TLQ 2024 Session 3 Week 12

Hello from a very cold, very rainy, and very windy week in my neck of the woods… Tea and toast inside is really the only sensible thing to do.

So, in the spirit of tea and toast, it is tea party time! We’re all meeting at a cabin for a tea party, and the only rule is that whatever you bring must be easy to make. It can be holiday-themed or just a regular one, so seasonal specialties are welcome. What would you bring? Bonus if you include the recipe!

GOALS FROM LAST WEEK

Daisy

Set up review labs for classes
Last thesis edits
Do introduction and overview of languishing paper
Finish microscope work for new paper
Pick analytical samples and get at least three done
Make friend plans!

Dame Eleanor Hull
- one household task of some sort
- notes on bibliography from book JG, notes on text of book LA
- read, write up notes for grad class
- prep some discussion questions for undergrads
- read remaining chapter drafts for student A, advise on restructure
- show up for two appointments on Wednesday
- yoga x4, swim x2-3, weights x2
- some fun reading

heu mihi

1. Get back to workouts after last week's cold
2. Start rereading a book for the article due in April--ideally read intro & chapter 1
3. Plan next Monday's lecture, where I think that I initially said I'd talk about what gives life meaning.

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) stay caught up on dishes
iv) wrap and post advent calendars (a tea one for my Aunt who is ill, because she's definitely a cup of tea helps with anything sort of person and likes trying new herbal blends since she had to give up caffeine, a D&D one for my nibling, and chocolate ones for my parents because they always buy themselves a pictures-only grownup one then go on wistfully about how other people get treats...)

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) prepare everything for teaching next week (a lot)
ii) start marking

4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
ii) look over files for an outside researcher's project and give them feedback

Julie

1. Teaching prep - keep minimal, but need to think ahead to final skills session, which is new.
2. Read and shortlist eight proposals for postdoc fellowship & chair meeting to select nominee to next stage.
3. Carry on marking.
4. House: more decluttering, buy some Christmas presents, agree who is buying what for nieces & nephews.
5. Self-care: rest, read, exercise gently.

Susan

1. Send chapters of Famous Author to a few friends for review.
2. Get through first two chapters of revision
3. Start transcribing a second appendix, write intro for first appendix
4. Organize outline for talk
5. Go for walks, look at art
6. Keep up with exercise and healthy eating
7. Keep up with general kindness to self and others.

Hope the last week of November is decent!

 

TLQ 2024 Session 3, Week 11

I went back to the archives to see what we were thinking about, or using for themes, eight years ago. Karen did a post just before the 2016 US election with the theme of unfilled space (starting from design elements in creative work), what it meant to us, how to create it ("physically, mentally, or in our own heads"), and I liked the ideas that resulted so much that I'm recycling this idea. Whether a design element, a calming image, a blank in the calendar, something to notice when it happens or something that you deliberately create, what does the idea mean to you now? 

Here are last week's goals; how did you do? What's coming up?

Daisy

Mark tests and catch up on lab marking
URGENT Thesis edits
Do one task on revision of languishing paper
Do some microscope work for new paper
Do microscope work with grad student
Open shipment of samples and start looking through them for analytical work plans

Dame Eleanor Hull

- one household task of some sort
- notes on bibliography from book JG, notes on text of book LA
- 2-3 pomodoros on Alms
- write up notes for grad class
- adjust all remaining class plans given cancelled day
- read remaining chapter drafts for student A, advise on restructure
- take Sir John to buy new car
- yoga x4, other exercise as possible
- try to think about goals for the remainder of the calendar year

heu mihi

1. Read over my husband's book proposal; provide feedback
2. Read Ka's dissertation chapter
3. One billion emails (actually I took care of most of these already on Monday and Tuesday, but I'm putting it here anyway)
4. Graduate student business (summer teaching and conference funding allocations)
5. Work on draft of what was supposed to have been co-editor's part of our book proposal

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself

(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read at least three days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes
(v) get COVID and flu jabs

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN

i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) do one extra load of laundry
iii) get caught up on dishes
iv) make a Christmas Wish List and circulate to family

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN

i) prepare everything for teaching next week (a lot)
ii) look at stats for confused research student

4 RESEARCH

i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!

Julie

1. Teaching prep, keep minimal.
2. Research for two hours at least, work out plan for article.
3. Start marking when assignments come in.
4. House: more decluttering, start Christmas planning, go to farm shop.
5. Self-care: read, exercise, watch good TV, bake.

Susan

1. Figure out plans for further revisions
2. Enjoy the seminar
3. Keep talking to friends
4. Take walks, look at art
5. Enjoy the conference

TLQ Session 3 Week 10

What to say… What a week… I can’t really come up with anything profound, so we’re going to small happy things. For our little corner of the internet, let’s do a round of “something we are looking forward to in the next month until the end of our session” that can be small or large or just things that make us happy.

Goals from last week:

Daisy
Finish organizing, travel to, and run big group meeting for national organization
Overdue editor recommendation
Thesis edits
Set up exams for two classes
Write and submit report for different meeting
Discuss new paper with coauthor and make plans
Figure out new-to-me journal system and do AE tasks
Department and review/promotion meetings
Organize and entertain two guest speakers
 

DEH
- one household task of some sort
- read at least one chapter in one scholarly book
- start grading undergrad papers (2 sets now)
- write up notes for grad class
- read dissertation materials for student A, advise on restructure
- yoga x4, swim x1, other exercise as possible

heu mihi
No new goals, recovery week

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do several mildly creative-with-the-hands things
(ii) read most days
(iii) play D&D with nibling or the group, and prepare to the end of the current arc in the game with nibling.
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) get fully caught up on laundry
iii) pick up the kitchen again, get caught up on dishes etc.
iv) make a Christmas Wish List (for circulating among the family) and some Christmas planning listing

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) half a teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week) - planning out what I DO need to do to sort out the session I messed up on last week.
ii) do the final thing needed to be ready for teaching after Reading Week

4 RESEARCH
i) second referee of another paper
ii) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!
iii) meet with postdoc from other uni who wants advice on the methods I specialise in
iv) catch up with Visitor's work (she's been away meeting with colleagues at other universities in the country and doing a little touristing for a few days, since she's visiting us from a different continent for three months)

Julie
1. Teaching prep, keep minimal.
2. Two hours research.
3. Organise selection panel for postdoc applications.
4. Self-care: read, exercise, cinema trip.
5. Find a dentist.
6. House stuff: organise getting garage door replaced, decluttering.
7. BIL's birthday.

Susan
1. Finish paper for next week's conference, send to commentator
2. Prepare for seminar
3. Return to Famous Author to finish all the bits and pieces that still need doing -- bibliographical essay, appendices etc.
4. Clean and organize the house
5. Go to a local museum this weekend
6. Remember to have fun.

Good luck everyone!

TLQ 2024 session 3, week 9

Nine must be good luck, right, it's three times three, and three's a lucky number, so . . .  Do you have any good-luck rituals? Wishing on the clock when it reads 11:11 or 12:34, carrying or wearing a talisman object, or checking in with a particular friend (someone reliably encouraging) before you start something challenging? Or maybe you associate a particular place with "good vibes," or there's something that your day/week/month just doesn't feel complete without . . . . Tell us if you feel like it, or just go straight to the check-in.

Daisy

Finish and give invited talk
Overdue review
Overdue editor recommendation
Finish thesis edits
Finish popular article
Finish reference letters (2 now)
Three field trips
Mark and return 7 thesis proposals
Do teaching organizing for the rest of term (or maybe for the next week?)

Dame Eleanor Hull

- go back to gently trying to encourage all cats to get along via very brief encounters that involve treats
- 20 minutes x3 on Alms or its larger project
- read at least one chapter in one scholarly book
- finish taking notes on another book
- start grading undergrad papers
- comment on grad paper proposals
- write up notes for grad class
- read dissertation materials for student A, advise on restructure
- cardio + weights x2, swim at least x2, yoga x4
- bake a cake

heu mihi

1. Review fall schedule
2. Read two chapters of Kr's diss (defense is late next week)
3. Revise ch. 5 of book now that I have my friend's comments!! If this happens quickly, SEND MS TO PUBLISHER!
4. Full slate of workouts (Wed. optional--see above)
5. Send out journal proofs; catch up on articles under review
6. Prep PowerPoints for next week

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing
(ii) read most days
(iii) play D&D with nibling (a Hallowe'en game is required) and possibly with group
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) wash all the towels
iii) pick up the kitchen again
iv) make a Christmas Wish List (for circulating among the family)

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) one teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week)
ii) do all the needed things to be ready for teaching after Reading Week
iii) feedback on third year draft assignments
iv) another chapter for grad student

4 RESEARCH
i) last minute stuff and hosting of local seminar
ii) referee paper - now VERY urgent!
iii) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, ugh!

Julie

1. Complete form for annual progression review. (now urgent)
2. Teaching prep: keep minimal.
3. Read PhD student's work for meeting Wednesday.
4. Do at least two hours research for article due January.
5. Organise PhD viva I'm chairing Thursday (basically, set up Zoom link, check procedures)
6. Tidy up once bathrooms finished (hopefully Wednesday).
7 Father's birthday present.
8. Get haircuts and book daughter one.

Susan

1. Good day of research
2. Enjoy conference

TLQ Session 3 Week 8

Hello everyone!

Goal-review week is always a bit of a surprise for me, I’m sure I’m not the only one who looks at my 7-week’s-ago-self with puzzlement and a mix of sympathy and exasperation… For me the hardest part is keeping the longer-term goals in my mind when the rest of life is dead set on making itself the only important thing!

But, as always, we adjust and move right along! The exercise of deciding what to keep and toss made me think of the choices we make to say yes or no to things, either in work or in life. Earlier this year I said “no” to a really great field trip related to my research, because out of three of us here that should have gone, someone had to stay behind to cover the travelers’ classes and keep work going, and career-stage wise, I will almost certainly get another shot at that destination. So my two colleagues went, I covered their stuff, they had a great (but also challenging time), and everyone was happy with the decision. But, saying no to that one enabled me to say yes to the musical run which turned out to be an absolute joy all the way. To say yes to that one I did have to say no to another field trip (local) but instead of sending me I sent two students. This weekend I had said yes to a concert with a major youth ensemble my kid plays in, so that is fabulous that we get to play together (she may be more skeptical as teenager but whatevs), but it meant saying no to attending a student awards banquet where one of my students won an award… So, for every yes there is a no, but for every no there is also a yes…

 

What are you saying yes to these days, and what do you have to say no to in order to enjoy the yesses? How do you decide what should be yes or no? Does yes or no impact personal things more than work? How can we be more intentional about our yes and no decisions to make them work for us?

 

Goals from last week:

 

Daisy

Guest talk abstract/title/prep
Finish popular article on research topic
Finish reference writing
Finish department newsletter (bane of existence for months)
Finish thesis comments/rewrites

 

DEH
- provide lap for Basement Cat as often as he wants
- 20 minutes x3 on Alms or its larger project
- read at least one chapter in one scholarly book
- finish taking notes on another book
- start grading next set of undergrad papers
- comment on next grad submission
- reading/prep for grad class
- write a letter of recommendation (becoming urgent)
- read dissertation materials for student A, advise on restructure
- cardio + weights x2, swim at least x2, yoga x4
- walk with friend on Friday, weather permitting; alternative activity = take car for emissions check
- watch weather, apply weedkiller either Wednesday or delay a little longer
- look up some Greek for a novelist's spell (oh, what the hell, leave it and try to find time)
- some fun activities: at least reading, maybe a chair massage

 

heu mihi

1. Prep for RR workshop
2. Send out teaching schedules
3. Give away old car to colleague
4. Start review of F25 schedule
5. Read diss chapter
6. Grade batch of papers
7. Full slate of workouts

 

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing
(ii) read most days
(iii) play D&D with nibling (group has a week off) and prepare a one off Hallowe'en game...
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) wash all the towels

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) one teaching block (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week)
ii) do all the needed things to be ready for next week's teaching
iii) mark lab reports
iv) another chapter for grad student

4 RESEARCH
i) at least one hour integrating other people's comments into the consultancy paper, sigh, not a job I like.
ii) referee paper - now urgent!
iii) do preparation for local seminar - now urgent! Sigh.

 

Julie

1. Allocate accepted conference proposals to sessions.

2. Teaching prep, try to keep minimal again.

3. Work out remaining budget and what to do with it.

4. Complete form for annual progression review.

5. Read, exercise, try to eat healthily.

6. Book haircuts.

 

Susan

1. Keep working on paper for November
2. Sort out endowed chair funds stuff
3. Draft letter of rec for colleague (Why a senior position requires a letter at the start of the process is a mystery, down to the HR rules that shape our lives.)
4. Get better. Maybe work out
5. Read, sleep, pack

TLQ 2024 session 3, week 7

Half-way through! Back in September, we said "fourteen goal-setting weeks," so here we are at midterm check-ins already. So instead of a prompt this week, take a look at your session goals and see if you want to adjust them (delete something? or congratulate yourself on already meeting one or more of them?).

Session goals first, and last week's goals below them. As often happens, I am having trouble with formatting; what's worse, when I select chunks of text to fix the formatting, CoPilot offers to rewrite the text for me. I am trying to refuse its "help," but if anyone's goals don't look quite the way you originally wrote them, that's why. Anyway, apologies, and I hope this will do!

SESSION

Contingent Cassandra

--plan and to the extent possible make progress on the study leave project (which has multiple aspects)

Daisy

Get back into a consistent exercise habit
Get half-done paper into decent shape
Revise 80% done paper
Do actual real work on coastal project
Organize my samples and lab space properly
Get student through thesis and defense

Dame Eleanor Hull

- Draft an essay due at the end of January
- tinker with what was supposed to be my sabbatical project
- grade All The Things in a timely manner and
- provide helpful feedback for students
- keep up with reading/notes for the new course
- read All The Things for the major committee I'm on
- continue to indulge my exercise addiction and refuse to feel guilty about the time I spend in the pool/at the gym
- complete at least three House/Life Things from my very long list

heu mihi

1. Deadlines: Last-minute tenure letter due Oct. 1, short weird experimental essay due Oct. 13.
2. Research: a) Submit book manuscript!!!!! b) Start planning essay due in April (which I think I'm also supposed to give a talk on next semester...maybe try to get out of the talk, that would also be good). c) Submit proposal for festschrift.
3. Enjoy Italian! Remind myself (when, as last weekend, I'm spending hours on my homework) that I'm learning and it's great!
4. Exercise: I exercised a lot this summer, and it felt great, so I really want to make this my priority. Possibly join a gym (with a pool!) when it gets too dark to run in the morning (so, like, next week).
5. Graduate students: Get X defended and out; support G; work with R towards spring defense; others as they arise. (Just putting this here so that I can check it off at the end of the session--it's such time-consuming work and I want to record it.)

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing each week (draw, diamond painting, colour, paint, knit, crochet)
(ii) read three non-fiction books this session and at least three novels
(iii) at least one social/creative-with-words thing each week (playing D&D, writing for fun, talking to people on the phone or a proper chat online, writing a social letter)
(iv) journalling through a "self-care for autistic adults" book.
(v) building a more solid exercise habit
2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) working on getting better at the regular chores
ii) at least one additional care-for-home-environment thing every week
iii) working on financial things that both bore and scare me
3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) successful teaching delivery (TRQ)
ii) prepare the rest of this trimester and for next trimester (one-two teaching blocks a week which are not about the immediate needs of the week)
iii) stay in my lane given my changed responsibilities
iv) support my senior grad student to submission of her thesis at the end of December
4 RESEARCH
i) make measurable progress on at least three papers
ii) write a fairly small grant application to buy out some of my time
iii) find out my committments within small cog project and meet them.

Julie

From 1st October, I go down to working four days a week, so part of this session will be working out how to set boundaries and make sure work doesn't spill into 5 days and that there is still time for TLQ stuff. I'll use last session's headings, which I think I stole from Jane B.
1. Teaching/admin
(i) Revise second-year module to a new format, but keep manageable.
(ii) Keep on top of first-year module and try to maintain energy/enthusiasm without setting myself impossible standards (I co-teach with someone who is a bundle of energy so I always feel students are comparing us unfavourably).
(iii) Three PhD students: one submitting in December, so a lot of drafts to read; one seems to be worryingly AWOL when he should be writing; one about a year from submission.
2. Research (TLQ!):
(i) If grant application gets through first round, write longer version. If it doesn't, put Plan B on hold until next session.
(ii) Write journal article for January deadline. This is the most important session goal.
(iii) Work on call for papers for possible collaborative workshop.
3. Kids
(i) Work out new routines, be as present with them as possible and as much as they will tolerate!
4. House/life admin
(i) One big project: new bathrooms.
(ii) Decluttering & small to medium projects.
5. Self-care
(i) Reading
(ii) Exercise: improve fitness
(iii) Healthy eating & more sleep.
(iv) Fun stuff - see friends, try to do more creative stuff.

Susan

Research:
1. Make progress of Rest of Life (RoL) project, or at least phase 1 of it.
2. If the press takes Famous Author, I will need to add some words. Do it.
3. Do any last work on Big Collaboration that needs doing.

Life:
1. Figure out an exercise routine that makes sense and is manageable.
2. Try to not work weekends and evenings
3. Read books for fun
4. Keep up with tapestry projects
5. Buy new car (maybe new used car)

LAST WEEK'S GOALS

Contingent Cassandra (held over)

--Write two emails having to do with the study leave and the October program (this is not done but really needs to get done tomorrow, so good timing).
--At least begin listing and prioritizing the things I could, should, or must do before the October program and beyond to advance the study leave project

Daisy

Production files for accepted paper
Galley proofs for in-press paper
Popular article on research topic
Book Covid and flu shots
Reference writing
Department newsletter (bane of existence for months)
Curriculum stuff
Thesis comments/rewrites

Dame Eleanor Hull

- provide lap for Basement Cat as often as he wants
- 20 minutes x3 on Alms or its larger project
- read at least one chapter in one scholarly book; finish taking notes on another
- grade a set of undergrad papers
- file reports on a couple of students who aren't showing up
- do the 3 mandatory annual trainings
- finish off grad comments, post them
- reading/prep for grad class
- write a letter of recommendation
- cardio + weights x2, swim at least x2, yoga x4
- another walk with friend on Friday, weather permitting
- check another store for weed-killer
- look up some Greek for a novelist's spell

heu mihi

1. Review article
2. Read chapter 4 of dissertation R
3. Keep up with workouts: run x 3, swim x 2, yoga x 1
4. Work out grad students' spring teaching schedules
5. Prep for RR workshop (read & comment on one submission; start reading other submissions)

JaneB

1 SELF-CARE. Remember I'm still recovering from burnout and be kind to myself.
(i) do at least one mildly creative-with-the-hands thing
(ii) read most days
(iii) play D&D with group or with nibling
(iv) three days of stretchy/bendy type intentional movement for at least 15 minutes

2 HOUSE-LIFE ADMIN
i) at least 75% of regular chore list
ii) do more sums/plan summarising related to latest voluntary redundancy scheme, make decision.
iii) wash all the towels (as well as clothes laundry) (I'm down to the odd colours/nearly worn out towels now...)

3 TEACHING AND ADMIN
i) two teaching blocks (3-4 hours) on non-urgent teaching prep (non-urgent = happening AFTER next week)
ii) do all the needed things to be ready for next week's teaching - quite light this week
iii) another chapter for grad student

4 RESEARCH
i) decision about grant idea. If yes, at least two hours on the text.
ii) at least one hour doing my tasks for the consultancy paper (I'm also waiting on others)
iii) referee paper - now urgent!

Julie

1. Prep teaching - none of it new, so should be minimal.
2. Read a dissertation proposal.
3. Read PhD chapter.
4. Research: work out remaining budget from small grant and what to do with it.
5. Use one of the short bits of time to read an article for research.
6. Book flu jab
7. Daughter's trip
8. Eat healthily, try to get some walks in, go to bed reasonable time.
9. Read new book.

Susan

1. Keep going on the paper / research
2. Finish task I should have finished before I went on sabbatical, a revision of our policies
3. Start writing letter of rec for colleague
4. Write report on use of endowed chair funds
5. Enjoy conference on Friday-Saturday
6. Schedule flu shot
7. Walk to work 1 day, do workout with trainer, follow up.
8. Keep reading, figure out what to read when I finish this book tonight.