tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post8649850224649676429..comments2024-03-29T00:34:24.152+00:00Comments on Top Left Quadrant: Time for a new session - Middle of 2017JaneBhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17779448611795379774noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-815755940402637452017-06-05T06:30:59.891+01:002017-06-05T06:30:59.891+01:00Revisiting to post my sessions goals here:
1) Do ...Revisiting to post my sessions goals here:<br /><br />1) Do all things necessary to get kids set up in their own rooms (rooms that will be good sanctuaries for them for the rest of their time at home). This will involve MUCH moving and purging (and building of a backyard "office/library/studio/witch hut"). <br />2) Eat the rainbow and help my family do the same.<br />3) Move more and build family practices for kids to do the same. <br />4) Read daily (and somewhat widely) within sci-fi and also academia (esp. c18 Brit lit and any scholars with good writing styles). Finish reading <i>Dune</i>.<br />5) Write at least five days per week, whether free-writing, formal academic writing, notes about texts I plan to teach, poetry, fiction, or journaling--all with the goal of exploring my interests/subjects areas while also improving my writing style (which was criticized [rather mildly, but still] by one my article reviewers). I think parentheses were probably part of my problem.<br />6) Since we aren't traveling as much, take advantage of local attractions and activities.<br />7) Spend more time on family to improve relationships, future memories, and bonds. (The relationships are good, but they definitely played second-fiddle to the PhD for the past year.)Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-91254650120617366542017-05-30T12:28:49.823+01:002017-05-30T12:28:49.823+01:00Thanks, Susan. Yes, every public institution I'...Thanks, Susan. Yes, every public institution I've worked at has had budget issues. We don't support our universities as we should, but that's a blog post, at the least.<br /><br />You're right, walking Brigid helps immensely; having one hurdle behind him helps immensely with my husband's stress (and mine!)Elizabeth Anne Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733237123376048432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-57923258760936641282017-05-30T05:35:18.159+01:002017-05-30T05:35:18.159+01:00Good to see you! Sorry to hear about the current i...Good to see you! Sorry to hear about the current institutional crises, but budget difficulties seem to be endemic to public institutions. I assume the Standard Poodle helps with the walking, and that the tenure vote for your husband makes things a bit more relaxed at home!Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716705206734059708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-85002201631051350112017-05-30T05:27:22.392+01:002017-05-30T05:27:22.392+01:00Fellow lurcher. Thanks for identifying why I'...Fellow lurcher. Thanks for identifying why I'm so terrible at this. I see the end point, but don't do well at the intermediate steps. (I also don't write from outlines, same reason...)Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716705206734059708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-44324645986911904372017-05-28T16:40:53.890+01:002017-05-28T16:40:53.890+01:00I’m Elizabeth, a tenured Associate Librarian at a ...I’m Elizabeth, a tenured Associate Librarian at a public STEM-heavy R1 in the upper Hudson Valley in New York. I have a Master’s in medieval studies, and am ABD in the same, but decided in the last year that the rigamarole of getting the Ph.D. (retaking quals, resubmitting a dissertation proposal to a new committee, for example) wasn’t worth it. The degree would change nothing in my work life. The dissertation included a critical edition, which I plan to query as a book. My main focus is to protect my identity as a medievalist and scholar in a university where I am the only medievalist on the faculty. <br /><br />I am chair of a department, so administrative duties loom large at times. Also, like so many other places, we have been hit with organizational crises. At my shop, we are on the bubble of losing our R1 status, which has the university administration in palpitations. We also are facing budget difficulties, although thankfully not as dire as some of the private SLACs in our area.<br /> <br />I live with a husband whose tenure vote at the college level was May 12th (and overwhelming positive), so he is less irritable than he was all spring semester. One son is a junior in college and taking summer courses; the sophomore has not decided about summer courses, and the incredibly spoiled Standard Poodle has had, but ignores, her obedience training. <br /><br />Topic: I love to set goals and plan them out to the inch, which is where my downfall awaits. If I get off track, I often am tempted to throw in the towel. In recent years, I have been getting better at adjusting and plowing on, but it is still a weak point for me.<br /> <br />Session goals:<br />Session mantra: Move, contemplate, create<br />Plan and draft sabbatical request.<br />Walk at least half an hour every day.<br /> <br />I am so thankful this group has started back, and look forward to bring with all of you virtually this summer.<br />Excelsior!Elizabeth Anne Mitchellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07733237123376048432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-42271135247236652972017-05-27T18:33:44.910+01:002017-05-27T18:33:44.910+01:00I think it's very interested that you've f...I think it's very interested that you've focused on on specific TLQ goal. That's right in line with the topic I was thinking about for the next week. I'll be interested to hear more about how that goes, along with the benefits (if you discover them) of really detailed, focused tracking.Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-80409700269053155482017-05-27T07:18:45.089+01:002017-05-27T07:18:45.089+01:00Great to see your names again, everyone, and thank...Great to see your names again, everyone, and thank you for your comments! Yes, it is important to be realistic and see what I actually can do in my current environment. Matildahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02496807875444414179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-1566600350231484672017-05-27T03:27:14.783+01:002017-05-27T03:27:14.783+01:00You haven't seen the messes Sir John is capabl...You haven't seen the messes Sir John is capable of creating . . . even without feline assistance. I'm wondering if we could move him and the cats out somewhere while I'm gone.Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-89269514680737779772017-05-26T20:24:20.597+01:002017-05-26T20:24:20.597+01:00We just watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail, a...We just watched Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and my son has been reading a Python programming book. This is a fun fact I can share with him!Good Enough Womanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16531793545583712309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-46469797366734733882017-05-26T19:57:52.770+01:002017-05-26T19:57:52.770+01:00I, too, very much identify with lurching from dead...I, too, very much identify with lurching from deadline to deadline, and with the difficulty of planning when one is in the middle of things (physically, temporally, or both). Best wishes for finding space to plan/think. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-82299368225239317042017-05-26T19:55:14.756+01:002017-05-26T19:55:14.756+01:00Well, you're far from the last, and it sounds ...Well, you're far from the last, and it sounds like you've been doing good things in the interim. I like the idea of reasonable goals on manageable projects as a follow-on to having just published a book, and preparation for planning next steps. That sounds eminently sane, as long as you don't let the good-citizen activities take over (which is a real threat, I find, and I'm not sure I'm even a good citizen, just a conscientious one who thinks I *should* be doing more). Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-75342942012254565632017-05-26T19:50:48.617+01:002017-05-26T19:50:48.617+01:00I'm with you (and GEW) on having trouble deali...I'm with you (and GEW) on having trouble dealing with chopped-up schedules (days or summers), and making transitions between work and relaxation so that I truly enjoy the relaxation. Although I, too, very much crave down-time at home, I wonder whether having much of the relaxation "away" will help you focus on relaxation. Also, I hear that 5-year-olds are pretty good at refocusing attention (on them). Also that many grandparents are good at taking 5-year-olds away for a while so that their parents can focus on each other (or work, if need be, but that doesn't go very well with the relaxation goal, though it's hard for my mind not to go there, thanks to many years of watching my father work at the beach, and doing a bit of the same myself). So maybe there are some possibilities there? Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-26863832072916494722017-05-26T19:45:29.369+01:002017-05-26T19:45:29.369+01:00Welcome back! And yes, judging from watching frie...Welcome back! And yes, judging from watching friends deal with study leaves, I'd say that they're shorter than they seem, and that other parts of life that we've been ignoring have a way of rushing back in to take up space. Maybe you needed some time to settle in, and now is a good time to come up with a more realistic plan, with a clearer idea of your energy level, living situation, etc., and how they affect your opportunities for making progress on your research? Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-14660339549550113492017-05-26T19:42:16.928+01:002017-05-26T19:42:16.928+01:00"reading excessively" (and not in discon..."reading excessively" (and not in disconnected internet-delivered chunks) needs to go on my list, too. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-39410948994963828742017-05-26T19:40:33.402+01:002017-05-26T19:40:33.402+01:00I, too, can see the value in doing some stuff well...I, too, can see the value in doing some stuff well ahead (if you're sure it will pay off; if I'm remembering correctly, teaching assignments and such at your place are pretty unpredictable/changeable these days, so maybe not?), but not if I'm so exhausted that it takes forever to do something I'll do much more quickly in the fall (because I'm more rested, or just because it has to be done before classes start). <br /><br />Also, apropros of nothing, I learned this week that the programming language Python is named after Monty (rather than, as I had assumed, the snake). This makes me even more intrigued with the idea of learning it, though that's another thing for the long-term research/writing list (I did go to a 2-day workshop where some people were making good use of Python scripts to prepare data for other purposes; this counts as briefly touching tools for longterm research plans, but not much more than that). Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-67443254814645299552017-05-26T19:34:14.466+01:002017-05-26T19:34:14.466+01:00Glad the surgery is past, and that you have, if no...Glad the surgery is past, and that you have, if not the full, leisurely summer of all of our dreams, at least time for a reasonably-paced return. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-70159012390375647272017-05-26T19:32:05.842+01:002017-05-26T19:32:05.842+01:00Indeed. Indeed. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-86764507518176888192017-05-26T19:31:40.303+01:002017-05-26T19:31:40.303+01:00It also sounds like the other member of staff migh...It also sounds like the other member of staff might end up dealing with a significant portion of the house-showing/selling bother, which wouldn't be a bad thing, especially after you've accomplished a significant portion of the clearing-out. It also may be easier to write in the UK if your study in the US has to be in showing form. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-16159048165261945772017-05-26T19:27:39.811+01:002017-05-26T19:27:39.811+01:00Wow! This *does* sound overwhelming, but also like...Wow! This *does* sound overwhelming, but also like real progress -- the move finally finalized/confirmed, and the NIH grant close to approval. <br /><br />It also sounds like some of this progress will also help narrow/focus your goals, so this is probably a temporary state of too-muchness, with some direction soon to come. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-8121599567399347572017-05-26T19:24:32.096+01:002017-05-26T19:24:32.096+01:00Best wishes to you mom (and you, in figuring out h...Best wishes to you mom (and you, in figuring out how/how much to help). <br /><br />Another vote for not letting imposter syndrome in the door on the basis of one rejection (isn't the Dame's bugge spray good for that? or maybe you just need a screen door, to allow for continued communication with the outside world, but some filtering of which feedback gets to take up even semi-permanent residence in your head?). On the other hand, yes to saying yes to things other than publishing parts of the diss if you find that that's what you really want to do. I can't offer much in the way of post-diss advice, since my own post-diss crisis was rapidly subsumed by a family conflict/crisis, but I do think those of us in positions that don't require a traditional research track should at least take advantage of our situations by doing what we want with our writing/research lives. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-26519162640481908102017-05-26T19:02:45.539+01:002017-05-26T19:02:45.539+01:00And goals for this week (which is mostly over):
...And goals for this week (which is mostly over): <br /><br />--tie up loose ends from the semester as much as possible<br />--work in the garden at least once<br /><br />As far as planning goes, I haven't yet figured out how to balance realistic planning with a bit of ambition. I'm increasingly aware that time really does seem to move more quickly as one gets older, and increasingly inclined not to fall into the cycle of making overambitious goals, failing to meet them, and feeling discouraged. At the same time, I worry that being too "realistic" = being discouraged/stuck in other ways. I guess I'm hoping that increased physical movement, which I really do enjoy once I get back into the habit (and as long as it's the kinds I enjoy, mostly solitary, noncompetitive activities in teh outdoors) will lead to increased energy and focus, and thus increased ability to tackle other sectors of my life. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-7421494241049536842017-05-26T18:56:45.796+01:002017-05-26T18:56:45.796+01:00Hi, I'm Cassandra, a mid-career non-tenure-tra...Hi, I'm Cassandra, a mid-career non-tenure-track (but full time) English professor at an American state university on the R1/R2 cusp. My job is entirely defined in terms of teaching (a 4/4 usually all-comp load, plus 2 more sections of comp in the summer), but I do occasionally do a bit of research and writing -- less often since the 2 sections in the summer became an economic necessity -- and I do some servicey/for the good of the department/profession/colleagues by choice (though I'm increasingly ambivalent about those, especially since I seem to be in an either/or situation in regards to those vs. my own research and writing). <br /><br />For the past few sessions, I've been concentrating mostly on what I call "infrastructure" projects -- paying more attention to personal finances, other household matters, and health/self-care -- precisely because those are the things that seem to most often fall between the cracks (the teaching gets done because it has to, and I generally make some sort of progress on either writing/research or service-type stuff because I propose conference presentations, apply for grants, etc., get accepted, and then have to follow up). For the summer, though there are plenty of household/financial, writing/research, and serviceish projects that I hope to advance at least a bit, I'm going to narrow that still further, and consistently track just one thing: building more exercise/movement back into my life. So, goal for the summer: <br /><br />--Make consistent progress toward making at least one kind of movement (walking, swimming, weight-lifting, gardening) part of most days. <br /><br />That's it. I'd considered a second goal of making and eating more food from scratch, but I'm realizing that even that might at times conflict with more than complement the movement goal. So I'm sticking with the one goal. <br /><br />As mentioned above, there are a lot of other things that I'd like to fit in this summer, and it's going to be a busier one than I'd like, since I'm scheduled for the longer summer term (2 months) this summer, and since I've got a major church responsibility (a search committee for a new pastor). I may occasionally list other TLQ goals for a week, but I'm going to try tracking just the one goal consistently, throughout the summer, and see how that works. Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-71400087018566353422017-05-26T16:44:13.266+01:002017-05-26T16:44:13.266+01:00Run away! Run away!
(That was a Python reference...Run away! Run away! <br /><br />(That was a Python reference, wasn't it?)Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-87880988156361782122017-05-26T16:42:47.086+01:002017-05-26T16:42:47.086+01:00I so hear you on the far off wish vs deadline prob...I so hear you on the far off wish vs deadline problem. I *know* that breaking things into one-day bites (one paragraph, etc) adds up to lots of writing (or whatever) in the long term, but it just doesn't *feel* real to me, so even when I meet daily goals I still feel discouraged about long-term outcomes.<br /><br />But you're ready to put in an application for promotion, so that's very good! Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2607718568717088162.post-80885788536324162552017-05-26T16:39:40.216+01:002017-05-26T16:39:40.216+01:00Lovely to see you, Susan!Lovely to see you, Susan!Dame Eleanor Hullhttp://dameeleanorhull.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.com