Let's think about making magic, or if making other things can be magical. This week, I got at least a little bit un-stuck on a must-do task by taking some time to attempt a creative making that I've had on my list literally for years. (PSA: iron-on t-shirt transfers that you've had around for years may not function as well as new ones!) While involved in necessary waiting time for the t-shirt project, I made progress on the must-do. It reminded me that when I used to feel overwhelmed by grading (back in the days of a higher class load and far more students), I'd go bake bread or muffins or scones (also back in the days when I ate grains), and then I'd feel better able to tackle the stacks of papers.
Do you stress-bake or do other stress-relieving crafts? Could you make time this week to make something for fun, and see if that makes you better able to tackle the things you must? My friend in Magineering says that such activities build up energy that magic can use to help power "brain off" charms and similar devices.
Here's the list of goals from last week. How are you doing?
Contingent
Cassandra
Overcome
By Events?
Daisy
Get extra
sleep if possible
Set up and start academic advising
Practice music for upcoming concerts
Student theses feedback and rewrites
Fun meeting for new joint paper
Accounting for trip
Slightly overdue review
Dame
Eleanor Hull
Exercise:
cardio x5, yoga at least x4. Swim x2. Trainer x1. See if light weights are okay
now.
Work:
ignore the syllabus! ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating,
outlining, writing). List the "done."
Social/outings:
campus run, medieval talk on Zoom, pick up Susan, go to book group, go to
party.
Planning:
book trains, message VRBO hosts with arrival times; finish assembling the tax
docs; get estimates on car repair.
Heu mihi
1. Reread
ch. 6 and complete preliminary revisions (basically, make sure that the chapter
is really finished)
2. Round of revisions to ch. 3
3. Festschrift abstract of nonsense
4. Return to notes re. ch. 5 and start figuring out next steps...
5. Read and prep for next week's class
6. Process article reviews
7. Exercise like a fiend
8. Read book I'm considering for next year's class (it's short)
9. Clean house
10. Make cookies
11. Write LOR; read dissertation chapter
12. Send email about workshop for grad students
JaneB
1 - self
care: move intentionally three days, do seven household tasks, eat mindfully,
make sure I do rest after a few hours. Contact employment advisor at the local
charity, journal daily, read next book about neurodiversity, GP appointment
about returning to work or having a few more weeks to recover.
2 - Fun -
read a novel, make some Easter cards, knit/crochet, do some art. Do some
D&D prep, play D&D at least once.
3 - work
and boundaries - maintain boundaries (possibly push back on Interim Head of
School wanting another check in meeting, contact union to check about that), do
minimal work hours (this week I have meetings with two grad students in the
diary, plus will do email triage)
4 - work
projects - nothing.
Julie
1. Revise
grant application & work on costings
2. Start marking latest batch of essays
3. Finish watching recorded presentations for conference sessions (on the
judging committee)
4. House jobs - aim for 3
5. Book theatre weekend
6. Exercise if back recovered enough - run x 2, pilates x 1
Susan
Do some
more work on introduction; deal with any essays that come in late
Send out list of admits to faculty - write to admitted students
Look over program for conference, make plans
Enjoy myself
Eat/ sleep/ move
I bought new iron-on transfer sheets, so we'll see if continuing the t-shirt effort has magical effects this week. The design is related to a research project and I'd like to be able to take shirts to the April conference.
ReplyDeleteHow I did:
Exercise: cardio x5, yoga at least x4. Swim x2. Trainer x1. See if light weights are okay now. YES (well, again, short on the yoga, 2-3 sessions); although light weights were okay early in the week, and various bits of me that were achy in recent weeks are now feeling better, I woke up today with a miserably sore lower back. I don't know what caused it, but ugh. Not sure what that will mean for the coming week.
Work: ignore the syllabus! ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing). List the "done." OK: 2 really good days, 2 okay days. I read one essay that I thought might go on the syllabus but then I decided it was too challenging for undergrads, so I succeeded in that first goal (the essay may work for a research project, which is what I got it for).
Social/outings: campus run, medieval talk on Zoom, pick up Susan, go to book group, go to party. YES! Most of that was good to great; the party was exhausting, loud, with way too many people most of whom I did not know, but enough of whom were LRU-associated that it felt more like a work-obligation than fun-social.
Planning: book trains, message VRBO hosts with arrival times; finish assembling the tax docs; get estimates on car repair. NO; some progress; ONE.
New goals:
Exercise: cardio x5, yoga at least x4. Swim x2. Trainer x1.
Work: ~3-5 hours/day on research (reading, translating, outlining, writing; focus on conference paper). Order fall books. Schedule one hour on the syllabus. List the "done."
Social/outings: vet run, campus run, book group.
Planning: book trains, message VRBO hosts with arrival times; finish assembling the tax docs; maybe get 2nd estimate on car repair.
3-5 hours/day on research sounds wonderful right now. But if I were required to do it, I know that I'd miss my days of being an email monkey.... I hope that your project is going well!
DeleteI'm including language study in that time, so it's not all reading/writing/projects that really count in the eyes of my department. As to the t-shirt creation, I went back to the MS and created a new design, which I need to test-print, then I can make another attempt at the transfer!
DeleteOoh, intrigued by the T-shirts! Would love to see the final version.
DeleteHope sore back recovers quickly and you can keep up the fantastic exercise habits. So impressed with those!
DeleteGood idea! I think that I need to be more intentional about engaging in pleasing non-work tasks. This past week, I did end up sinking a lot of time into the making of France 2022 Photo Book vol. 2, which is not quite complete but close! (And which wasn't even started a week ago!) It's one of those I-should-get-to-it-someday projects, and I'm happy to have moved forward on it; it was also a nice break from work when I was getting tired of it. (It was also on my computer, which made it easy to move in and out of while "working," although it would be best ultimately to step away from the laptop altogether.)
ReplyDeleteI did get through a lot of my list last week; how am I overwhelmed again already?
Last week:
1. Reread ch. 6 and complete preliminary revisions - YES!
2. Round of revisions to ch. 3 - YES!
3. Festschrift abstract of nonsense - YES? I'm missing a last sentence, the crucial what-I-will-conclude sentence, because I'm not at all sure what it's going to say, but progress was made
4. Return to notes re. ch. 5 and start figuring out next steps... - DOES LITERALLY 5 MINUTES ON THIS COUNT?
5. Read and prep for next week's class - Reading YES, prepping NO, I'm doing it now (on Tuesday)
6. Process article reviews - YES, easy task
7. Exercise like a fiend - MOSTLY; my legs got really tired from two long-for-me runs, so I did take some time off. Also it rained/snowed/sleeted all day on Saturday.
8. Read book I'm considering for next year's class (it's short) - YES
9. Clean house - YES, and then our visitors couldn't come, but that was ultimately for the best. And my parents are coming this weekend, so the clean guest room and adjoining area won't be wasted.
10. Make cookies - YES
11. Write LOR; read dissertation chapter - NO (I read 25 of 98 pages of the diss and decided that that was enough before our meeting; LOR pushed to this week)
12. Send email about workshop for grad students - YES (another 5-minute task)
That is a lot of Yes, although I'm most pleased about #1 and #2. Now, if only I could get a handle on ch. 5.... But this month is going to be a mess. My parents are coming to visit this weekend, as I said, and I'll be gone for the following 3 Thursdays + weekends (one academic conference, one General Education conference that I'm attending as part of a delegation from my university, one family trip to NYC); our graduate students are organizing TWO conferences, at which I must try to at least make an appearance; we have two talks in my department, one of which I organized and will need to host; and we're traveling to the Path of Totality for the eclipse. Plus I have my actual job. So that's April.
This week, I'll just keep balancing:
1. Write LOR, read prospectus, read & offer feedback on colleague's book proposal
2. Enter ch. 3 revisions
3. Finish France album (so close!)
4. Apply for little tiny professional development thing
5. Read and prep for next week's seminar (I need to start getting ahead; it's the only way I'll survive)
6. Brew beer, re-clean house, and run twice, if I can swing it!
7. Catch up on community service stuff (figure out what to do with some emails for Sustainability Committee; small task for elementary school Yearbook Committee)
That's pretty manageable...if I don't drown under emails and course prep, anyway!
When you get to a "maybe someday" project within two years, I think you're doing well! April sounds . . . intense! I hope it goes smoothly, at least, since with all that you really don't need any monkey wrenches tossed in the works. And I think you should count the "literally five minutes," since that does keep you in touch with the project.
DeleteI am about 10 years behind on photo albums, so impressed! April sounds insane, I hope some of it at least is fun.
DeleteI'm very impressed by the photo album! I should be doing those. I have gazillions of digital photos that are unedited.
DeleteAny kind of keeping in touch counts!
DeletePhotobook sounds lovely! I have 4658 photos on my phone and a similar number in the "old phone" files and probably more from actual camera... Occasionally I think about doing something about it and then promptly get overwhelmed and go back to taking pictures of my cats...
DeleteI definitely use non-work tasks as productive procrastination - often because they let my brain freewheel by distracting the top layer of squirrels, the ones that leap to worry and blame. And as a way of keeping momentum without having to JUST work (e.g. mark five essays, knit two rows, mark five essays... rather than mark five essays, take a break, wander off or start scrolling, remember I'm supposed to be marking six hours later...).
ReplyDeleteI'm a little late because it's been a busy few days by the standards of filling up my brain and focus - I had an Occupational Health meeting (which actually went much better than I expected - I had a different assessor than the one who said ADHD was not disabling because I'd done well in my career (by her standards), and this one was much more understanding of academics and of neurodivergence), and I've been going through the process of adopting a new cat. An 8 year old male black shorthaired mog who needed rehomed after a drastic change in his original family's circumstances, arrived today and is currently settling in in the living room - he's small, sassy and pretty confident. He's eaten everything offered, used the litter tray, and ripped several feathers off a kicking toy, and once I'm in the room and sitting still is happy to approach me for pets and scritches, so we are off to a very good start. Which means I'm having a patch of renewed mourning for Fluffball, which is entirely normal. And that I need a nom-de-internet for this new little one.
LAST WEEK'S GOALS:
1 - self care: move intentionally three days, do seven household tasks, eat mindfully, make sure I do rest after a few hours. Contact employment advisor at the local charity, journal daily, read next book about neurodiversity, GP appointment about returning to work or having a few more weeks to recover. yes, five, two days, most days, yes, six days, yes, yes and was given a few more weeks
2 - Fun - read a novel, make some Easter cards, knit/crochet, do some art. Do some D&D prep, play D&D at least once. no (but I started a pretty good one), yes I made four cards for family, yes I knitted, yes I tried some watercolour tips, yes did a little prep, played once
3 - work and boundaries - maintain boundaries (possibly push back on Interim Head of School wanting another check in meeting, contact union to check about that), do minimal work hours (this week I have meetings with two grad students in the diary, plus will do email triage) ish, 7 hours of work because I also had a call from an external collaborator who wanted help understanding a badly written text they were reviewing
4 - work projects - nothing did nothing!
THIS WEEK'S GOALS
1 - self care: move intentionally three days, do seven household tasks, eat mindfully, make sure I rest after a few hours. Journal daily, read papers about burnout.
2 - Fun - read a novel, start a non-fiction book, knit/crochet, do some art, do some D&D prep, play D&D at least once.
3 - work and boundaries - occupational health meeting, maintain boundaries and grey-rock the Interim Head of Dept check in meeting, do minimal work hours (this week I have a chapter to comment on and a stack of emails that are high-urgency and need small actions taking)
4 - work projects - nothing
That sounds like a more positive week. Well done! And great news on the new cat, though I get the mourning for Fluffball. Look forward to hearing what the new name is once you've thought of one!
DeleteThat sounds like an excellent week, and hearty congratulations on the arrival of NewCat! I hope you have many happy years together. He sounds delightful. (Fluffball remains the One And Only Fluffball, of course.) I'm very glad to hear that this OccHealth meeting went better than the last.
DeleteSo pleased for you that this Occupational Health meeting went well. And for NewCat, who seems most ideal.
DeleteNew kitties make their own place in our homes and hearts alongside the old ones we still miss... So glad NewCat is settling in, he sounds like a charmer!
DeleteI have never tried doing something creative to get unstuck. Maybe I should. I think I haven't because I would feel guilty, but it would clearly be better to do something creative than to scroll or go looking for more blogs to read. If I'm at home, I might go and do some domestic chore, which is easier to justify to myself, but not sure it always unsticks me. Anyway, inspired to add something creative to this week's list.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1. Revise grant application & work on costings - YES, SORT OF (had a couple of email exchanges)
2. Start marking latest batch of essays - YES (but only about a quarter through, sigh)
3. Finish watching recorded presentations for conference sessions (on the judging committee) - YES
4. House jobs - aim for 3 - ONE
5. Book theatre weekend - STILL NO!
6. Exercise if back recovered enough - run x 2, pilates x 1 - YES (gently), YES
This week:
I only have four work days as Friday is Good Friday, plus I have a funeral one day and am on an interview panel another, so keeping the work side simple.
1. Submit final copy of journal article - formally accepted, just need to add in references removed for peer review
2. Write report on PhD thesis for tedious piece of Spanish bureaucracy (basically a scam where I'm not formally examining, so can skim-read, but still have to read enough to write report, but don't get paid because I'm not formally examining!)
3. Collate scores for recorded presentations & chair meeting to decide prize winner.
4. Carry on marking essays, but don't rush to finish.
5. Mock interview for post-grad.
6. Real interviews for languages post (external panel member, so not too much work)
7. Book theatre trip!
8. Tidy desk
9. House/life admin jobs - aim for 3.
10. Cooking for family on Sunday.
11. Do something creative!
12. Exercise - run x 2, pilates x 1.
You have a lot of "yes" for last week, so that's good! I hope the coming week goes smoothly; it sounds like there's a lot going on. On the creative side, I really liked JaneB's plan to "knit two rows" as a measurable, not-too-distracting break. Many creative projects need more start-up time than knitting or some other sorts of handwork (crocheting, embroidery, needlepoint), so they don't work as well as a break---but if you enjoy handwork, that might be a good option.
DeleteOne of the reasons I do handcrafts (and have a project on the go that I can use for this, even if I'm also doing something fiddly) is that I can do them at my desk (so reduce the risk of wandering away and forgetting), but they are not screen time, so they provide a change for my eyes and posture. Or I draw something, but that can get too absorbing!
DeleteOne creative but useful thing I love doing is making figures for academic work, even if they are not strictly necessary. Maybe a nice gateway for creativity with a feeling of contributing to research?
DeleteMy go-to stress response is cooking, making big batches of nice things makes me relax about whatever I’m supposed to be doing. Bonus that it results in extra food for a while! Knitting and crochet while watching movies is also a nice change of pace.
ReplyDeleteLast week’s goals
Get extra sleep if possible SUCCESS
Set up and start academic advising ONGOING
Practice music for upcoming concerts ONGOING
Student theses feedback and rewrites ONE SUBMITTED, ONE EDITED, ONE ONGOING
Fun meeting for new joint paper DONE
Accounting for trip DONE (!!)
Slightly overdue review DONE
This week is catch-up after a big push to get a student thesis submitted. I actually did my accounting for the trip last week, possibly the fastest I’ve ever managed. Except then just before the last step the entire accounting system for the university suffered a catastrophic coding flaw and can’t show any account activity past last May… So everyone is freaking out like there’s no tomorrow because year-end is March 31 and nobody can pull any budget reports… So… maybe next time I will just procrastinate on accounts like I normally do!
I got reviews back for the paper I submitted with the massively flawed student data, the reviewers were wonderfully kind and went for major revisions, which is totally fair and a big relief… So revisions on deck, the other paper should be coming back soon too I think, so there will be the pair of them to get done.
This week’s goals
Start on figures for paper revision
Data analysis for paper revision
Data analysis for student project
Get work permit for summer field area
Last of the concerts
Comments for last thesis
Conference admin tasks
Yes, the great thing about cooking is that it can be looked on as preparing food in advance so that more of the next day/week can go to work! It's something I do when I'm too tired or stressed to focus on thinky-work. Congratulations on the paper acceptance-with-revisions! And commiserations on the accounting problems. Why is it that when one uncharacteristically does a thing early, something happens to make one wish one had stuck to procrastinating? With me, it was booking conference travel in February 2020 for a trip in April . . . .
DeleteCooking is great but if I'm stressed and bored by the task that is stressing me out I will just eat all the cooking. Yes, even if it is two baking pans of roasted brocolli. It's like being possessed by an alien! :-D
DeletePans of roasted broccoli are absolutely the best when they are just out of the oven, and therefore should be eaten right away! I did exactly that this evening...
DeleteI don't know that I do anything creative while procrastinating, but today I spent a significant stretch of time looking at tile for a remodel I am doing in London this summer. So I suppose that was constructive procrastination! It is helpful to have somethink like heu mihi's photo books to work on, so I may be inspired. I do needlepoint in meetings, and while watching TV.
ReplyDeleteGoals from last week:
Do some more work on introduction; deal with any essays that come in late YES
Send out list of admits to faculty - write to admitted students YES/NO
Look over program for conference, make plans YES
Enjoy myself YES
Eat/ sleep/ move YES
It's been a good week, and I'm not making any goals for this week. I had a great time at the conference, including a nice walk and dinner with Dame Eleanor when I arrived. I've been visiting two stepsons (separately) which has been intense, and now with friends where I used to live. Today has been a chill day, which I really needed. And I got one essay read.
Goals for what remains of this week:
1. Enjoy myself
2. Do enough so that I'm not overwhelmed when I return home.
Those are EXCELLENT, TOP NOTCH goals!!
DeleteWhat JaneB said! And it was lovely to see you.
DeleteLovely goals, and a great week with a nice dinner visit too! Glad you had a good time at the conference and get to take a bit of a change of scene breather.
Delete