This week's prompt is brought to you by Morgana: what do you know (or "know") that doesn't actually help, or could help only in different circumstances than the ones you're stuck with? Morgana knows that food comes from the refrigerator, and will jump in there when a human opens the door. Without opposable thumbs, however, she's stuck at this point, and has to go back to looking pleadingly at the human. Your answer could focus on writing, or you can take this as a more general question, as you please!
Goals from last week:
Daisy
Read completed thesis
Edit undergrad chapters
Two article reviews
Learn new music
Dame Eleanor Hull
--1-2 hours writing/research on each of 5 days
--prep for language groups
--write two letters of recommendation
--book April travel
--request money for one conference, along with some other administrivia
including reading grad applications
--find some reviewers
--replace at least one electronic device
--at least four hours on the garage or other household tasks
--bake scones and/or do some other creative things
--get a massage
--gym at least 5x, yoga at least 4x
--remember to look at calendar/lists every day
heu mihi
1. Draft second mini-talk
2. Italian
3. Don't drown
JaneB
SELF-CARE: all process goals, for three term time months:
a) intentional movement 20x3 or 15x4
b) some kind of making (art or craft) x2
c) something gently social x2
d) read at least one chapter (of fiction) every day this week IMPROVING MY
ENVIRONMENT: goals carried over!
a) 75% of weekly list of chores
b) make a sketch for the new idea for the shelving in living space
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) prepare materials for experiment week for the first years (they design and
carry out their own experiment and if they take it seriously it can be a lot of
fun learning)
RESEARCH.
a) continue to progress modelling work
b) referee journal article
c) read paper draft for former senior PhD student
d) spend an hour on the revision for the revise and resubmit paper
e) finish and submit small teaching project grant application
Julie
1. Research and writing: finish reading book for Big Article
and organise some material, write two sections for book chapter, do one day on
review article.
2. Meetings about teaching next year - try not to use too much emotional
energy.
3. Review a postdoc application.
4. Book travel for conference and seminar next month.
5. House/life admin: Mother's Day gifts, meeting with financial advisor, book
flights for summer holiday, plan Easter weekend away, maybe find a chair for
spare room.
6. Self-care/fun: read, exercise, journal, Netflix (finish watching Bridgerton,
don't judge me), video call with friends, enjoy time with brother and family in
their new house this weekend
Susan
1. GRADE PAPERS I DON"T WANT TO GRADE
2. Finish stuff from office and room of doom
3. Organize garage so junk guy takes the right stuff.
4. Plant a few more things in the yard
5. Clear all counters in the kitchen
6. Organize packing for trip
7. Book hotel for trip
One thing I know about writing but can't do anything about, this semester: it's easier if I do it every day. But my campus days are really scheduled every minute, and if they aren't, something else urgent WILL happen that needs ME to do it right then (and I'm not even graduate director or something similar!). In general, I know that to get a Thing to Done, you have to Do the Thing, and, relatedly, that I'm more productive when I keep moving through a rotation of Things rather than focusing on trying to finish the one I'm perseverating on, but this seems to require the equivalent of opposable thumbs--great idea, but terrifically hard to make happen.
ReplyDeleteAnywho, here I am on the last day of spring break, thinking I still have a few more hours in which I might accomplish something, but I had better check in or I will be in the Thursday Club this week. (Unless maybe tomorrow is an at-home day: I'm in a chunk of the US where mild temperatures are about to plunge dramatically, with rain turning to ice and then snow, so . . . we'll see.)
How I did:
--1-2 hours writing/research on each of 5 days: 4x, I think, not too bad!
--prep for language groups: YES
--write two letters of recommendation: YES
--book April travel: in PROGRESS (ack! I did book a room for April and also a hotel for June conference, but I really do need a flight!)
--request money for one conference, along with some other administrivia including reading grad applications: YES: I did ALL the administrivia!!
--find some reviewers: NO (ack again--I even scheduled the time, and then Something Came Up)
--replace at least one electronic device: NO (see above!)
--at least four hours on the garage or other household tasks: MAYBE? I was thinking NO (unless you count totally ordinary laundry and cooking, whereas I meant the stuff that I don't normally get to) but as I work through the ALSO stuff below, I might have done this one!
--bake scones and/or do some other creative things: NO to scones (maybe later today) but YES to creative: I wrote a letter, by hand with liquid ink, on handmade paper, to my great-niece.
--get a massage: NO (I did have a short one last week, and it was so nice I promised myself I'd go back this week, but the time really went fast!)
--gym at least 5x, yoga at least 4x: YES! Swam 3x (total of 3 miles), plus two other gym sessions, yoga might have been x3 but good enough!
--remember to look at calendar/lists every day: YES
ALSO: wrote e-mail to an old friend, ferried BC to & from vet visit, got tax stuff together, read a book of short stories by Mercedes Lackey, changed the furnace filter, made single-serving microwave chocolate cake 3x, looked up some tradespeople so Sir John can get estimates, took down the wintertime fairy lights, re-shelved some books, went to a performance of the St Matthew Passion, helped Sir John do his birthday puzzle (this one: https://libertypuzzles.com/products/cosy-cat-puzzle If you look carefully at the picture, you can see some of the whimsy pieces, but I was amazed to find there are 14 cat-shaped pieces in it!).
And goals for the coming week:
Delete--1-2 hours research on each of 3 days
--prep for language groups
--book flight
--throw together two more sample syllabuses
--go to friend's lecture
--read for mystery group
--revise schedule if tomorrow's classes get cancelled
--enter some numbers on Blackboard
--try to stick to schedule I planned
--remember to look at calendar & lists every day
Well, last week was... OK. It was a slower week with less people stuff so I got more things done that required thought. But I was stupidly stressed by life stuff - I took the car to the garage and a part is now being ordered in to solve the wiper problem properly, but there was a lot of uncertainty around that (booking mix up, waiting spaces, etc.), which was progress, then the next day a tooth filling fell out so now I have to go to the dentist... and drink soup and eat soft foods on one side carefully until then. SIGH. And I found myself agreeing to change up part of my administrative duties, and I'm not at all sure if that was a sensible decision!
ReplyDeleteLAST WEEK:
SELF-CARE: all process goals, for three term time months:
a) intentional movement 20x3 or 15x4 20x3
b) some kind of making (art or craft) x2 no, tried to do some crochet but it refused to cooperate
c) something gently social x2 yes
d) read at least one chapter (of fiction) every day this week yes - and a big chunk of the book on the Persians too whilst I was sitting in the car place waiting room
IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT: goals carried over!
a) 75% of weekly list of chores yes
b) make a sketch for the new idea for the shelving in living space no
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) prepare materials for experiment week for the first years (they design and carry out their own experiment and if they take it seriously it can be a lot of fun learning) haven't printed out the handouts, but otherwise prepared
RESEARCH.
a) continue to progress modelling work yes. another week, another problem. But it seems to be a not-in-my-control problem which is something?
b) referee journal article yes
c) read paper draft for former senior PhD student yes
d) spend an hour on the revision for the revise and resubmit paper yes
e) finish and submit small teaching project grant application yes
And I also read through and commented on another draft paper from a grad student at a different university who I've been giving some specialised support to.
COMING WEEK:
is already disrupted by the dental appointment - they are always exhausting and sometimes I react badly to the local, and I have to move some stuff to fit around the appointment (I'm very glad that the dentist could fit me in on Tuesday, but still) and try to make a bit of recovery time. And Thursday is a LONG teaching day (I get to teach 9-11, 1-3 and 4-6, and I will be on campus before 8am to get parking, and for my brain/nervous system that's a LOT for me). So I'm stressed already. Sigh!
SELF-CARE: all process goals, for three term time months:
a) intentional movement 20x3 or 15x4
b) some kind of making (art or craft) x2
c) something gently social x2
d) read at least one chapter (of fiction) every day this week IMPROVING MY ENVIRONMENT:
a) 75% of weekly list of chores
b) make a sketch for the new idea for the shelving in living space
TEACHING AND ADMIN:
a) successfully rearrange stuff from Tuesday and get through Thursday's long day
b) work through discussion of the new administrative role
RESEARCH.
a) continue to progress modelling work
b) spend an hour on the revision for the revise and resubmit paper plus organise/lead meeting
c) start working on lots-of-pages grant review (sigh. necessary, but oh, a dispiriting prospect)
I'm thinking about the question - will try & come back later in the week!
Delete