, so that's good.

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  5. Topic: Despite the dips in the last fifteen weeks, I have an overall warm and fuzzy feeling about the time. I have been working full-time since my dissertation proposal was approved, and this was the first time in two decades I have had more than a weekend to devote to it. I am close enough to finished to go to my dissertation director, or to a publisher. I would not be in this position without this group, so I tender all of you my sincere thanks.

    Last posted goals:
    Pack for the trip. Yes
    Practice zen at every opportunity. Yes, for the most part.
    Unpack what I can from the office. Yes
    4 hours on the dissertation. Yes

    Session goals:
    Plan re-entry from sabbatical, endeavoring to hold on to lessons learned. Yes, although it is proving hard to remember some of the lessons.

    Intersperse fun things. Yes, when I felt good enough.

    Foster mindfulness. Yes, thanks to Headspace, and to Waffles, who mentioned it here.

    Move--walk, do Tai Chi. Yes, when I could. I'm doing better now that I walk from the furthest parking lot.

    Create--write, knit, draw. Yes, much less drawing than writing or knitting, but a valiant effort.

    I want to thank DEH and GEW for hosting a great session, and to thank everyone for their support and encouragement. Have a wonderful few weeks, enjoy the break and/or the holidays if you do them.

    Float like mist, everyone!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Excellent progress! I'm very glad to hear that you're almost done and thinking about publishing. And it sounds like you're improving physically, as well. The last several months have been hard on you, so it's great to end with good news.

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  6. Hi All,

    I never reoriented my session goals once I went out to my Mom's. I guess they would have been to take care of her (mentally and physically) while her health was failing, to tie up lose ends to reduce her anxiety, and to generally just be there for her so she was not alone. I met all of those goals. I think I am most proud of cooking her healthful and tasty meals that went a long way towards helping her eat, even to the very end. And I met my end of the session goals, as I am leaving for my home tomorrow, with my Mom's cat which I adopted, in tow. Most of the estate issues are tied up and my Mom's house is on the market, so its time for me to transition back to my own life. It is going to be hard. Thanks everyone here for the support and I look forward to joining you in the spring if there is a session then.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You had the hardest session of all, and you managed the most important thing in life: you showed up. More than showing up, you dealt. You can be proud of everything you did for your mother, and I hope having her cat is a comfort to you as you adjust to life as it is now. A parent's death changes your position in the world. Best wishes for a peaceful season, and we'll look forward to "seeing" you starting in January.

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  7. Thank you, as ever, Good Enough Woman and Dame Eleanor Hull.

    Perhaps my biggest accomplishment this session is the realization that I have something I need to fix, so that I can do the writing I want to do. I met only one of my session goals, which was to submit an abstract that I have not heard back about so I assume it wasn’t accepted. Gladly, I get to start over, one of the best takeaways from this group.

    I’m planning to post the first message for the next session on January 5...please let me know if a different plan would be better. In the meantime, wishing you lovely holidays.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How long will the next session run? They have varied, so you don't have to do 15 weeks if that seems like too much.

      I'm a big fan of Jonathan Mayhew's writing advice at prosedoctor.blogspot.com---go to the archives for his first 2-3 years, because after that he does less advice. He talks about identifying strengths, building the scholarly base, identifying intrinsic and extrinsic problems, and I've found it very helpful.

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    2. Thanks for the Jonathan Mayhew reference.
      I'm thinking until the last weekend in March would be good, which is about 12 weeks.

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  8. Thanks to our wonderful hosts for a great session!

    I completed my last week of goals, revision is done and sent off. Yay!

    This session I did not complete the specific goals very well, as I wrote last week it seemed like there was a huge amount of background work that needed to be done first. But, looking back at how much research work I actually did I'm very happy with how the term went. Everything on the list I had has moved forward significantly, and incremental progress is still progress, so I'm in a good place to continue. Research work and writing is a regular habit, and I miss it when I don't do it, that alone is a win I think! 2 papers accepted for the session is also a win.
    Have a great break everyone, and thanks for the ongoing support and fun conversations!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I went to the conference, and it was fine, and I have now got the conference crud, and I am tired. Fluffball's first trip to the cattery seems to have gone quite well - he came home better brushed than he went, and whilst he's very pleased about being back he doesn't seem to be stressed or clingy - so that's a plus.

    Last posted goals:
    1) write this year's "christmas letter" nope. I will aim to get cards written and posted in the Twelve Days, at least... Must Do Better on this sort of stuff!
    2) wrap all the gifts I need to mail, and mail some of them all wrapped and mailed
    3) self-care: the usual did quite well, especially during the conference
    5) write talk for end of semester conference yes, and it went well (and to time)
    6) work up diary now next semester's timetable is finally available! yes... yesterday... but still...

    Session goals:
    1) write one grant application nope, but have the first rough draft of one and another idea which may have "legs" but is waiting for other people to get back to me
    2) Progress equivalent to one paper on publications. hmmm. Probably not as I haven't written any new drafts, but not far off as I've done a lot of editing, submitting, figure making, analysis, all in dribs and drabs
    3) self-care - to re-establish adequate habits around sleep, water and food, exercise, housework, sitting ugh. No worse, at least.
    4) self-care - financial. Sort out all the paperwork and re-establish a filing system of sorts and a more thoughtful budget. no, not at all
    5) self-care - Doing Things Other Than Work. NaNoWriMo, a substantial amount of handicraft progress, and continuing to explore bullet journalling or other ways of Making Marks On Paper Which Are Pleasing To Me. I did and won NaNo, at least...
    6) teaching prep - have made reasonable progress on setting up new teaching and major revision of statistics handouts for the second trimester (say have a document which identifies the class topic/key outcomes and a couple of readings/activities identified for every new classroom session plus have at least half the statistics material done). no. Work to do here. Not entirely in my control either...

    Well it's been a semester. I've had niggling health issues and uncertainty reigns at my place of employment (this week included suspension of recruitment to two degree programmes in another faculty and Much Union Emailing), which has never suited me. I missed some things I wanted to do, and did some things I didn't really want to do, and shepherded two grad students to submission, and I am ready for a break, so of course I have a cold!

    Thank you all for keeping me going, listening to me whine, appreciating my flights of fancy and sharing your own, and just being here. Here's to another year of keeping starting over - Excelsior!
    7) be kind to myself!

    ReplyDelete