TLQ: The Movie! (2023 session 3), week 8: Midterm Check-in

We're gathering in the director's trailer to screen some early footage, in which you all set goals for this session. I love your early enthusiasm! It comes across so clearly and warmly; viewers are going to relate to that. But now we're half-way through the session, and it's time to revisit those goals and see what you've done, what you want to keep (and maybe give more attention from now on), what you have to jettison. How are you feeling about these goals now? To follow up on last week's questions, what advice would you now give your early-September self?

Get a drink and some snacks, find a comfy chair, and settle in to watch our September goal-setting interviews. A massage therapist will be circulating to rub tight shoulders if any of this footage causes you anxiety; just raise your hand and she'll be over to do a little work on your neck and shoulders (and you can book an appointment for a full-body massage later, as well. The hot tub will also be available). 

In the comments, besides reactions to the original goals, of course we'll have the check-ins from last week and goals set for the coming week. Session goals appear first, followed by last week's goals.

Red wine and massage therapist over here, please!

Session goals

Contingent Cassandra

Professional:
--Keep up with teaching, especially feedback.
--Complete contract renewal.
--Complete study leave application.
--Identify/apply as appropriate for other possible sources of funding for current research project.

Household:
--Replace refrigerator (including associated cabinet-moving and hole-patching)
--Get all the plumbing working at once (next up: replace kitchen faucet. Also on the docket: hire plumber to fix/replace shower taps.)
--Plan/implement other work as time/energy allows (this could include ordering/assembling/painting some additional cabinets, shelves, and doors; getting estimates for counter replacement; replacing stove; replacing flooring; additional hole-patching).

Personal:
--Keep moving: continue stretching program, restart lifting weights, restart walking, take a last swim or two if there are weekend pool hours.
--Keep in regular touch with friends and family, especially young-adult nieblings

Daisy

Write major grant application
Make progress on one local paper, one student paper, and one giant collaborative paper, and by progress I mean submit at least two out of three
Exercise consistently
Have regular fun with kid

Dame Eleanor Hull

- join a gym, work out regularly, also regular yoga at home
- finish two partially-written chapters
- write an abstract (at least) for a conference paper
- keep up with teaching prep and grade in a timely manner
- organize conference travel
- make progress on house/unpacking projects
- cheer on my fellow TLQers!

heu mihi

1) Finish chapter 4
2) Revise/tie up loose ends for chapters 1-3
3) Plan chapter 5 and/or 6
4) Apply for a grant (deadline 9/20)
5) Write a book review for a book that I have already read (due in November sometime)
6) Write and submit 2 conference abstracts
7) Keep things moving with this festschrift that I am now co-editing (we're in the very early stages, so that basically means coming up with an idea for the chapter that I would want to write and keeping track of who has agreed to contribute).
8) I'm also trying to keep my exercise up, answer emails promptly, and sit daily (weekdays).

 

JaneB

1. Self-care. The boring practical stuff that needs to happen because if it goes right it makes everything else easier. Just to feel that I'm consistently touching on each of the important areas regularly would be great.
2. Teaching. The bread and butter of my actual job. Survival will do here, defined as being ahead in prep and not having caused too much havoc via migraines, sick leave* etc. (or if I do end up on sick leave, that I keep my nose OUT of teaching!)
3. Research. Keep things ticking along - immediate goals are to submit three papers this session to journals (all are already well underway), help to organise a workshop in January, and apply for money for a grad student.
4. Admin. I have a fair amount spread across 4 named roles, and I want to keep it and shed teaching rather than the other way around (although the "help" I get offered from my department is definitely the other way around), partly because I can do it in a much more sustainable way in terms of my personal energy budget.
5. Fun. Necessary for self-care but also just necessary. I like to make things, mess around with art stuff, read, and play D&D. Getting back into doing all of those things fairly often was this summer's win, and I want to try & maintain that.

Julie

1. Write grant application.
2. Make some progress on writing a journal article.
3. Do revisions to another journal article.
4. Try to be on top of teaching rather than overwhelmed by it.
5. Work on some house projects.
6. Try to get regular exercise, more sleep, eat healthily.
7. Do something fun each week.

Susan

1. Survival - right now the term seems overwhelming, so if I'm in one piece on December 16, it will be a success. (I'm teaching 2 classes, have a lot of travel, and the admin load is heavy right now.)

2. Famous Author: Finish my revisions (hopefully by the mid-semester check in. The goal is to send it back to my editor and get it to a press at the start of the new year.

3. Big Collaboration: Read all drafts, work with co-editor on drafting introduction.

4. Do something fun on a regular basis - with friends, or watch movies or something.

5. Continue regular exercise / healthy eating / adequate sleep

 

Last week’s goals

Contingent Cassandra

Professional:
--Grade at least ½ (preferably 2/3) of the composition proposals.
--Try to provide reasonable support to composition students who are struggling to catch up without shortchanging those who have kept up and need to move forward based on the feedback I’m in the process of providing
--Make some progress on grading lit process work

Household:
--Finish fall sowing in garden
--Measure and mark new location for compost pile and begin turning/moving
--Do at least one thing that gets something out of or better organized/containerized in the apartment

Personal:
--2x some kind of movement: stretching, weight-lifting, long or short walk
--Continue followup on church committee stuff as needed
--Get covid and flu shots

Daisy

Complete and submit PITA grant application
Another trip, mostly not fun, at end of week
Edit paper draft from post-doc

Dame Eleanor Hull

- swim twice, cross-trainer & weights twice, walk at least once, yoga
- revise assignments for mini-class; grade a set of papers
- research 1 hour x 5, mainly Latin, conference paper project
- do some House Task (or garden, or Life Stuff)

heu mihi

1. Handle excellent grad student's oral exam defense
2. Hold many many meetings
3. Straighten out the final spring 24 schedule problems
4. Get the fall 24 schedule as functional as possible
5. Finish reading through chapter 2
6. Start planning abstract for March conference

JaneB

a) pace myself, allow time and space for counselling/GP stuff and reacting to counselling, morning pages
b) reinstate some key habits - move intentionally for at least 10 minutes a day, 5 fruit & veg., picking up spaces that get messy, filling in my daily log, taking vitamins. (keeping the last two because it's nice to have some easy wins!)
c) basic environment stuff - catch up with bin emptying, dish washing, filing financial papers. keep up with laundry!
d) do at least one thing from the non-basic environmental stuff list (little jobs)
Work stuff, not divided into three categories for now:
e) do email triage on no more than two week days for no more than 2 hours total
f) write some coherent points for the Individual Risk Assessment/Reasonable Adjustments requests I'll need to discuss on return to work
Fun: (I consider this medicinal in the current circumstances)
g) at least a couple of blocks of time reading, crochet, and playing or preparing D&D. Do the next seven Inktober sketches, never mind which day.
h) make cards, wrap & send two packages - a birthday present for my Aunt and a Hallowe'en care package for my nibling

Julie

1. Essential teaching prep.
2. Schedule meetings with dissertation students.
3. Read dissertation proposals (only 3).
4. Look at referees' reports on article, work out which comments to deal with.
5. Prep for seminar and workshop I'm chairing next week for guest speaker.
6. Walks in autumn sunshine if it continues.
7. Book appointments and haircut for kids.

Susan

1. Finish at least three more papers from Big Collaboration and send them back. If I'm doing really well, I'll do more, but not going to pressure myself.
2. Get the next week of LMS stuff posted before I go.
3. Prepare for conference
4. Have fun at conference
5. Try not to worry too much about what's happening at home.