Unsummery weather continues in the UK (and I'm really enjoying it), and super-summery weather in other parts of the world is wreaking havoc. Despite all that, I hope you all had a good week!
This week's prompt is pure summer whimsy - suppose that you have been allocated a magical writing elf, but writing elves are very specialised. What kind of specialist writing task would your elf excel at? I'm torn between dealing with journals crazy submission portals and triple-checking all the references for mine...
LAST WEEK'S GOALS:
Daisy
- Fiddly lab things
- Outline for grant application
- Fancy machine training if possible
- Revisions for new accepted paper
- Fill outline for Crunchy paper
- Do at least one figure for Shiny paper
- Design outreach activity for next week
- Plan vacation with kid
- Book fun family thing
Dame Eleanor Hull
- No goals set
Heumihi
- No goals set
JaneB
- Self-care: think about how I can be more consistent with baselines. Do at least seven small things to improve my environment. Book another decluttering session. Do at least an hour in total on sorting out my financial paperwork chaos.
- Check work email no more than once outside of work day. Work day: focus on clearing email and making lists plus making a plan for office moving (which SHOULD happen this summer - checking on plans/when is another job for the work day!).
- maybe make a pretty and detailed version of the teaching to do list if there's time on the work day
- Fun. Play D&D AND do some D&D planning. Read one fiction and one non-fiction. Crochet some rows on the next blanket. Draw some things. Keep adding to a summer wish list for non- work days. Maybe start watching a series.
Julie
- Read last two interlibrary loans (have until Friday for one)
- Write one day
- Read and comment on dissertation proposals
- Order scans!
- Couple of small house jobs and start one big one.
- Fun - Tour de France, read, lunch with a colleague.
Susan
- Have fun
Ugh, sorry about not checking in last week. The time has gone in a haze of fatigue and sleep deprivation. I had one really good night/day, and the rest of the time was just a mess.
ReplyDeleteHow I did the week before last:
• continue to expand Alms chapter: YES (worked on it some in the just-past week as well)
• dead languages: Latin daily, Greek x3: Still doing well on Latin and neglecting Greek
• finish and submit tenure review letter: YES
• start over reading Relevant Romance: NO
• experiment with structuring work hours: ARGH
• at least 2 things from Huge Summer List: YES I think
• prioritize sleep: Ha ha easy to say . . . I did try, but results have gone from bad to worse. At this point I would be delighted to sleep from midnight-8:30, as I was doing fairly reliably at the beginning of the summer (I think). Really any regular 8-hour stretch would be fine.
The specialized writing elf I want is excellent at organization. Said elf will read through several pages of zero-draft figuring-out-what-I-want-to-say, and come back with a report that says something like "Your main point first appears on page 6, start with that. Then go back and hang from it the points that appear on pages 7, 2, 3, and 5, in that order. Page four is mainly a footnote to page 7. Put the argument with Critic Z on page 2 instead of putting it off so long." I don't mind the writing or the fiddly bits, but seeing the big picture is not a great skill of mine! Oh, and if I can have a second elf from time to time, that one would tell me whether a particular project is an article, a long article, or a book.
New goals:
- read essay for writing group meeting
- finish reading/noting ILL book
- steady progress on Alms chapter
- also on Latin translation
- work up schedule for fall grad class
- also put some links on class website
- at least two tasks from Huge Summer List
- keep track of time spent in various tasks/activities
Sorry you've had such a tough week. Hope things improve on the sleep front. You still seem to be getting things done regardless.
DeleteUgh, much empathy on the sleep problems. I'm also struggling and it affects everything, mood, energy, ability to think... but well done on still doing things!
DeleteOrganizer Elf for the win! That would be so satisfying to watch!
DeleteGood luck with the sleep, I hope it gets better soon.
Thanks! It really is the mood/energy/thinking that is getting me down. I could adapt to whatever hours, but especially as this goes on, it's hard to want to do anything. I'm going to have to stop experimenting with diet and fall back to safest foods, and hope that will allow me to re-set.
DeleteSo much empathy! And when I'm in the mood/fuzzy brain
Deletefog, it's really hard to go back to the 'safe' habits that i KNOW are good for me...
It is hard to make good decisions when the brain is fuzzed-out. Things are getting better here! I hope you're also getting closer to feeling your proper self.
DeleteIt has poured down this weekend and the temperatures could be October, not July. Although typically, after a day of incessant rain, we now have a glorious sunset. But I find the rain less scary than the temperatures in the Mediterranean.
ReplyDeleteI would like an elf that could write grant applications. This elf would condense all the different strands of my research into something really punchy and eye-catching, and would have no qualms at making bold claims about how brilliant and discipline-changing this research is, because elves don't suffer from imposter syndrome.
How I did:
Read last two interlibrary loans (have until Friday for one) - YES (and both were well worth it)
Write one day - ISH (not a lot of words, but made quite a lot of marginal notes/outline changes, so progress on thinking about article)
Read and comment on dissertation proposals - NO
Order scans! - still NO
Couple of small house jobs and start one big one. - YES, and sort of, if looking at some websites for a new kitchen and then getting overwhelmed counts
Fun - Tour de France, read, lunch with a colleague - YES x 3
This week:
I only have three days, as we're visiting family for a long weekend. School holidays have started, so a bit of an experiment in seeing how days are going to work.
1. Read and comment on dissertation proposals.
2. Write up notes from last week and add bits to article.
3. Life admin: doctor's appointment, find cheaper home insurance, do car check before long drive on Thursday.
Oooh, a grant writing elf!! I would LOVE a grant writing elf. I probably need a whole team of them, I am just... not good at it. I hate sales fluffery. And I'm NOT totally original and discipline changing... that's just not the kind of work I want to do, never mind actually do! needing to WRITE that way is just really really hard...
DeleteLooking at websites definitely counts as starting a job - sometimes you just need to slowly sidle up to something scary like that, looking at it side on...
Oh I am SOOO there for this elf!!! I don't mind any other part of grants, but the sales part makes me crazy... Much empathy!!!
DeleteGood luck on kitchen planning and websites. I tried that last year when we first moved in and got so overwhelmed that I parked that idea to be revisited at some later stage... Too much!
It feels so anti-science to claim before doing something that it WILL be all singing all dancing moon sun and stars, so anti how knowledge actually gets acquired... I hate grant culture!
DeleteI like the image of slowly sidling up to a big job! Thank you. You are very good with images. And yes on the grant - it would be so nice to be able to say: 'I'm going to try this and see what happens...'
DeleteSidling up, yes! Sometimes it's an important step just to figure out how many steps there are going to be, or to realize that the sites are confusing and you might need to start with a person, or something along those lines. Good luck with the planning, even if it's a long process. All I want is a new kitchen counter, but I imagine even that will be more complicated than it seems like it should be.
DeleteEverything is still very variable here and I'm not myself. I do get to finally start trying ADHD medication soon after a lot of faff - although I'm rather scared of that to be honest. And fed up because I was pinning more hope on the specific psychosocial counselling offered, which is now no longer available for ADHD adults via the NHS in my area at least. Sigh! I have applied for another few sessions of counselling (you typically get offered a block of 6-10 sessions then have to wait 6 months to apply for another block), so I have made a little bit of effort to change things, but I am in denial about how fast summer is going past!
ReplyDeleteLAST WEEK'S GOALS:
1) Self-care: think about how I can be more consistent with baselines. Do at least seven small things to improve my environment. Book another decluttering session. Do at least an hour in total on sorting out my financial paperwork chaos. NO, YES, YES, NO - but I did renew my driving license and do some paperwork related to the ADHD medication thing so I did SOMETHING grown up
2) Check work email no more than once outside of work day. Work day: focus on clearing email and making lists plus making a plan for office moving (which SHOULD happen this summer - checking on plans/when is another job for the work day!). YES, YES to the email and some lists, no to the plan because I still have NO INFORMATION about when it will happen and what help is available...
3) maybe make a pretty and detailed version of the teaching to do list if there's time on the work day YES. Feeling daunted, but I made the list. Not actually on the work day, but on the work day I got up and out early compared to rest of summer, went to campus and spoke to various people and when I got back I really needed a nap and my brain was just "I'm done lah lah lah", so I didn't actually work all the hours I should on that one day
4) Fun. Play D&D AND do some D&D planning. Read one fiction and one non-fiction. Crochet some rows on the next blanket. Draw some things. Keep adding to a summer wish list for non- work days. Maybe start watching a series.YES, YES, I'm reading two fiction books at once and haven't finished either but I did finish the non-fiction I was reading, YES, YES, NO, NO
I was very short of get up and go a couple of days this week. The world is scary, and work is really daunting me, and in general I am being pathetic! I need more leave... Sometimes you just have days when you don't HAVE to do anything and wallowing is actually kind of cathartic, you know? (Maybe not - I'm aware that this is both one of the priviledges and one of the serious down-sides of single childfree/less living!). I'm working two days this week so have a nice long weekend coming up!
NEXT WEEK'S GOALS:
1) Self-care: think about how I can be more consistent with baselines. Do at least seven small things to improve my environment. Do at least an hour in total on sorting out my financial paperwork chaos.
2) Check work email no more than once outside of work day. Work days: clear email, arrange to interview possible intern
2a) on the teaching side - meet MSc project students and PhD students, tackle a few small jobs from the teaching list (mostly this will be sending emails, asking questions about when things happen, and breaking tasks down into more detailed lists)
2b) check what I need to do to prepare for next week's meetings lists plus making a plan for office moving (which SHOULD happen this summer - checking on plans/when is another job for the work day!).
3) Fun. Play D&D AND do some D&D planning. Finish one fiction book, start one non-fiction. Crochet some rows on the grounded blanket (it now has a name). Draw some things. Keep adding to a summer wish list for non- work days. Maybe start watching a series.
We'll see!
I'd like a small army of writing elves...
Go elf army!! I'm going to visualize exactly that next time I have a difficult writing job (like tomorrow...).
DeleteGood luck with the medication testing, I really hope you get the maximum benefit.
You asked about teaching books last time I think? I love "Small teaching" and "Small teaching online" by James Lang and Flower Darby. Very practical and easy to adapt to many different fields.
For non-fiction I get a huge kick out of Mary Roach - she writes about all kinds of out of the mainstream things and is very funny but thorough. Her style is to interview and explore so her experiences are part of the story, but because it is all contemporary it works. Try Stiff (about cadavers), Gulp (alimentary system), Bonk (yep, that...) etc...
Sympathies on the medication front. It is so awful that we've got to the stage where the NHS would rather medicate people because the resources aren't there to spend time talking to them. I've been very anxious about medication in the past, probably irrationally. But I have started HRT in recent months, with some trepidation, and it is making a huge difference, so I hope the ADHD medication turns out to be a help for you.
DeleteI hope the meds will work! And sometimes you just need to try things, so at least you can say "did that, now I need the next thing."
DeleteI would like an elf that can write blurbs, proposals, synopses--anything that needs to be trim and lively. Even emails, sometimes! I just write way too many WORDS.
ReplyDeleteI didn't check in last week because I was at the beach! It was pretty nice. Very nice to get away from the usual round of things, and we had some absolutely glorious weather at the very end (and acceptable weather all week, so no complaints).
This week: I'm feeling the pressure to deal with all the little fiddly things--threads of bigger projects that involve multiple people--stuff that I'll lie awake at night listing to myself. So:
1. Begin inviting people to be on the two panels that I agreed to organize for Kalamazoo
2. Deal with the crappy submission that's been languishing in my journal system. This is the third time in three years that this author has submitted an article (all variations on the same article); the other two were rejected, as well. I think that they need someone to educate them about submission protocol, but I'd rather not be that someone.
3. Deal with receipts, etc. from recent book purchases
4. Complete proceedings essay revisions--which will involve emailing someone I barely know because I can't find the notes I made on a comment that he gave me....
5. Write 1500 words
6. Return to regular sitting and language study
7. Work on cover for my house book (which I must finish before the session is up!)
8. While I'm at it: Select photos for anniversary book
That's way too much! Oh well. Let's see what happens.
Yay for beach time! Glad it was fun and relaxing....
DeleteGood luck with list!
I've recently had to do to two outright desk rejections for articles from people who should have known better but still submitted papers that were beyond fixable by any review. I've not done the desk-reject thing before and it was difficult, but I know that there are too many far better papers languishing without reviewers for me to ask someone to spend time on those...
About 75% of our submissions in the last year have been desk rejects. Submissions are way down, and what we get are mostly just weird things (mostly from scholars hailing from a few specific countries, where I'm assuming practices are different, or...? Especially in articles dealing with religious topics, and the journal is ABOUT religious cultures, so it's maybe an occupational hazard). All this is to say that desk rejects suck, but suck less than sending something terrible out to reviewers!
DeleteOh yeah, a precis elf! Adding that to my small army - verbosity is definitely my brand! (Fortunately I do also enjoy the kind of editing where you hack away at the undergrowth to find the hidden seedlings and exciting rocks...
DeleteGlad the beach was good. I was an editor for years and we had a lot of desk rejects, mainly from people pitching to the wrong journal (again, often from different countries where I felt they didn't really get how things worked). I am friends with one of the current editors and submissions are also way down, apparently. I don't know if there's some kind of post-Covid fatigue, or people just having too much work to be researching and writing, but it's depressing whatever the reason.
DeleteThe beach week sounds lovely! I like the idea of getting the fiddly things done; I hope that frees some energy for the big things.
DeleteOh boy, I’m having serious writing elf wishes!!! My elf will be something like Julie’s grant writing one… She will write all the sections of grant applications that deal with the “who your research will change everything we know” and “how is your research unique and innovative” and “why are you incredibly important to the future of your field” which I hate writing. As in hate with the passion of a thousand suns… And also I’m not very good at it… If the elf wanted to branch out a tiny bit there are similar sections in papers, usually in response to reviewers who want to know “why this paper is of international importance and significance”… Really, sometimes it is not, just good, incremental, local, reproducible, student-training-heavy science… Can you tell this is a bit of a sore spot for me?
ReplyDeleteLast week’s goals:
Fiddly lab things MOSTLY SUCCESSFUL
Outline for grant application OH BOY NOTHING…
Fancy machine training if possible YES
Revisions for new accepted paper YES
Fill outline for Crunchy paper NOPE
Do at least one figure for Shiny paper NOPE
Design outreach activity for next week HALFWAY DONE
Plan vacation with kid YES
Book fun family thing YES
That was a good week, I got a lot of fiddly lab things done. One sample was a total success, the other one was a desperate failure but that went in the “had to try the first one” box and I have back-ups for it so that’s why I picked it first. I totally destroyed it (and the many hours of prep work on it) in a matter of minutes but it was a good learning experience and I’ve seen seasoned pros destroy samples in the exact same way so I don’t feel too bad. It was all quite fun to try the process and get something out in the end. but it does mean I did very little else… And now it is field work again so nothing else will get done… But for an excellent cause! Looking forward to it! I also managed to book off two weeks for actual vacation, not consecutively but it will do. The first will be properly away, and the second week is late August and will have a few working things but should mostly be fairly relaxed.
This week’s goals:
Finish initial submission for future grant application
Populate outline for Crunchy paper (aspirational)
Do point form notes for Shiny paper (aspirational)
Editor task
Overdue review
Field work so basically nothing else will get done
Have a wonderful time in the field!
DeleteLove the enthusiasm! So nice to be reminded that failure can be good too. Enjoy the field work!
DeleteI like the idea of being able to destroy things as part of the job---there's a certain satisfaction there, even if that's not what you meant to do. (DEH: log-in problems again.)
Delete