Week 6: July Joy

Confession:

My first impulse was to title this post, "July--oh no!" But then I thought, "This is no way to live."

July is often (for me, anyway) when I start to feel that the Summer is Ending and We Are Not Yet Saved--in other words, that nothing has yet been accomplished and I've wasted all my time. But neither of those statements is true, of course, for any of us, regardless of whether we've met all of our goals or none of them. Sometimes not meeting goals is necessary and good, as I'm struggling to learn.

I spent this past week assiduously trying to check everything off my daily to-do list, and by Friday I had to chuck the list altogether, sleep in (admittedly until like 7:30--I have a kid and a cat), and spend the afternoon reading a quick novel. I had started to hate my list and all that it represented. And on Saturday, lo, I woke up in much better spirits. How many times do I need to relearn this lesson? --I'm assuming that I'm not alone in this.

If June didn't go exactly the way that you had hoped and dreamed, it's okay.

So this week's prompt, or rather challenge (since I'm not phrasing it as a question), is to forgive the failures of the preceding weeks--indeed, not to think of them as failures at all, but simply as parts of the long story of your multi-faceted, many-colored life. We are not the sum total of our publications, and sometimes we don't know what's best for ourselves.

How did last week go? And what would you like to enjoy in the coming week?

Last week's goals:

Dame Eleanor Hull:
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, make one House-related call.
3, keep writing/editing R&R.
4, read introductions to two books.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2 hours.
6, drill grammar or vocabulary x 5 in one language.
7, pack and prep for trip.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:
No goals listed, but we love hearing from you!

Good Enough Woman:
1) Write 5x
2) Walk 5x
3) Yoga 2x
4) Meditate 5x
5) Write SQ for SF short stories and put them in Canvas
6) A fun outing with family

heu mihi:
1. Daily stuff: Language x5, write x5, exercise x5, sit x?. I'm just going to keep track of how many times I sit.
2. I'm also going to keep track of how many times I can hit 10k steps (on my phone). Those last 10 days of inactivity really got to me.
3. Life stuff: Passport renewal applications, various bills, return a package, etc.
4. Other people's business: Read grad student essay. 
5. Finish rereading Wonder. Start a new draft with a new framework that might just solve All The Problems.
6. Finish academic book; read either a new pleasure book or 35 pages of Proust.

humming42:
1 Draft Time abstract
2 Write and submit a review
3 Finish next review book
4 Blog post
5 Write for Tiny Project every day

JaneB:
1a: water, 5-10 minute exercise routines, sleep schedule
1b: pick up the spaces that have been decluttered, make another appointment.
1c: pick up the square I was working on and make some progress
2a: Spend half an hour each on Fragment and FlatProject, review an article, complete application for pointless but potentially gratifying thing
2b: start making some lists, send more emails about the recce visit
2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis and pass them on to technician
3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering

oceangirl101:
1) meet with govt officials, local offices to discuss 2020 project
2) give back analyzed objects and organize at the Museum, discuss idea for exhibit
3) meet with landowners/council of elders to get permissions
4) see my second family (my adopted family at my field sites)
5) travel to a new island and see if I want to work there
6) eat some really yummy fish, swim and snorkel as much as I can, hike, enjoy a beer or two, and generally get away from it all for awhile

Susan:
1. Finish book orders
2. Finish clearing desk
3. Possibly get some book organizing done?
4. Get reviews into Zotero so all the random clippings can be recycled 
5. Do one manuscript review
6. Pay relevant bills
7. Pack
8. Walk 3 times 
9. Try to be mellow 

Waffles:

1. Make a full to do list with a plan
2. Submit JAMA paper so I can talk about it.
3. Get to work on revising the grant!!!

Summer-north, Winter-south session week 5: quantity v quality

Academics are all trained to be critical, to ask hard questions: is this true? Can I reproduce these results? Is this an adequate sample size? Is this argument convincing? Have I said this the right way? We need to ask these questions, but that means that we live with an Inner Critic and an Inner Editor that sometimes feel like they're picking on us rather than being allies who help us produce our best work.

There's a place for both quality and quantity. Delaying the writing stage in favor of more thinking and outlining can lead to writing quicker and better once we start writing. Lots of pages of free-writing at the beginning of a project can lead to better questions and a clearer argument. Reading carefully and taking notes gives us a way to search for that perfect quotation. Reading a lot quickly gives a sense of the field and where we might enter the conversation.

The balance varies by person, by project, and by stage of project. It also varies by time vs. word or page count. Do you put in the time, or do you try to write a certain number of words or read so many pages? What works the best?

If this prompt speaks to you, tell us where you are with quality and quantity now, this summer, on your current projects, or perhaps about past struggles with this issue. And, as usual, let us know how you're doing with your goals and what the new ones are.

Roll Call:

Dame Eleanor Hull
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, some gardening and other House Stuff.
3, keep writing/editing R&R.
4, read one scholarly book or the equivalent in articles.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2-4 hours.
6, read at least 1/2 hr x 3 in a strong language, drill grammar or vocabulary x 5 in a weaker one.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Pack for conference.
Declutter work office two hours x 3.
One hour x 3 on faculty review document.
Email associate dean to schedule meeting.
Block and install lace curtains.

Good Enough Woman
1) Meditate 2x
2) Start knitting a hat (I've never done a hat)
3) Walk 3x (probably with Dad)
4) Write 500 words 2x
5) Journaling 2x
6) Have fun with the family and my dad

heu mihi
1. Language x2, write x2, sit x4 (I can keep hoping), exercise x1 (I'm still feeling a little crummy, but maybe Saturday?)
2. Reread readers' report and essay draft
3. Schedule lunch with new friend
4. Read part of a book

Humming42
1 Draft Time abstract
2 Write and submit a review
3 Finish next review book
4 Blog post
5 Write for Tiny Project every day

JaneB
1a: water, if the cold allows do 5-10 minute exercise routines, sleep schedule
1b: pick up the spaces that have been decluttered, make another appointment.
1c: pick up the square I was working on and make some progress
2a: Spend half an hour each on Fragment and FlatProject, review an article, make comments on the second draft from LikesMaths
2b: start making some lists, send more emails about the recce visit
2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis and pass them on to technician
3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering

Oceangirl101
- 4 hrs writing/editing/research per day on Ch 3
- exercise x 4, fun x 2
- cat to vet for check up and set up house sitters for when I am gone
- final admin bits for upcoming travel
- finish labwork and organize stuff to give back to government when travel in July

Susan
1. Read dissertation (today + tomorrow)
2. Make travel arrangements (today + tomorrow)
3. Place book orders
4. One day on Memorial, assuming I get comments from editor
5. Tackle desk, reorganize shelves so I can find books
6. Walk three times
7. Read: 2 x journal, 2 x book for fun
8. Get a second roofer to come and give estimate

Waffles
1. Finish the conference presentation.
2. Write and submit review
3. Either R&R or progress report - one of them needs to get done.
4. Do some longitudinal analysis webinars so I can claim them on my progress report!

Summer-North, Winter-South session, Week 4: Planning

I'm feeling terribly uninspired blog-post-wise today, so I'm just going to ask you about something that I struggled with this week: concocting a work plan for the session. For WEEKS I have meant to come up with a "concrete plan" for my work this session, and on Thursday, I finally sat down to do so...only to realize that the best I could do was "Revise X article" for 4 or so weeks, with "Copyedits" pencilled in here and there (not sure when they're coming in), and "Draft proposal for Z" taking up one week--but none of this helps very much. The trouble is, it's hard to know in advance what the revisions will *look* like until I'm in them. So I was able to put on the schedule for this week "Reread reviewer's comments and essay; plan revision," but then the rest of it is entirely up in the air, for obvious reasons.

And yet, the Academic Writing Guru Coach Thingy that sends me automated inspirational emails every Monday insists, strongly, that concrete plans are needed, as far in advance as possible. As did the real-life writing coach that I worked with a few years ago.

I'm sure this varies considerably by discipline, and partly for that reason I'm curious about how the rest of you plan your work-lives--especially those of you with many projects going on at once.

I recently came up with an appropriate image for my research agenda: It's like walking through a dark forest with a flashlight. I can see to the very next part of the path and maybe a few yards further, but beyond that I don't know whether there's a sharp turn, a fallen tree, or a bear. This makes planning difficult.

What about you? How far ahead do/can you plan your projects? Are you on a sunny stroll through well-marked terrain, or, like me, stumbling along in the moonless dark?

Dame Eleanor Hull:
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, some gardening and other House Stuff.
3, finish reviewing past plans, work on outline, start writing.
4, Finish reading one scholarly book.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2-4 hours.
6, read at least 1/2 hr x 3 in a strong language, drill grammar or vocabulary x 5 in a weaker one.

heu mihi:
1. Finish Amy (due 6/15)
2. Language x5, writing x5, sit x5, exercise x5, garden 3 hours
3. Detailed research/writing plan for coming weeks
4. Read a book
5. Read essays for symposium
6. Email collection contributors
7. Enjoy my birthday!

humming 42:

1 Draft Time abstract
2 Write and submit a review
3 Finish next review book
4 Blog post

JaneB:1a: water, if the cold allows do 5-10 minute exercise routines, sleep schedule1b: I have another decluttering appointment next weekend... - I have three possible areas in mind, need to make a decision.1c: pick up the square I was working on and make some progress2a: Spend half an hour each on Fragment and FlatProject, review an article and a grant application, make comments on drafts from both LikesMaths and DrVisitTheSecond 2b: start making some lists, send more emails about the recce visit2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis and pass them on to technician3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering
oceangirl101:- write 3,000 words Ch 3 and 30 minutes of editing per day- exercise x 4, fun x 2- something for house- garage door, possibly weed garden- a few admin bits for trip planned in July and/or book

Susan1. Finish Violence2. Finish Collaboration3. Finalize travel plans and hotels4. Read dissertation draft5. Walk three times 6. Do something fun

Waffles1. Once get final edits to JAMA paper from collaborator, finish it up and submit it.2. Connect with colleague about interactions in victimization paper. Finish writing discussion.3. Draft ppt for conference presentation4. Keep working on R&R5. NIH progress report (UGH).

Summer-North, Winter-South, Week 3

We've probably all run into some version of the Serenity Prayer, about changing the things we can, accepting those we can't, and learning to tell the difference. I'm deliberately re-phrasing: I don't expect to be given the wisdom to tell the difference, but to come by it through some combination of rational thought and trial-and-error.

If this topic speaks to you, tell us about something you have changed, or about your path to acceptance, or about the ways you differentiate between what can and can't be changed.

Also post with your results from last week, and what you're planning for the week ahead. In accordance with heu mihi's question last week, if there's some particular kind of encouragement that would be welcome, please let us know how we can help.

Last week's goals:

Dame Eleanor Hull
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, some gardening and other House Stuff.
3, finish reviewing past plans, work on outline, start writing.
4, Finish reading one scholarly book.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2-4 hours.
6, read at least 1/2 hr x 3 in a strong language, drill grammar or vocabulary x 5 in a weaker one.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Half an hour x 5 on decluttering/organizing craft closet.
Half an hour x 3 on faculty review document.
Half an hour x 3 on work email.
Email associate dean to schedule meeting.
One hour x 3 on article review.
Call to reschedule doctor’s appointment.
Call to reschedule dentist’s appointment.

Good Enough Woman
1) 5 hours of exercise
2) 5x meditation
3) 5 hours of writing
4) 5 hours of prep work
5) 5 hours of house chores per week (pay bills, tidy the Witch Hut, clean daughter's room as part of her b-day present)
6) Finish knitting scarf for MIL
7) Read 300 pages of leisure book (is it still leisure if I set a goal?)
8) Surrender goals when necessary for doing b-day things for daughter, but don't totally abandon them.

heu mihi
1. Submit conference abstract (June 3)
2. Read/finish two books
3. Revise Amy (due June 15)
4. Wrap up incomplete
5. Read grad student's work
6. Language x5, sit x5, exercise x4, garden 3 hours

Humming42
1 Draft Time abstract
2 Read a review book
3 Build online component
4 Draft one module for online course

JaneB
1a: water, finish the summer bullet journal set up, if the cold allows do 5-10 minute exercise routines
1b: the decluttering woman is coming next Sunday - I have three possible areas in mind, need to make a decision. Regardless, having a good session with her will advance this goal.
1c: pick up the square I was working on and make some progress
2a: Spend half and hour each on Fragment and FlatProject 2b: start making some lists, send email about recce visit
2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis and pass them on to technician
3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering, watch my marvel movie treat

Susan
1. 2 days on Violence
2. Morning on collaboration
3. Finish book order #1, start #2
4. Walk three times
5. Keep planning vacation
6. Read dissertation draft

Waffles
1. Once get final edits to JAMA paper from collaborator, finish it up and submit it.
2. Once get final analyses from statistician for PTSD paper, finish it up and submit it.
3. Connect with colleague about interactions in victimization paper. Finish writing discussion.
4. Once these three are done -that will be the last few manuscripts I have been dragging my heels on - and I can start working on manuscripts from my own study!!!
5. Draft ppt for presentation
6. Make to do list for R&R of diss manuscript

Week 2: How Can We Help?

We're a week in and I'm already feeling like the summer [in this hemisphere] is slipping away. 

For me, one of the (many) nice things about this group is that it can help me to see how much time there actually is and gives me a sense of having made progress on my goals, even if--day to day--it doesn't feel like I am. So here's my (optional) question for the week:

What obstacles--internal or external or both--do you anticipate encountering this session? And how can we help support you through them?

As you'll see when I post my own reply, this question arises out of the anxiety that I expressed in the first sentence: One of my biggest summertime struggles is the very banal and frankly luxurious worry that the summer is gliding past me and I'm neither making good use of it nor appreciating it properly. And I will have questions for you all about how better to address that!

Answer the prompt if you like; don't if you don't. Let us know how you did with last week's goals and what you hope to accomplish this week. And, of course, feel free to check in about whatever else you like in the comments, too!

I hope that everyone is doing well: that surgeries are being recovered from, upheavals being tempered with moments of joy, and everyday habits moving us--however imperceptibly--closer to where we'd like to be in our lives.

Last week's goals:

Dame Eleanor Hull:
1, gym/walk/swim x6, stretch x6, usual low-FODMAP cooking.
2, meet with real estate agent, light gardening.
3, review essay, comments, past plans, books here/needed.
4, read/note two essays in ILL book.
5, continue planning courses, ~ 2-3 hours.
6, read at least 1/2 hr x 3 in a strong language, drill grammar or vocabulary x 5 in a weaker one.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell:
Goals for the coming week:
Get through surgery.
Set up follow-up exam.
If fully cognizent, email associate dean and head of department.
If possible, spend a half-hour on the faculty review document.
If possible, begin article review.

Good Enough Woman:
1) Exercise 3 hours.
2) Write 2 hours
3) Meditate 3x
4) Tidy rocking chair area and dresser top in bedroom.
5) Enjoy some lazy time while husband is out of town and kids are still in school! But read books and watch good shows. DON'T SPEND ALL MY TIME ON TWITTER!

heu mihi:
1. Write abstract due June 3
2. Finish one leisure book 
3. Read half of an academic book 
4. Wrap up a student's Incomplete
5. If time: read grad student's work
6. Sit x 3

humming42:
1 submit Perform abstract
2 finish current book, write and submit review
3 sort out possible subject list for Tiny Project
4 build online component for independent study

JaneB:
1a: water consumption, setting up bullet journal lists for the summer to track good habits, eating up some things that snuck into the groceries over the last month (sweets, white bread...)
1b: the decluttering woman is coming tomorrow: we will tackle the wardrobe and the last third of the back bedroom...
1c: find out where the squares went (I suspect the decluttering woman had me put them with all my other knitting supplies as they are no longer on my desk which makes me forget about them) (we decluttered my desk! It's ace... but also weird.
2a: Skype with PDF about progress with pulling out data for Fragment, chase up email with FormerFlatProjectPDRA who hopefully was checking the "quirks" I noticed.
2b: start making some lists, send email about recce visit
2c: Find samples for FavouriteIslands analysis
3: extras: half an hour of office decluttering, watch a marvel movie when my marking is done

karen:
- do 2 x running, drink a water bottle each day
- send email to field people
- write and send panel abstract
- vanquish the marking pile!
-spend 1 hour planning WIL workshop 1

KJHaxton:
1. finish the marking: 1 set of exam scripts, 1 set of coursework, 1 set of exams to moderate (I think)
2. pull together engagement project reading and start reading it
3. refine plans for next year's teaching.

oceangirl101:
- write 4,000 words of Ch 3
- meet with student and colleague about ongoing research/article
- organize mid-summer trip to fieldwork location to organize permits/permissions for next year
- exercise 4x 
- fun things 2x with friends
- one house related thing (garage door?)

Susan:
1. Make progress on violence
2. Do more desk excavation (1 hour)
3. Get the first set of book orders in
4. Walk regularly