Hello!
Seeing everyone collect bonus points last week for contacting some lovely supportive people was great! As the session moves on and things get even busier and scarier we really need those connections. So, more bonus points on offer this week for each friendly, non-urgent, just-for-pleasure thing you do this week, anything from contacting a friend you’ve not spoken to in a while or doing something just for you or doing something just to make someone you care about a little bit happier.
This week is a session goals review one, so we’re leaving our constructions crews to do their thing. Next week they will likely start asking about indoor aspects of cabin building so feel free to fantasize while checking your session goals!
Last week’s goals
Daisy
FINISH paper
edits
Finish 2 draft abstracts for next conference
Finish student feedback for thesis chapters
Do grant accounting
Set up purchases for new grant
Something fun with friends
Dame Eleanor Hull
Keep core work hours.
Health: cardio daily, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: 30 min x6 (various projects), dead languages x3 each.
Teaching: write more assignments, keep building VILE sites, grade another whole
bunch of stuff.
Life stuff: collect tax stuff, do something fun.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Read and annotate one articles.
Write at least three pages of the guide.
Outline the remaining article.
heu mihi
1)
Respond to editor about accepted article
2) State taxes and start visa application
3) Two Gen Ed reviews
4) Grad class: Notes on next week's reading, at least read the new stuff for
the following week (so I can decide if I need to ditch it)
5) Research: Last pass on vignette 1; very short vignette on JNST
6) EMAIL/TEXT R
Humming42
1 work on tiny project competition submission (or decide
whether to do so)
2 grade all the things due this week
3 work on March conference presentation
4 latest book review
5 monitor fiction reading to avoid dangerous levels of distraction
JaneB
1) call GP about anxiety etc., go to dentist.
2) do teaching prep for week 5
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Do some literature searching for Why (I have a write in for my final year students
so have a bit of time!)
5) nag people about the May Training Course
6) do latest batch of marking (drafts)
Karen
1. End week with all VILE discussions cleared and week 2
and 3 checked and ready
2. Finish postgrad exegesis and sorting examiners
3. 3 x KL writing focus/500 words
4. Keep things ticking over with household, go to bed by 11.
Susan
4 days on Famous Author
start reading ms for friend
Yard stuff (contact another contractor)
Keep up with exercise, healthy eating
Do something fun
Talk with friend
Session Goals Check-in
Below are all the session goals we picked a long 8 weeks ago… You can report on how these are looking right now, chuck the ones that no longer serve you, replace with better ones, or add anything that will be satisfying!
Daisy
Stretch goal: Finish my Albatross paper! This has been an ongoing goal for ages but the paper keeps changing and is constantly being shoved aside for more urgent things.
Analysis and paper on fun Local Project
Make progress on Small Book Project (delayed from old grant)
Get fancy new grant project started off well
Support students through thesis proposal and writing stages
Dame Eleanor Hull
Stay healthy, sleep a lot.
Grade efficiently.
Finish WH chapter, work on FC chapter, work on introduction, write prospectus.
Write conference paper for April.
Do fun stuff!
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell
Mantra style goals: Connection, gratitude, and self-care…
heu mihi
1) Things that will happen, because they must:
a) Invited essay due in February
b) Kalamazoo paper due in early May
c) Stay on top of new graduate seminar
2) Research and write a series of vignettes (this is easier and less stressful
to conceptualize than a chapter!) on relevant medieval
theologians/philosophers. Make steady progress; work on this weekly.
3) Establish a good early-morning routine, with full awareness that this will
change once it gets light enough to run in the mornings, and/or that it may not
be identical every morning of the week. Build in flexibility, in other words.
4) Stretch and write in my journal at least every other night.
5) Keep the step-counter in perspective. It serves me; I do not serve it.
6) Sabbatical prep: Rent an apartment in France; rent out our house (I don't
actually have control over this, but I'll do my best!); apply for visas; enroll
Bonaventure in school or, if that's not possible, create a concrete plan for
doing so.
Humming42
1 write Boredom chapter
2 write Food chapter
3 write Roma conference presentation
4 organize all the Tiny Project drafts
5 submit DQ proposal
JaneB
1) Survival-with-kindness in teaching
2) self-care - the big thing to deal with here is putting time for things I
enjoy ahead of spending time on not-100%-essential-things for work (reusing
some of last years recordings, not always fixing the auto-captions...)
3) be ready for Teaching Toolkit and Society Course by the end of this block
4) work steadily on Why and Annoying Chapter, & resist the urge to feel too
responsible for any delays
Karen
1. Submit co-authored KL article
2. Have VILE (also love and am adopting that misread acronym) ready for sem 2
unit
3. Have all marking for sem 1 turned around in two weeks
4. Have winter garden planted and cared for
5. Finish one making project per month
Susan
1. Finish first draft of famous author, begin revisions
2. Start drafting essay for June conference related to Persistence
3. Keep up with teaching, don't get overwhelmed.
4. Do stuff for professional organization
5. Do garden stuff so I can plant new tree
6. Spend time with my mother
7. Spend time with friends
8. Read for fun
Last week's goals:
ReplyDelete1) call GP about anxiety etc., go to dentist. - no and no - the car was STILL in the garage waiting for a part, and I decided that the added stress of not being able to go to the dentists in my own space and have the sanctuary of my car to come home in when I would be all over the place was just a BIT too much, plus my allergies were horrible so lying flat for the best part of an hour sounded gross... and I was anxious I was getting a cold or The Plague (it passed as the weather changed... so I'm assuming not) and I postponed the dentistry).
2) do teaching prep for week 5 - yes, at 14:55 this afternoon (Sunday)... it's getting close to the edge!
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days - read three days; after having really not read at all the first three weeks of Feb, I decided that was Not Acceptable and reread some Murderbot. I relate too hard to Murderbot. Today a couple of my players were free and we played one of our "job board" games - I'm handling them being poor attenders during various points in the year which messes up the Plot of our larger games by having a short list of 2-hour mini-adventures - whichever player(s) turn up can bring any character they want, the characters meet in a tavern (the Rapier & Ruin) in a crossroads town and in the tavern there is a job board offering ways to earn some coin or asking for help - they have to come up with a reason for their characters to cooperate on a job they choose. So far we've sorted out a 'ghost in the cellar' mystery, rescued a kidnapped merchant, and dealt with a rat infestation on a building site. And designing the minis is honing my plotting skills & is a good space for Making Stuff Up
4) Do some literature searching for Why (I have a write in for my final year students so have a bit of time!) - no, but I did conduct and transcribe an interview, so that was progress
5) nag people about the May Training Course - Now they all replied and I'M the one holding things up. Ooops!
6) do latest batch of marking (drafts) - 5 out of 7
I'm very tired. We just wrapped up the fourth week of the seven-week "worst part of teaching year" block - it gets a leetle easier after that. Lots of students are out with COVID, more than ever, including two of the students I work closely with in the lab whenever I'm on campus, & I'm stressed about all precautions being lifted in the UK, never mind EVERYTHING ELSE. And I'm just. so. tired. And having that "hunger" response to stress where I just have very little control over my eating - although I have been refined sugar free for all of Feb so far (one day to go), I need to work on the carbs, but that means I have to do more cooking for myself and that. just. isn't. happening. until we get through this teaching patch, so March's challenge will be to stay sugar free (almost - I will grant myself a couple of release days) and to do at least one exercise track per day (I have an online subscription to a dance based exercise class for basically incompetent uncoordinated people like me - even if I just do the warm up bit that will be good for me).
THIS COMING WEEK
1) call GP about anxiety etc.
2) do teaching prep for week 6
3) make time to read or do D&D prep 4 days
4) Do some literature searching for Why
5) make posts/advertising about the May Training Course
6) finish marking the drafts
7) move intentionally 10 minutes a day
Love the mini D+D games! So glad you are getting a little bit of creative space in the general stress...
DeleteI bought the whole Murderbot series after you recommended them a few sessions ago. They are one of my go-to reads when things get too much.
Glad to hear you're enjoying Murderbot! There's something very soothing about those books - even to me, someone who does not like soap operas.
DeleteLONG TERM GOALS
ReplyDelete1) Survival-with-kindness in teaching this one is going steadily. I am working on it, and it's also something I can practice whatever the week is about and however distracted I get by other duties
2) self-care - the big thing to deal with here is putting time for things I enjoy ahead of spending time on not-100%-essential-things for work (reusing some of last years recordings, not always fixing the auto-captions...) - I've been reusing recordings and not fixing captions and I am still needing over 50 hours a week just to get through... and that's eating the vast majority of my usable hours and executive function. I don't know how I did last year, I really don't. yes, this remains a worthwhile and appropriate goal, even though it's not proving easy
3) be ready for Teaching Toolkit and Society Course by the end of this block Society Course is now known as the May Training Course so I have done a couple tiny things. The other thing is STILL in administrative limbo and Stressing Me Out but all I can do is send reminders...
4) work steadily on Why and Annoying Chapter, & resist the urge to feel too responsible for any delays - still an appropriate goal. Although Annoying Chapter has made no progress from my hands, there are good reasons for that
I'm glad that the goals that involve care for yourself are making a difference and still seem worthwhile. And I love the job board idea for micro-narratives of D&D.
DeleteI put a picture of the job board in my blog this week if anyone's interested...
DeleteHow I did, last week:
ReplyDeleteKeep core work hours. I kept having trouble on at-home days, but still, having the goal keeps me on track though it is frustrating when Stuff Comes Up.
Health: cardio daily, stretch x6, track bedtime. YES: actually cardio & stretching daily!
Research: 30 min x6 (various projects), dead languages x3 each. YES, 3x combined.
Teaching: write more assignments, keep building VILE sites, grade another whole bunch of stuff. Minimal writing/building, but lots of grading.
Life stuff: collect tax stuff, do something fun. NO, YES (jigsaw puzzle).
New goals:
Keep core work hours.
Health: cardio daily, stretch x6, track bedtime.
Research: 30 min x6 (2 projects), dead languages x3 each.
Teaching: write more assignments, keep building VILE sites, grade 2 short assignments.
Life stuff: collect tax stuff, do something fun.
How I'm doing, Session goals:
DeleteStay healthy, sleep a lot. So far so good---sleep up & down, but mostly okay. It helps that I do not have a night class this semester. Keep!
Grade efficiently. YES! Doing impressively well here. Definitely keep.
Finish WH chapter, work on FC chapter, work on introduction, write prospectus. So far, still working on WH. This chapter is a torment and I'm not sure why. Is it just that anything I work on mid-winter is bound to go slowly and painfully? Anyway, keep, in hopes that spring will bring a burst of energy!
Write conference paper for April. In progress. Keep!
Do fun stuff! Yes, am enjoying this goal--keep!
Fun stuff is also fun to hear about as well! What was this week's jigsaw puzzle?
DeleteFrank Lloyd Wright's "City by the Sea." We've done it before, but after the fiendish Tibetan mandala that we did last, I wanted to revisit something simpler.
DeleteGreat consistency with the health/wellness goals, I'm particularly impressed by the stretching, that is a hard one to stick with!
Deletehope the chapter starts to feel more like spring soon!
I’ll think about session goals first…
ReplyDeleteSession goals
Stretch goal: Finish my Albatross paper! This has been an ongoing goal for ages but the paper keeps changing and is constantly being shoved aside for more urgent things.
Analysis and paper on fun Local Project
Make progress on Small Book Project (delayed from old grant)
Get fancy new grant project started off well
Support students through thesis proposal and writing stages
I think I will keep all the session goals the same. I’m doing well with the Local Project and the students. The paperwork for the new grant finally showed up last week so I had not started anything but there is now a flurry of activity going on. The Small Book Project is pretty sketchy, I’ve done very little other than open the files but I feel like I can make a dent in it… The Albatross is crapping all over the boat’s upper decks and generally being a pain. I might just shoot it and damn the bad luck!
Last week’s goals
FINISH paper edits PROGRESS
Finish 2 draft abstracts for next conference DID THREE YAY!
Finish student feedback for thesis chapters IN PROGRESS
Do grant accounting LOTS DONE, MORE TO DO
Set up purchases for new grant IN PROGRESS
Something fun with friends YAY! ONE LUNCH, ONE COFFEE, ONE MOVIE WITH KID
Not a bad week, I had a lovely visit from my most frequent co-authors, they were going stir-crazy in their town so came for a road trip. That was great. And I managed 2 friend dates, and a movie with the family. I had not been to a theatre since long before covid so that was a nice treat. For this coming week the main focus will be on abstract wrangling for big upcoming conference because they are due so there will be all kinds of chaos. And students, so many pieces of writing from students that need a lot of attention!
This week’s goals:
FINISH paper edits
Edit more thesis chapters
Do more grant accounting and PD accounting
Buy stuff with new grant money
Conference meetings and abstract wrangling
In person things seem much more special to me now - glad you got to a real live theatre!
DeleteYes, I have the same thought about in-person. We never knew how efficient those all-in-the-same-room meetings were!
DeleteMy all-in-one-room meetings were so not efficient... I really don't miss the faffing and the getting there and the waiting and the way one has to act a certain way to be properly acceptable in the space. I am really finding virtual comfortable...
DeleteLike Daisy, I'll go big picture and then narrow in -
ReplyDeleteSession goals:
1. Submit co-authored KL article - slow, sporadic progress is being made. Some writing time has been sacrificed on the alter of getting a postgrad over the line (this thesis is taking a lot of revisions!)
2. Have VILE (also love and am adopting that misread acronym) ready for sem 2 unit - have realised that on one hand, having the VIL basically done makes teaching during semester so much less stressful, so if a worthwhile goal BUT have also realised that to do this kind of build I need to go full immersion into it where everything else work-wise is secondary. So this is my prompt to plan ahead and see if there are some blocks of time ahead that I can quarantine now to make this goal possible.
3. Have all marking for sem 1 turned around in two weeks - no marking has hit yet, but I've been keeping up with the day to day - need to get a little ahead on that in the next week to build in space for marking
4. Have winter garden planted and cared for - seeds sown and up in seedling trays, but need to get bigger to be put in the ground
5. Finish one making project per month - finished a knitted jumper! counting this for two months because it was a reasonably sized and complex project, even if it was only a final sleeve.
Last week:
1. End week with all VILE discussions cleared and week 2 and 3 checked and ready - yes, yes week 2, no week 3
2. Finish postgrad exegesis and sorting examiners no, still slogging through chapter two, yes to examiners
3. 3 x KL writing focus/500 words - no
4. Keep things ticking over with household, go to bed by 11 - close enough is good enough - and having this goal helped me make a conscious choice to get ready for bed some nights rather than doomscrolling.
This (slightly late) week:
1. Make master plan of all due dates for teaching and honours supervisions
2. VILE boards done each day, and week 3 and 4 fully ready to go.
3. Feedback done for postgrad article, finish chapter two in the ongoing saga
4. 500 words on KL
5. Weather permitting, paint window frame
I have the same thought about needing to immerse in VILE stuff if I'm going to get it all done before term starts and then just coast. But it's not like I enjoy the immersion!
DeleteCongratulations on finishing the jumper!
VILE immersion is not fun, especially not before the term when one doesn't know the students or the class vibe... But it does pay off, even when it is two or three weeks ahead of time instead of a whole class done it is a big help.
DeleteGlad the session goals are ticking along!
My session goals are amorphous, which I needed this session, given the amorphous nature of my life at the moment! So, “Connection, gratitude, and self-care…” I’m keeping all three, and leaving them amorphous, because they seem to be working.
ReplyDeleteConnection – I’m doing slightly better at connecting with people. I have a list of people I’ve not corresponded with lately, and try to connect with one person a week. I have massive insecurities dating back decades about “bothering” people, but I’m soldiering on.
Gratitude – I have an app that reminds me to take a minute in the evening to think about what/who I’m grateful for having/knowing. Surprisingly, it helps; I try to take a moment other times during the day to appreciate others, as well.
Self-care - Like many people I know, my self-care went down the drain during COVID. I have finally gotten back on track with both diet and exercise, and in the last month, have lost 7 of the nearly 20 (!!!) pounds I gained during two years of inactivity. I am also trying to get back on track psychologically, which is trickier, but worth the effort.
Last week’s goals:
Read and annotate one article. First off, forgive the copy and paste mistake which left “one articles” for all to see! This was a win: one article read and annotated.
Write at least two pages of the guide. Somewhat – I edited and polished about two pages to send to my colleagues for formatting advice, so yes, I got this done.
Outline the remaining article. Yes. This one was easier than the others, because it was something in which I could revive my interest.
Next week’s goals:
Scan at least three relevant articles for the most interesting potential article.
Organize my files of “articles to read.”
Integrate my ADD planning pages into my “normal person” planner.
I hope everyone is weathering mid-session well. Float like mist!
Yay, lots of good "done" things this week! And it sounds like you're doing well, in general.
DeleteGlad to hear your amorphous goals are working out well. Sometimes a guiding principle is better than a set list, different approaches for different seasons. Way to go on the self-care improvements especially!
DeleteSession goals: What were they again?
ReplyDelete1) Things that will happen, because they must:
a) Invited essay due in February - DONE
b) Kalamazoo paper due in early May - WILL DO ThiS IN APRIL
c) Stay on top of new graduate seminar - SO FAR, SO GOOD
2) Research and write a series of vignettes. Make steady progress; work on this weekly.
-Not exactly weekly, but I've made some progress: written a very long and messy one (ca. 7 single-spaced pages) and a very short and inchoate one (ca. 1.5 single-spaced pages). Planning to start the next any day now! I really do need to make more time for this (isn't that always the problem?).
3) Establish a good early-morning routine, with full awareness that this will change once it gets light enough to run in the mornings, and/or that it may not be identical every morning of the week. Build in flexibility, in other words.
-I am getting up early to meditate, at least.
4) Stretch and write in my journal at least every other night.
-On average, yes, probably, at least over the last ten days or so.
5) Keep the step-counter in perspective. It serves me; I do not serve it.
-Mostly yes. I've switched to aiming for a certain amount of time spent exercising (defined far too loosely, alas), which has helped.
6) Sabbatical prep: Rent an apartment in France; rent out our house; apply for visas; enroll Bonaventure in school or, if that's not possible, create a concrete plan for doing so.
-This is going well! We've rented out our house. The incredibly complicated process of renting an apartment in France is complete as of this morning. I'm almost ready to submit our visa applications. !!!
Last week:
1) Respond to editor about accepted article - Yes.
2) State taxes and start visa application - Yes.
3) Two Gen Ed reviews - Turned out I only had to do one.
4) Grad class: Notes on next week's reading, at least read the new stuff for the following week (so I can decide if I need to ditch it) - Yes. New stuff was pretty good, actually.
5) Research: Last pass on vignette 1; very short vignette on JNST - Sort of.
6) EMAIL/TEXT R - YES
This week (and then I need to run to Italian class):
1) Finish visa applications and schedule appointment
2) Process new journal article
3) Submit tiny grant application
4) Spend a solid 2-3 hours reading for new vignette!
It sounds like your session goals are a good fit, and you are making wonderful progress on all of them. Great week for things done too!
DeleteHere's to the rest of the session going smoothly for all those great goals. Sabbatical is getting closer, very exciting!
Oh, well done on the renting of both house and apartment! I've read about the process of renting a place in France and admit it has put me off trying to go there for any extended period ... Congratulations!
Delete