Week 7: the halfway point

Hello! I'm sorry I wasn't really present in comments this week. Things have been busy, but I've now knocked out a few big things, so maybe life will get a little easier. Or maybe it would be pretty to think so for a day or two!

At any rate, since the plan is to go for 14 weeks, this week we're halfway through this session, so it's time to check on goals and how you're doing with them. What can you jettison from your pack, to lighten the load as you finish the race? Or to use our story metaphor, what extraneous plot events and interesting-but-inessential characters can you cut in order to tighten the structure of the whole work?

First I'm going to list last week's goals (sometimes from longer ago than that---I did remember to look for hold-overs this time), then collect session goals below those.

Let us know how you did, what your plans for the next week are, and how you want to adjust session goals. Would it be helpful to revisit some of the themes from our first week, like using leisure time mindfully or making five- or ten-year plans?

Daisy
1) Write fancy future talk
2) Do actual thinking about paper that goes with fancy talk
3) Do some thinking/writing for book project, lots of small paragraphs would be fine...
4) Sit down with both my grad students based at this university and get a good handle on their progress and what they need me to help with.

Dame Eleanor Hull
Daily stretching, exercise, 8 hours sleep.
Finish and send article; read Thing to which I am soon to be a respondent.
Update online quizzes; meet with other independent study student; some other class prep.
At least one of these: finish dealing with all the stacked-up mail; gather tax documents; do some house-market-prep.
           
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Really finish peer review.
Read three articles for class paper.
Finish the first presentation.
Call the co-editor to discuss scope.
Meditate at least once a day.
Walk at least three tours of the stacks a day.

Good Enough Woman (held over)
Work:
1. Get next week's Brit Lit reading done by Sunday.
2. Do most of the prep for next week to clear the way for heavier grading.
3. Find short stories for independent study student. Create first few assignments for her.
4. Research/write for 1 hour.
People:
1. Send at least three cards/letters to people.
2. Have lunch with my mom.
3. Float like mist through all four of my son's 4-H activities this week. Support him.
Wellness:
1. Walk 4x
2. Meditate 4x
3. Skip late-night treat 3x. Fast at least 13 hours 2x.
4. Reschedule appointment that got cancelled.

heu mihi
1. Read/write x 4
2. Check in with big project in writing once
3. Language x 3, please
4. Start revisions for edited collection proposal
5. Grade the pile
6. Revise draft of application stuff

Humming42
1 write and submit short essay about film
2 revise and submit conference prospectus
3 write 2000 words for DQ revision

JaneB
1) take one day COMPLETELY OFF next weekend
2) take the time next weekend to clean the kitchen and do meal prep properly, so I have good food to get me through the following week. For THIS week, I'll aim for 5 fruit and veg a day, plenty of water, no bread, and sugar only in high cocoa dark chocolate type stuff (there is now a 90% cocoa chocolate bar available on campus/at the petrol station which is not tongue-curling-ly bitter, so I have an option that meets this rule when my inner toddler gets screamy).
3) spend an hour with my NaNo writing, because I enjoy it
4) answer three emails to research collaborators this week, and otherwise not worry about research things, just put them onto a list for future reference (ugh)...

Karen (held over)
-clear 2 boxes (the ones next to the bookshelf)
-start all course F draft documents
-run x 2, yoga x 3. Wondering if I can fit in a weights session somewhere in my schedule because I realise I need to work on upper body strength, but can't see where.
-order wind sock, book in 4 field recording days.
-write up notes from this mornings library trip

KJHaxton
- prepare assessment guidelines for article assessment
- mark group projects, send materials off for moderation
- aim for 30 minutes per day on professional development application
- collate sustainability paperwork
- aim for 2 x 2 hours of data analysis for engagement project
- work on draft of sustainability paper ( 2 hours minimum)

Oceangirl101 (held over)
1) write/work on book, but mostly Ch 7 3x a week, for 2 hrs each- will involve some number crunching, creation of figures, writing and some revision of Ch 3
2) exercise x 3
3) meet with undergrad students/grad that I am advising on lab projects/independent studies etc.
4) finish syllabi, start BB sites for two courses

Susan
1. Do required reading, and revise Race/Patriarchy
2. Follow up on last bits for Big Book (we've got 28 of 30 contributors!!!)
3. If time, figure out next steps on Famous Author
4. Take a day off
5. Keep sleep going, and start reading at bed time instead of playing games.
6. Exercise
7. Keep up with healthy eating

Waffles
1. NY job talk
2. T32 draft
3. NJ job talk
4. Qual analyses
5. Relat ID methods and results
6. YRBS paper
7. Maybe PTSD paper

Session goals:

Daisy
1)Keep teaching in its place, do not let my 200 students take over every part of my week.. . . limit teaching (prep/lecture/admin/students) to two days of each week. I have my schedule set up to have two days completely devoted to teaching stuff, with one morning extra for overflow.
2)Finish 2 papers as first author – those projects are completely mine and I need to get them done because they are holding up other projects.
3)Prepare for possible sabbatical by thinking about long-term goals and projects and funding. One of those is easy, I have projects that will keep me busy from here to 2050, but need to think about strategically funding some of them, and I need to think about how I want my work to go over the next 10 years… Also think about sabbatical logistics and how to balance work and renewal? I heard that’s a thing…

Dame Eleanor Hull
Live with uncertainty and work the process w/r/t selling the house.
Complete one conference paper; plan it as an article from the beginning.
Send out another essay, about half done now.
Make some progress on book.
Manage teaching, grading, and admin efficiently.
Get tax stuff taken care of in a timely way.
Make arrangements for spring and summer travel.
Regular exercise, daily stretching, good sleep hygiene, and cooking to accommodate dietary restrictions.
Have some sort of social life.

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Move about for ten minutes of every hour.
Continue to streamline the work office. I have less space in my far more congenial office, so it is time to be unsentimental.
Draft Elzevier.
Begin editing special issue.
Edit the Illuminated project.

Good Enough Woman
Work:
1. Write/Research 2 hours per week (in 30 or 60 min chunks)
2. Work on hacks and strategies to avoid being crushed by grading
People:
3. Send 3-5 letters/notes/cards to people per week
4. Meet my mom 1-2 times per month for breakfast or lunch
5. Meet two friends per month for coffee/walk/meal
6. Prioritize my son’s curricular/extra-curricular/college prep needs
Wellness:
7. Walk 4-5x per week (40-60 min per walk)
8. Meditate at least three times per week (3-5 minutes each time)
9. Get enough sleep (in bed by 11:00-11:30 most week nights)
10. Schedule and keep necessary med appointments for the kids and myself

heu mihi
1. Daily writing/research. 30 minutes/day, M-F.
2. Language work: maybe not 5x/week, but continue to make progress.
3. Writing projects to complete: 1 conference paper, submit Wonder (which I've had kicking around forEVer). Ideally, draft Kzoo paper (which is for a pedagogy roundtable and so not too high-stress).
4. Prepare preliminary materials for promotion--reference names and personal statement.
5. Prioritize research and wellness over teaching and service.

Humming42
1 complete and submit five book reviews
2 prepare for and attend April conference
3 write and submit abstracts for two (maybe three) conferences
4 make steady progress on Squares paper
5 work on developing a consistent writing practice

JaneB
A) get back into good self-care habits.... these centre around eating mindfully and sensibly for my current middle-aged body rather than my teenage, sleeping enough (at times that suit the wider world, not my body clock, which is totally messed up), moving/stretching so my joints only dislike me rather than hate me, not letting my environment become a chaotic mess, and making the time for guilt-free recreation.
B) TRQ things. Main goals here are to do what is necessary without too much embellishment (I easily get drawn in to making classes the best they can possibly be, and that's just not realistic when carrying an overload and writing new material, so aiming for every session to be good enough is the priority (especially the topics in my own field where I could easily spend a week or two just reading around and getting up to date, I'm sooooo behind on literature). I'd also like to keep decent notes every time a task related to my new admin roles comes up, so that I have one source for "last time this is how it worked" - no guarantee it will be that way the next time I come to it, see "ongoing crisis state", but at least I'd have a concrete source for checking to see if I'm losing my mind when someone says I did things wrong...
C) TLQ things - research, which divides into four areas, grant writing (we have high targets - of course the crisis, understaffing etc. does not excuse us from being held to those!), paper writing (main ones this session are likely to be FlatPaper1, ProblemChild1, LikesMath2), current projects where I am actually part of the group doing the research (key ones are FlatProject, FavouriteIslandsProject, one I've vaguely mentioned before which I will rename FluffyProject, and CommercialProject) current projects where I have a role in supervising others (I didn't actually officially win funding, but I got roped in to be part of a team delivering a very large multi-site project, and have a new post-doc arriving end of January (who I will be lead supervisor for) - BrownProject, a one year project including a part time RA to tend - EdgeProject - and a PhD student to recruit for September - who will get their own nickname in due course)
D) A key goal for me this year is about kindness and being open, about building community in the face of adversity... So I will be setting goals around community building and collegiality.

Karen
-have 3 x course amendment, 1 x course development paperwork in to next level up committee
-submit expression of interest for promotion
-do text install of grass prelim work
-write each day to Scrivener word target on might-be-book
-have vege garden set for winter
-build and maintain habits of run 3 x week, yoga 2x week

KJHaxton
finish and submit the sustainable chemistry manuscript
Analyse data and draft a feedback project manuscript
Write new lecture course, deliver, evaluate
Modify sustainable chemistry lectures with decolonisation in mind
Present at national STEM education conference
Submit sustainability benchmark documents
Complete SFHEA application

Oceangirl101
complete Ch 7 of the book,
plan for summer fieldwork,
remain balance in my personal life with exercise 3x a week and doing social things 1-2 x a week,
continue healthy eating and weight loss.

Susan
1. By mid- April, have 20,000 words on Writer
2. Revise Race/Patriarchy to give it in early March
3. Write essay on weird and interesting plays for conference
4. Get all contributors for the Big Book lined up
5. Regular exercise
6. Read books
7. Aim for 7 hours of sleep

Waffles
1. Submit IRIE paper
2. Resubmit intersectionality paper
3. Resubmit PTSD paper
4. Draft hate crimes paper
5. Draft relationship identity paper
6. Release Latinx survey into the wild
7. Have reviewed all articles and have intro and methods written for MST review paper
8. Have a funded NIH K!!!

Week 6: The Rest

It appears I was not alone in struggle last week. Service projects have been tiring, leaving little enthusiasm for the usual load of grading. And that all barely got done. I have an R&R on DQ that I want to work on, so I’m hoping that I can sweep through the emergency weekend list and have time for research next week. 

  

I am not a gamer, but my husband plays an occasional video game in our shared space so I am a gaming observer. I’ve noticed that in some of the adventure games (of the Zelda type), the protagonist checks into an inn or curls up on the outskirts of a village for a restorative nap. After the protagonist rests, they wake with points for “life” or “strength” or “energy.” 

  

If your character (or you) could take a break in an ideal restful space, where would it be? And what kind of additional points would you like to boost your resources in the coming week? 

  

Below are last week’s goals along with those (including myself) carried-over. If I’ve missed including you on the list, my apologies. Everyone is ever welcome. 

  

Daisy 

1) Find a way to schedule fancy future talk work every day – try early mornings 

2) Work on figures – pick 3 and done those 

3) Do lab work for upcoming lab trip, fun and rewarding but really really time-consuming… 

4) 2 runs 

  

Dame Eleanor Hull 

Daily stretching, exercise, 8 hours sleep. 

Finish and send article; start dealing with queries about Huge Honking Translation; read Thing to which I am soon to be a respondent. 

Grade new set of short-ish papers; update online quizzes; meet with independent study students. 

Finish dealing with all the stacked-up mail; gather tax documents; do some house-market-prep. 

  

Elizabeth Anne Mitchell 

Finish peer review. 

Read three articles for class paper. 

Draft the first presentation. 

Call the co-editor to discuss scope. 

  

heu mihi 

1. Read/write 5 days (30 minutes) 

2. Check in with project IN WRITING twice 

3. Quick bibliography for Kzoo 

4. Apply for thing 

5. Send info about promotion recommenders to chair 

6. Use coupon before it expires 

  

humming42 (carried over) 

1 submit revised conference prospectus 

2 submit article review 

3 write essay for online writing course 

4 write 1000 words for OKC 

5 keep up with grading 

6 watch film for short essay 

  

JaneB (carried over) 

1) take one day COMPLETELY OFF this weekend 

2) take the time this weekend to clean the kitchen and do meal prep properly, so I have good food to get me through the following week 

3) spend an hour with my NaNo writing, because I enjoy it 

4) not worry about other research things this week, just put them onto a list for future reference. 

  

Karen (carried over) 

-clear 2 boxes (the ones next to the bookshelf) 

-start all course F draft documents 

-run x 2, yoga x 3. Wondering if I can fit in a weights session somewhere in my schedule because I realise I need to work on upper body strength, but can't see where. 

-order wind sock, book in 4 field recording days. 

-write up notes from this mornings library trip 

  

KJHaxton 

- prepare reading lists in new format 

- prepare teaching materials for polymers session 1 

- prepare assessment guidelines for article assessment 

- mark group projects, send materials off for moderation 

- resubmit student ethics after final edit, watch student presentations 

- aim for 30 minutes per day on professional development application 

- collate sustainability paperwork 

- aim for 2 x 2 hours of data analysis for engagement project 

- work on draft of sustainability paper ( 2 hours minimum) 

  

Susan (carried over) 

1. Writing: 2000 words on famous Author who was famous author 

2. Have one or two conversations at library 

3. Enjoy the desert 

4. Get exercise 

5. Have fun 

  

Waffles 

1. Finish IRIE paper and send to collaborators (hopefully then edit and post by end of the week). 

2. Talk with E about MST abstracts and resolve conflicts. Plan next steps. 

3. Set L&S team meetings. 

4. Have decent draft of new version of job talk done by Wednesday (meeting with mentor). 

5. Really need to get YRBS paper sent to collaborators this week. 

6. Figure out variables and chunking of variables for IPV paper. 

7. Review something a collaborator sent to me that I am really mad about. :)