Welcome to Week 3! How's it going so far? Did you build on your successes from last week? Slip a little bit? Were you like me and were totally OBE and had to laugh at your ever-hopeful goal as the week flew by in a blur?
I've been thinking a lot about what one of our members said for their overall goal that they wanted to focus on their research, not the teaching this semester. That's really been nailed home for me since my classes were abruptly cut. I don't make enough money to devote as much time as I did last semester on my teaching. My writing completely fell to the wayside and I don't want, nor can I afford - literally and figuratively - for that to happen this semester. Still, I like my students already and I want to do whatever I can to help them succeed. I just can't give so much of myself to teaching and lose my overall focus. I sense that there are more than a few of us in the group who struggle with the same problem. Does anyone have any ideas on how to maintain your concentration on what you value most when faced with teaching, or other, demands that derail us all? I'm not necessarily talking about OBE, although family and service issues certainly can be huge timesucks. How have those of you who meet/exceed/almost-meet your goals managed to stay so focused and committed to your writing? In other words, help!
Another reminder of the reporting format, please, to help out your hosts:
Paragraph 1: last week's goals (see list)
Paragraph 2: what you achieved
Paragraph 3: analysis/comment of what worked and what didn't
Paragraph 4: next week's goals
Paragraph 5: comments on the weekly topic or whatever you want to discuss
And now, roll call!
Amanda@ladyscientist: (1) Finish the entire application, (2) Submit the application, (3) Read and annotate the referee paper.
Amstr: get through 1/2 of the research left, and 3000 words
Another postdoc/livingacademically: Finish syllabus for class and write 500 words a day on essay
Bardiac: Introduction written and begin working more closely with one of the plays.
Contingent Cassandra: continue planning; get out 2nd CFP reply; start semester with as much done in advance as possible
Dame Eleanor Hull: At least 30 minutes of work per day. Make final edits on the accepted with-minor-revision MMP-companion piece and submit it. Draft proposal to do with translation project. Print out other work to do with translation project. Set up new monitor and transcribe at least 8 lines of the Inquisition Post Mortem. Keep reading work relevant to the MMP.
Danne: 1) write at least a page of notes a day 2) finish the book I've started 3) add new items to bibliography
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell: 45 minutes a day on the article.
emmawriting: a) dig into methods section of short-paper, maybe even get a first draft done; and b) incorporate the edits made by editors on rejected-paper, and think about the difficult edit they've suggested.
Good Enough Woman: Two early mornings for an hour's work each.
heu mihi: 5 hours. Try to get 500 new words written.
humming42: Submit IRB paperwork. A relatively simple form at my uni, and this is a no risk survey so really more a formality
Jane B: a) spend 15 minutes with paper A on three occasions and b) 2 x 15 minute free-writings (because they are satisfying).
Jason: 750 words-toward-draft; finish off big analytic source & get to 1-2 related readings; 6x250words. Same as last week, but reprioritized.
Jodi: 1000-1500 words (during the first week of the semester) to set a good routine for the rest of the semester
kiwi2: one more day of work on the talk: simple ANOVA, two nice graphs, send talk to collaborators, tweak. one more complicated analysis Second, one page draft for a funding application, and send to previous mentor.
kiwimedievalist/zcat_abroad: thirty mins a day on the article
luolin88: 1. read first chapter of Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks. 2) 30 minutes proofreading polished, but rejected paper that needs to be submitted elsewhere. 3) 30 minutes writing on new project.
Matilda: re-consider the structure and the argument of the article.
meansomething: 1) Four 12-minute sessions on poems. 2) Send out one of the January submissions (book contest). 3) Write a complete draft of a cover letter to an editor who offered to read the ms. 4) Finish a short writeup that's wanted for a conference program.
metheist: 4-5hrs on T/R towards my writing. I need to reread chapter 4 and determine where to fill in the gaps, make my argument clear, and determine the "hook" of the chapter.
nwgirl: Continue work on manuscript revisions: (1 hour on the 3 teaching days) + (4 hours on 3 non-teaching days) = 15 hours
Pilgrim/heretic: 500 words/survival
profacero (z): one syllabus this weekend, one Monday and Tuesday, and one Wednesday. also 25 minutes to 2 hours of research/writing every day. do not freak out about anything administrative or budget related that may happen on campus.
rented life: no check-in
sophylou: aim for half an hour of reading each day (emphasis on "aim for"), do at least an hour of brainstorming/writing about focus for ASC.
Susan: Get through one important book, and finish a lingering book review.
tracynicolrose: Submit TS paper and review the analysis on the conference presentation that will become the MS paper.
Zabeel: 1) seminar finished. 2) re-read chapter 5 and relevant primary texts and come up with a plan for revisions.
Last week's goal: 1000-1500 words (during the first week of the semester) to set a good routine for the rest of the semester
ReplyDeleteAchieved: Hahahaha! Well, as I said, I was OBE and will confess to not meeting my goal at all.
Analysis: I think I touched a book that I needed to look at, but that's about it. I had to kick the part-time job search into an even higher gear than what I was already in because I'm growing alarmed at the lack of responses from any inquiries (and follow-up inquiries), even freelance copyediting. Sigh. Hopefully something will come along soon, so that I don't drag my parents to the poorhouse with me. Yes, I moved in with my parents months ago to save money that I'm not earning while finishing (ha) my dissertation. Will I ever get out of their house??? I feel like I'm 14 again.
Next week's goal: Onwards and upwards! I'm shooting for 1000-1500 words again and not to be OBE. Must. Finish. Dissertation.
Comment: Well, it's my question, so I don't have much to comment. I'm hoping to learn from all of you...again.
You WILL finish! and you won't live at your parents' forever.
ReplyDeleteTwo things that help me accomplish goals: 1) pick specific sections I'm going to work on for the word count (a particular paragraph, a section, even incorporating a specific source). 2) expecting blanks in the text I write, where I will later include a pithy quotation, a relevant example, or a choice bit of analysis. I tend to aim for the words to be part of the finished draft, when I should just focus on getting words on paper that I can fix, play with, or delete later.
Good luck this week! I hope the job search yields good fruit quickly!
Thanks! I'm just feeling sorry for myself. It's been a hard few weeks, but I know it will get better!
DeleteMy mother just pointed out I need to clean my room. I really am 14 again. I'm also annoyed that she's right!
DeleteTrue though it may be, it sounds like you don't have a lot of privacy/peace and quiet/room for concentration at home. Do you have other (free) options for work space?
DeleteThere's a very small public library nearby that I may have to make my refuge.
DeleteDefinitely try that out - leaving the house to 'go to work' has a lot of positive benefits when you share a house with other people... (I lived at home for four months between postdoc 1 and postdoc 2, and it was... interesting. Much empathy!)
DeleteLast week's goal: 5 hours. Try to get 500 new words written.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: Well, I only got in 4h10min (about half of it yesterday). Wrote almost 800 words, though; I'm a fast drafter. Most of what I spent time on was working my way through the first couple of pages of an article in a language I read pretty badly.
Analysis: We only have a few hours a day of childcare, so it's going to be really difficult for us to keep our heads above water this semester. I'm learning that I need to work very efficiently: grade like a demon in office hours, and use nap time to read and write (as much as I can). It's going to be a crazy couple of months! At least Bonaventure is going to bed before 8 now, so I could have a little time in the evenings before dying of sleepiness.
Next week's goal: Keep slogging away at my German; aim for 5 hours of work; open the document and fiddle with it (or write) at least 5 days this week.
Congrats on meeting your word count! German is a really tough language, so it's no wonder you're struggling with it. I certainly do.
DeleteTime to play hunt the verb! Almost as bad as Latin poetry...
DeleteAmstr:
ReplyDeleteLast week's goal: get through 1/2 of the research left, and 3000 words
Accomplished: some reading, some photocopying, organizing my reading list, some planning.
Analysis: My week turned upside down on Tuesday morning, and I needed a few days to cope with it all. I did get some work done Monday and a bit today, but I've needed to be very gracious with myself and let OBE be OBE without guilt. The OBE will continue into next week at least, so I'm aiming for minimal goals.
Goals for next week: read something, write 1 bad paragraph.
Topic of the week: The thing that has worked for me is having times and places set aside for each kind of work. I got lots of practice when I was reading for exams with a 2 year old and a newborn. The babysitter was there for certain hours, so those were work hours. When I had the kids, I had to be with the kids. Reading research and entertaining children just can't happen at the same time. I learned to let go of the research when I wasn't working on it. And I think that's the key--being able to focus on the task at hand without worrying about other stuff. Having separate workspaces, or some kind of visual cue helps me even still. (As does having an office with a weak wifi connection.) Having distinct "start up" routines can also help signal the difference. When I was teaching and researching at the same time, I made sure all the teaching stuff was out of sight when I was ready to get started writing.
Sorry that you've been OBEd. At least you know it's continuing next week and can plan around it.
DeleteI used to have separate work spaces and found that worked really well. That's a bit difficult now that I don't have my own place, but I'm trying to only work on teaching matters while in my office, but that's more time devoted to teaching than to writing, so I still need to figure this out somehow. Still, it's a great reminder that I should get back to that. So simple I can't believe I forgot.
OBE without guilt--haven't figured out how to do that yet.
DeleteMe neither. *sad face*
DeleteSchedules work pretty well for me, too, even without kids as enforcers (actually, the luxury of not having kids is that, once I gain momentum, I can work longer than planned -- and often do. Of course, that can put me behind on other things).
DeleteHope everything is okay.
DeleteBardiac here.
ReplyDeleteTotal wipe. Well, I did read. And I got some sort of stomach bug, which made my scheduled writing time go away rather too rapidly.
Goals for next week: Write the theory section (intro) and start on Faustus.
Hope you're feeling better!
DeleteFeel better!
DeleteHope you feel better soon. At least stomach bugs are usually quick(er) ones (but they're pretty thoroughly absorbing while they run their course).
DeleteSo sorry you've been under the weather! I hope you're back to 100% soon.
DeleteHope you are better now!
DeleteThis is not the best time of year for staying bug free, is it? And the patented Dame E's Bugge Spray does no good on the gastrointestinal kind...
DeleteI am a newcomer, but hope I can jump in. I need accountability. I am an assistant prof in ecology, and have embarrassingly have 3 manuscripts that have been languishing for several years. 2 came back with major revisions which I did not complete in a timely fashion, and 1 is a diss chapter that needs to be formatted for publication. All 3 of these will get out this semester, I am lowering my sights from top tier journal to good enough journal. I hope that will help!
ReplyDeleteNext weeks goals: write every day - 7 pomodoros. Decide where to submit MT paper, make list of revisions to do & start.
Topic: I am very bad at this. Always able to get done thing that have external deadlines: teaching, service, advising, etc. But then mental energy is lacking for writing. Ways I try to combat this: keep writing document window open at all times, keep doc in dropbox so I can work on from anywhere, And my two new ones - DO WRITING first (when I still have mental energy) and DO WRITING each day (can't go home yet, must do at least 25 minutes on writing).
I'm very sorry, but we can't take on anyone new at this point. I'm sure that there will be another writing group this summer that you're more than welcome to join. You're welcome to keep checking back with this one for inspiration, if you'd like.
DeletePlease do keep checking back... and join the next version of the group! It'd be good to have more STEM people along...
DeleteLast week's goals: Submit TS paper and review the analysis on the conference presentation that will become the MS paper
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: Submitted TS paper (Yay!); reviewed conference paper analysis and started redoing the analysis for the MS paper.
Analysis: I was able to get a little more done this week than I anticipated because I came down with a cold and had a snow day at the end of the week, so I had more time at home and fewer meetings. However I was shocked to find the conference paper was from 2009 (where does the time go), so it has taken me a bit to get back into the analysis but at least I've started.
Next week's goals: Draft methods section for BE paper; complete at least 1 analysis memo for MS paper; review notes for Methods paper
Topic: While there are certainly times in the semester I can get overwhelmed and not meet my self-imposed writing deadlines, generally I can get some writing/analysis work done each week and frequently I meet my goals. I attribute this primarily to having a full-grown son and few responsibilities outside of work (although many many hobbies). Of course it wasn't always like this and all my years of working/school/parenting honed my time management skills. The skills have stayed but school and (active) parenting are gone.
I think the three things that helps me the most are: (1) recognizing diminishing returns, (2) using work as a procrastination device, and (3) using work as a reward. Recognizing diminishing returns may be the most important. It took me a while but I am now able to recognize when I have worked too long on a task (especially class prep) and am not really improving or gaining momentum but basically wasting time. I put it aside for another day when I am fresh or can realize that it is in fact done. Everyone procrastinates but when I have a task I'm avoiding I try and choose a very different type of task to do as a way to "put off" having to do the other. When that doesn't work, I use a task I really enjoy or want to do (for me this is usually writing) as a reward for doing the task I'm avoiding.
Yay for the submission! Using work as a reward is a great idea and one that I use frequently. Personally, I just need to remember that writing should be the reward, not what I'm trying to avoid, which is what it's been for too long.
DeleteThe idea of diminishing returns is going to be very important for me this semester. I also need to get away from the idea of creating the "perfect" lesson plan because 1) I'll never be satisfied and 2) to be honest, I don't get paid enough to obsess as much as I do. I need to obsess over the dissertation, not the teaching.
There is no perfect lesson plan. One semester I gave up on that and the students actually enjoyed classes more because I was more relaxed in the classroom. I try to remind myself that (and about the pay, like you said), when I start to stress to much.
DeleteThe idea of recognizing diminishing returns is really helpful. I need to get better at that.
DeletePareto's rule... though I prefer the version that says 'housework expands to fill the time available' as applied to any dull task... like grading... sigh.
DeleteMy apologies for the no check-in. It got to be Wednesday before life calmed down and I could do anything. Two weeks of OBE basically. Over the last year or so something has gone off in me and I'm not able to handle overwhelming stress the way I used to. I'm still trying to figure out/fix that.
ReplyDeleteCurrently my goal is to maintain two full days to myself a week--for research and writing. This coming week will be hard because I seem to have plans/teaching every day. I also need to decide if I'm going to take a late start class (see my blog). I also need to write things in my planner--like check in to writing group! Otherwise I forget.
So goal: Make decision on late start class, have two full days just for me to write/research. Remember to check-in next week. (someone should text me or something. ha)
I'd be interested in any advice people have on this week's topic. I struggle with managing my time and not getting sucked into other things. I've been trying to set boundaries for my adjuncting classes, though one will naturally take up more time just by it's very nature. Someone I know takes a full 25-26 hours off--no internet at all, and I'm thinking of adopting that.
YMMV, of course, but I wouldn't do well with two full days to write. I would waste a lot of that, and when I was adjuncting 3-5 classes, grading would take over those supposedly free days. So in your position, I would probably split up the days into writing/grading/personal tasks, and do writing first. Is that an option for you?
DeleteIf I say I'm going to do something else on my writing days, that's what I do and writing gets dropped completely. I'm much more likely to drop my writing, than anything else, which is what I'm trying to stop doing.
DeleteMy semseter starts this week so I have no grading (enjoying that while it lasts, haha), but the one class I've taught so many times I have the grading down to a science as far as being sure it gets done quickly. I don't believe that I get paid enough to do any school related work more than the days I'm scheduled to teach so any grading, prep will also happen on teaching days, I'm not going to do school work 5 days a week as an adjunct. That's just a line I learned to draw for myself.
That boundary sounds healthy!
DeleteWhat pushes out writing on your writing days?
I know what you mean about the difficulty of splitting up the days between different tasks. I like the idea of writing days but they are really hard to keep going throughout the semester. For me it is whatever I start first that gets most or all of my attention so lately I've been trying to start with the writing.
DeleteLast semester I had two "writing" days a week and that didn't wok out so well. I wasted all of them on teaching. As an adjunct, that is less than smart, as we all know. This semester I'm trying that again, but, like tracynicholrose, I need to start with the writing. I'm also going to try writing on class days because, as someone has pointed out, if I wait for large chunks of time, they will never happen, despite my best intention to leave Tuesdays and Thursdays for writing. I really need to keep the focus on writing and not let myself get distracted by other demands on my time and it sounds like I'm not alone!
DeleteIf you work out anything that helps build stress resilience I'd love to hear about it. Mine's down to about, oooh, -10 by now?
DeleteOnce the semester starts (one week to go) I'm goign to give having writing days a shot - it'll be wierd, haven't had them for years, but trying something different is always a good strategy when you feel stuck, eh?
And yes, it's REALLY important to keep badly paid work in its place!
last week's goal: submit IRB paperwork
ReplyDeleteachieved: I didn’t get that done, but am close to finishing the survey.
I worked quite a bit on the survey and feel good about, not as the “close enough” document to send in for IRB approval but as a ready to pilot survey. I haven’t done a great deal of survey-based research, so this is a bit out of the ordinary for me. But not in a scary way, thankfully.
next week's goals: despite knowing there’s a bit of family stuff coming up that will require time and emotional energy, I’m planning to finish the survey, submit to the IRB and do this other thing on my list, which is to integrate items from the existing outline into the existing chapter drafts. I’m puzzling over just what I intended when I added that to my schedule. We’ll see.
It can be very difficult for me to focus on research and its nebulous, undefined outcomes when there are real people clamoring for their grades and feedback on their work. Then I realize this is more perception than reality: I hold myself more accountable to my students than they hold me. Realizing that I create this sense of accountability to my students helps me to see that I can create accountability for my writing too. That’s what got me to this group, for one thing. Thinking about this makes me realize too why my adviser would roll her eyes when I felt guilty for missing a deadline, since it was a deadline I’d created for myself.
I, too, find that I often project my own expectations of myself onto my students. That's especially true when it comes to thoroughness of feedback; many students want a grade more than anything else (and want it as soon as possible). One can always provide minimal feedback, then offer to answer questions and/or have a conference, so those who actually want more feedback can get it.
DeleteThat is a brilliant way to look at writing accountability! I've never thought of it like that before. I put so much into my students' feedback and most of them could care less, but, like you both said, if we can put that accountability on our teaching, we can certainly do it for our own writing. So here we go (again)!
DeleteA really useful insight. Why do we treat our OWN work as less important than work for the STUDENTS, most of whom really don't care... well, I know what's up with MY head, it doesn't think my work 'matters' enough, but that IS a Bug that can be tackled with Bugge Spray!
DeleteLast week's goal: continue planning; get out 2nd CFP reply; start semester with as much done in advance as possible
ReplyDeleteAchieved: a bit of planning (still need more); doing pretty well on getting ready for/on top of the coming semester (which starts this coming Tuesday); still need to reply to 2 CFPs. Oh -- and I did a bit of unplanned rough outlining on a pedagogical article I've been thinking of writing (actually, that makes 2 I've now got in outline/extremely rough draft form. I need to figure out when to work on, and eventually finish, them).
Analysis: this semester, I'm trying to start the semester as fully prepared as possible, in hopes that that will allow for regular writing time (or at least leave me a bit less exhausted/stressed than I was last semester). I'm definitely much further ahead 3 days before the semester starts than I usually am. What effect this approach has on writing time has yet to be determined (especially since I'm not doing quite as well on establishing a sleep schedule as I am on preparing course materials).
Goals for the coming week: stay on top of teaching matters; do research for a short-term freelance assignment and the main writing project for the semester; continue planning; deal with 1 funding application and one CFP.
I don't have any magic formula for keeping the research/writing front and center, though, having been in your position while writing my dissertation, Jodi, I very much encourage you to do so, especially since it sounds like you're also going to need to make time for other paid work. I know this sounds drastic, but I'd strongly suggest setting a *maximum* number of hours you will spend on teaching, and sticking strictly to that, even if it sometimes means coming to class less prepared (or taking longer to return papers) than you'd like. Also, schedule your teaching prep and grading hours at something other than your highest-energy/least distraction times of day (you may not want to schedule them at your lowest-energy times of day, since that can make the work drag on, but save your best times -- and places -- for the diss.) For me, that means starting the day by writing, but it may vary for you. Don't worry; you won't neglect your teaching; the fact that you like your students (and that you have to face them regularly) will take care of that. But do think about whether you really need full-fledged lesson plans, and/or whether you could make them to more of the work themselves (and learn from it in the process): since it's a strong class, maybe they should be creating the preparation/discussion questions, or even leading discussion on occasion, at least as the semester progresses and they get the hang of what you expect?
If it helps, think about limiting the time you spend on this one class as preparation for a full-time job, when (as you know from last semester) you simply won't be able to spend that kind of time on one class.
Or just calculate what they're paying you per hour regularly, and keep in mind that every extra hour you spend lowers that rate.
Agreed on the last note here...a friend who has his PhD and is adjunct faculty occasionally tells his students how much he is paid per course. It really changes the dynamics in terms of their expectations. It's a bit radical, but his tactics began by realizing his hourly wage (based on how much time he put into his courses) was less than some students made at their own jobs.
DeleteOh man! I don't even want to think about what I make hourly. It's too depressing. But, I get what you're both saying. The dissertation has to be my priority. My lesson plans, for the most part, are good enough to get me through the semester. I need to grow a backbone with myself and force myself to sit and write without distraction.
DeleteLast week's goal: a modest 500 words, and survival.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: 800 words! And survival, yes, but just barely - I feel like I clawed my way inch by inch through the whole week.
Analysis: I'm glad for the modest goal - starting this week I need to kick it up a little bit, but this last week was utterly overwhelming. (Husband had some medical issues, I had a bad cold, both cats got rather seriously ill. Everyone's recovered now, but for me all that coincided with one of those days of PMS-y emotional overreaction, so that I was fairly convinced that WE WERE ALL GOING TO DIE.)
Next week's goal, aiming high! for 1500 words, and getting a little bit of last semester's glow back.
Commentary: More broadly, I totally hear you on needing to learn how to prioritize research. It's taken me ten years to really learn how to do that - teaching is more immediate, more demanding, and often more gratifying, so that it's always easier to give in to its needs than to persevere with the writing. Contingent Cassandra is right on target with the pay-by-hour idea, though. I've had to remind myself over and over that my department & university have made their priorities clear: I will be paid more if I publish. I will not be paid more if I teach better. I'll still put effort into my teaching, because it matters personally to me, but the whole system is set up to reward writing, and I cannot lose sight of that.
Modest goals are so, so, SO much better than no goals, and modest goals MET are better than any kind of goal unmet. Congratulations!
DeleteThank you! That was one of the big lessons I learned from last semester's group. :)
DeleteLook at you, overachiever! :) Congrats on exceeding your goal and thanks for the reminder that writing is what drives the pay grade when you aren't an adjunct. I think it's all about building habits that will stick with me. I'm just tired of struggling to build those habits, but these writing groups, and all of you, do really help!
DeleteYay, glow of achievement time! Especially surviving all those not-work stresses - pets especially get sick at the worst times.
DeleteLast week's goals: 1) Four 12-minute sessions on poems. 2) Send out one of the January submissions (book contest). 3) Write a complete draft of a cover letter to an editor who offered to read the ms. 4) Finish a short writeup that's wanted for a conference program.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: 1) Yes. 2) Yes; actually, I sent out two, and exceeded my goal (it's been a while since that happened!) 3) Yes, I did write this draft, and it's not bad. 4) Finally, yes.
Next week's goals: 1) FIVE 12-minute sessions on poems. 2) Revise cover letter and send ms. to two more publishers. 3) Send out one more magazine submission.
Analysis and weekly topic: I had more control over my own time this week than usual because SA students were taking exams. I've been squeezing in writing in the morning, which usually works for me, but only if there aren't grading and prepping pressures. Increasing my time goals this week by just 12 minutes--a whole hour of writing! I feel embarrassed by how little that is, but remind myself that 1) this is how I've always written poetry, I just never tracked it before; 2) these tiny goals are enough of a challenge, given my schedule; and 3) those 12-minute increments, week after week, add up to hours and hours of work THAT I WOULDN'T BE DOING OTHERWISE. I drafted an entire twelve-poem sequence last semester while teaching five classes, negotiating a new position, and occasionally paying attention to my family--this has never happened in a full-time position since I had a child. So that's my secret: lowered, but real, expectations. Tiny chunks of time that I can do first, before turning to all the things everyone expects me to do. (I love big chunks of time, but don't get them often enough to depend upon.)
At least, that seems to be working for now.
Oh, sorry--I didn't follow directions on the para order. Whoops. I'll do it right next time.
DeleteWay to go! The little chunks of time really do add up.
DeleteThis morning's "On Being" program (well, it was this morning for me) featured Elizabeth Alexander, who quoted Lucille Clifton (I think) as saying something along the lines of poetry is a poor person's (and a mother's) genre because it can be composed in very small pieces of time. I'm paraphrasing badly, but it was an excellent interview, and might provide inspiration and affirmation (Alexander also talked about writing in her head in the middle of the night while nursing a baby, and finding that sleep deprivation actually gave her access to some thoughts and feelings not otherwise available); here's the link: http://www.onbeing.org/program/words-shimmer/246 .
DeleteThanks, P/H! Cassandra, thank you so much for this link. When I have time, I will listen to it. Elizabeth Alexander is a great spirit and a wonderful poet, and I'm so looking forward to hearing her voice again. That is very true of poetry--I can think of similar observations from Clifton, from Eavan Boland, from Sharon Olds and others.
DeleteI'm happy to be in the company of people sharing the love of such wonderful poets. Lucille Clifton. It's good just to write her name.
DeleteCongratulations on exceeding your goals, too! I clearly need to adopt your little chunks of time idea. It really seems to pay off for you!
DeleteMore glow of achievement! And inspiring...
DeleteLast week's goals:
ReplyDelete1. read first chapter of Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks.
2. 30 minutes proofreading polished, but rejected paper that needs to be submitted elsewhere.
3. 30 minutes writing on new project.
What I achieved:
Tuesday: 30 minutes reading through the paper I want to re-submit ASAP
Friday: Read most of WYJA chapter 1 plus 30 minutes reading what I've got for the new article (conference paper, notes).
Analysis/Comment on what worked and what didn't:
Work/life issue reached crisis point midweek. I'm not sure if surviving that made working on Friday seem relatively easy or if the probability of future OBE focused my attention on work. Normally, stress makes me feel overwhelmed and paralyzed, not motivated, so I surprised myself.
Tentative plans go running in early morning and to meet w/colleague for writing in late morning on Friday didn't pan out. Instead of procrastinating during that time, I managed to get started and get much more done than I usually do.
Next week's goal:
1. 30 minutes on T, Th, F, 15 min on Wed.
2. Continue reading Writing Your Journal Article...
3. Make it through another week.
Hurray for getting started instead of procrastinating! It's getting to that point of getting started that I tend to struggle with. And where as an undergrad I would clean my entire house before sitting down to write, now I feel compelled to answer every email first. No good logic there!
DeleteIt sounds like you are doing far more than surviving: flourishing, in fact.
Ditto what humming42 said! My apartment used to have to be spotless before I could start writing or, especially, grading, so I'm really impressed (and jealous) that you overcame procrastinating!
DeleteLast week's goals: 1) write at least a page of notes a day 2) finish the book I've started 3) add new items to bibliography
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: 1) 2 pages on Monday, 2 on Tuesday, 2 on Wednesday, 1 on Thursday, 0 on Friday, 2 on Saturday. 2) Done. 3) Not done.
Analysis: I've been writing more than expected, so the missing day really doesn't matter. These simple daily notes are doing a good job at keeping me engaged with research. I finished reading book 1 without difficulty. As for the bibliography, it isn't high on my list of priorities and something more important came up at the end of the week, so no guilt there.
Next week: 1) write at least a page of notes a day 2) SEND OUT APPLICATION FORM to the new university 3) Start reading spatial book 2 (say, three chapters).
What I do in order to keep teaching in check:
- Make a conscious decision to see myself as a researcher first and renew it every morning (taking daily notes makes that commitment manifest).
- Determine how much (or, rather, how little) time will be spent on teaching preparation and stick to it as much as possible.
- See my role as a teacher as that of facilitator, which means that I become more flexible and can easily adapt to students' actual needs
- Make research a priority in my schedule and make efforts to spend those hours on research and nothing else.
In the end, it comes down to reflecting on what I truly want to achieve. When I think back on the week, I may be happy to know that I gave a good class, but what really matters is that I've taken my research somewhere.
"When I think back on the week, I may be happy to know that I gave a good class, but what really matters is that I've taken my research somewhere." - this is where I need my head to be!
DeleteCongrats on meeting most of your goal (and not beating yourself up about the bibliography)!
Last week's goals: At least 30 minutes of work per day. Make final edits on the accepted with-minor-revision MMP-companion piece and submit it. Draft proposal to do with translation project. Print out other work to do with translation project. Set up new monitor and transcribe at least 8 lines of the Inquisition Post Mortem. Keep reading work relevant to the MMP.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: Out of 6 goals, I've done 4, plus some work not on this list: at least 30 minutes of research per day; drafted proposal and printed other translation-project bits; kept reading (4 essays and an equivalent amount in a book). I have also done some translation-editing and written an unrefereed piece of 750 words for a newsletter.
Next goals: Order adaptor that I need for the new monitor. Do final edits and submit MMP companion-piece. At least 1 hour's research work per day, 1/2 hour on translation, 1/2 hour on something MMP-related, except for the day that I will devote entirely to grooming the companion-piece.
Analysis: I started to set up the monitor, but found that I really need an adaptor that is not so easy to come by as I expected it would be---I should have just stayed in my study and ordered it online, rather than running around thinking I could just snatch it off the shelf somewhere and get back to work right away. That's nearly 3 hours of my life I won't get back! Although I don't really think the companion-piece grooming will need a full day's work, I need to get back into the head-space of that essay, so I want to say it gets a day to itself: probably this Thursday or Friday, maybe even Tuesday; in theory it is no doubt possible to work on this in smaller chunks, but I'd much rather do it in a concentrated span. The translation work and MMP-reading have gone well.
Maintaining concentration: I was going to put this in Analysis, but it's relevant to the week's topic, so I'm moving it. I'm trying to keep track of how long various tasks take me. For example, I can read about 40 scholarly pages in a half hour if I'm not taking notes. I can edit 75 lines of translation in half an hour. It helps a lot to know this. Then I can calculate how long a whole task will take, and feel that half an hour is a significant amount of chipping-away, rather than a drop in the bucket. I'm hopelessly bad at estimating how long things will take, but I'm trying to improve, and, as with budgets, the first step is recording what you actually spend. Also I am much more productive on days when I have officially blocked out time to do particular tasks. And small, manageable goals are key. So is attention to biology: I am much more productive on sunny days! If the day I want to work on the companion-piece edits is cloudy, I will read instead, and do the edits on the next sunny day that I'm not teaching.
Self-knowledge is a powerful thing! I feel like I'm scratching away at knowing myself better. Blogging helps. I quote Helen Fisher: "We struggle all our lives to know a few basic things about ourselves that the most casual passerby can tell us in a moment." (According to my notes, she was quoting someone else--I think it was an interview--but she didn't say whom.)
DeleteI've been trying to keep better notes, for both research/writing and teaching tasks, and some household one as well -- yesterday, it took almost 2 hours to accomplish a financial task that involved finding several records *and* postal rates and mailing materials. One takeaway -- getting things better-organized probably would save some time. The other -- many "administrative" tasks, thoug not hard, really are time-consuming (which is why people in power -- often men -- tend to prefer that someone else -- frequently someone female -- do them). Even if it's sometimes discouraging, the information is useful for planning purposes. And I find that being able to set *realistic* goals is, indeed, tremendously useful.
DeleteAs is sunshine. I've been having trouble getting into a regular sleep schedule, and was blaming myself to some extent, but the last two sunny mornings have helped confirm that a week of gray skies probably had something to do with it.
And finally: I've become very dependent on Amazon (especially since I paid for upgraded shipping). I'm hoping that it's at least no worse ecologically than buying from brick-and-mortar stores (the UPS guy is doing his rounds anyway), though I do worry about the effect on jobs. But in terms of my time -- no question of the saving there. And the price is usually pretty good (and will continue to be even if/when Amazon starts collecting tax, which is fine with me; I don't mind paying, I just don't want to spend my time trying to keep track of my online purchases all year so I can pay it myself, as my state officially expects me to do).
Adaptor ordered already! I hope it really is the right thing. I'm sure it's no worse ordering from Amazon than it is driving around to different stores (not to mention driving back to return one wrong thing). The Inquisition Post Mortem has very long lines and is nearly impossible to read on my laptop, but transcription will be an excellent task for gloomy, low-motivation, low-creativity days.
DeleteI love Amazon. I wish I didn't because I adore small independent bookstores, but it's hard to fight the Amazonian monster, where almost everything is a click away and can be delivered to your doorstep in just a few days. Such a timesaver!
DeleteI really like the idea of timing my tasks. I think I'm terrible at estimating my time and I completely underestimate everything. A writing and teaching "budget" might be just the thing to get me on track.
Plus collecting data always appeals to the academic mind...
DeleteLast week’s goal: 45 minutes a day on the article.
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: Total fail. I did open the document on 2 days, but did not manage the entire 45 minutes even on those days.
Analysis: I struggled with insomnia this week, a heavy schedule of work commitments, and a stomach bug that arrived just when everything else left my plate. I want to work on this article; I need to work on this article, and I am beyond frustrated with my inability to get to it.
Next week’s goal: 30 minutes 5 days a week.
Topic: Dedicated times and places help me out, as others have mentioned. I have to have all the non-writing stuff put away in order to write, to quiet the magpie. At times, I also have to shut down the internet connection as well. I do a lot of handwriting as a result, which then allows me to edit as I type it in pixels.
Another plan that helps me is to sneak in even the smallest pieces of time. It keeps the perfectionism at bay when I plan just to brainstorm while waiting for a meeting to start, or while taking a ten-minute break from the computer.
Though I understand the frustration, opening the file and doing something (it sounds like you did a bit more than open the file) on two days sounds like a bit more (less?) to me than a "total fail," especially given a very difficult week.
DeleteSince even small bits add up (there seems to be an emerging theme here), perhaps you could consider the number of days you work and the amount of time your work on each day to be separate goals, so that even if you end up doing less than you plan, but still work those days, that counts at least partial success?
Cassandra, I like that way of measuring success. I will split those amounts apart this next week. Thank you!
DeleteInsomnia is the worst kind of thief. It doesn't just steal your sleep, but your entire outlook is affected. I wouldn't say you failed at all!
DeleteI hope you're feeling better! Looks like a couple of group members got the bug this week. I got that nasty Sydney strain over New Year's. Not fun! Hope you sleep better next week, too.
Deletelearning to turn little achievements into successes rather than failures-to-reach-big-achievements can be really helpful! I got the hang of it last Spring but seem to have lost it somewhere in the last few months...
DeleteLast week’s goal: Continue work on manuscript revisions: (1 hour on the 3 teaching days) + (4 hours on 3 non-teaching days) = 15 hours
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: Not enough. 3 hours total.
Analysis: Definitely an OBE week. Much of it service related. Some related to individual student crises. With a little family drama for good measure.
Next week’s goal: Continue work on manuscript revisions: (1 hour on the 3 teaching days) + (4 hours on 3 non-teaching days) = 15 hours
Weekly topic: I struggle with focus, too. I had planned to make some changes to the courses I’m teaching this semester, but decided that I needed to focus my energies on the book. I had good reviews the last time I taught these two courses, so if it ain’t broke why fix it. To maintain focus, I try some of the usual tricks – leaving notes to myself at the end of a writing session, scheduling time, etc. Most of the time that helps, but I still struggle especially when I have a week like this past one where my work sessions were literally 15 minute chunks, if that. I didn’t even touch the work for three days. While I agree with Boice’s strategy of brief daily sessions, I find that at certain points I need a significant stretch of focused time. I declared this weekend the weekend of rest and writing. I did not bring any teaching-related materials or thesis drafts home to read. I may regret it next week, but it will be worth it given the progress I made yesterday and today.
Congrats on weekend progress! Thanks for the reminder about leaving one's self notes. I need to do that more.
DeleteI, too, need at least periodic longer periods, to reacquaint myself with the larger shape of the work if nothing else (and often to adjust that larger picture as well). I still haven't figured out the right ratio (or even whether it varies from project to project; I think it does). But learning to recognize when one needs a longer session before any more short sessions can be truly productive, and then scheduling one (or perhaps working on a different project which is currently in a different stage until a longer session is possible) strikes me as a valuable skill.
DeleteThree hours is a good deal of work, especially considering all that you had happen!
DeleteLast Week's Goal: 4-5hrs on T/R towards my writing. I need to reread chapter 4 and determine where to fill in the gaps, make my argument clear, and determine the "hook" of the chapter.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: I have still had to deal with technical issues with the my classes, so Tuesday was a bust. I actually spent most of Tuesday at home, but got side-tracked by my own procrastination.
Next week's goal: Dedicate 4-5hrs on T/R and get my hook for chapter 4.
Weekly focus: I also continue to struggle balancing teaching and research. While I love researching, I would much rather work with my students. This past semester has shown me that I cannot neglect my own work for those who do not want help. Those students who want help with seek me or the TA out in office hours, so I do not need to kill myself trying to reach every single student in the classroom. Mentally, I am doing better. I have said no to several students and have been successful in weeding out at least one trouble maker from a class section. All while being pleasant rather than petulant.
I am also trying to take good time off. For instance, I drove the 70+ miles to the nearest mall yesterday. A jam-packed day with Barnes and Noble, Macy's, Michael's, and Trader Joe's. Lovely. This morning, I have posted questions to the website for the students, and plan to devote a larger portion of the day to knitting a new scarf.
Hear! Hear! for good time off.
DeleteGood time off is, indeed, important, and figuring out what will prove truly rejuvenating at a particular point (long walk; more sleep; prolonged light reading; cooking; getting a household task done) is one of the things I'm working on myself. The worst outcome is that I keep working until I just don't get anything done one day (but spend the whole day trying). I *can* forestall that if I plan ahead, but it's sometimes akin to persuading a toddler to go to sleep before (s)he is so tired that (s)he can't go to sleep: it doesn't seem necessary, but it is. It really is, and will allow for greater productivity later.
DeleteYay for shopping! And knitting! You make a really good point about not being able to help those who don't want it. That's where I went wrong last semester, particularly nearer the end of semester, when they weren't necessarily wanting help learning, but trying not to fail. That can't happen again. I was thoroughly worn out from trying to save them all, when not all of them had put any effort in throughout the semester.
DeleteThe shopping and knitting sound lovely!
DeleteLast week's goal: reconsider the structure and the argument of the article.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: well, not really.
Analysis: I reconsidered the structure and the argument, but I was not able to decide what was the better. I thouhgt I need to write anyway, so I wrote here and there, introductory part or a part of conclusion but still I might change the structure drastically. I feel uneasy but still I cannot see the future of my article on wihch I have been working for quite a long time. Anyway, I have to finish it.
Next goal: continue to re-consideration work/ write 1000 words
Comment:I usually put certain time for teaching and preparation, and I do not let it extend into my research time. Usuallly both are not enough - I want more preparation, I want more research time - but when I do feel so, I say to myself, 'this is the real life'.
Did you see that Dame Eleanor has been running excerpts from a John McPhee article on structure (and her own thoughts on same) this week? Don't know whether they might be helpful, put perhaps they're worth a look if you haven't already seen them?
DeleteI wish I had your firm resolve in dividing my time! Like CC said, if you haven't seen DEH's McPhee posts, you should check them out. They might help!
DeleteThe other thing I've tried when stuck like that is to start a session with a blank piece of paper/word document and just write - free-writing, editing/crossing out not allowed - for say fifteen minutes describing what the paper is trying to achieve to myself (or if you have a better imaginary future reader, to them). I deliberately write in colloquial, semi-spoken English, using the first and second person, using 'y'see' and 'like' and starting sentences with 'no, actually, to explain x you need to know about y first, y is like this...'. Sometimes I get a new structure, sometimes I see that the one I have is adequate, sometimes I find that the problem is a different idea trying to become a tentacle in it's own right and messing up the current project...
DeleteSo last weeks goals were to read an important book and finish a lingering book review.
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: read first chapter of important book, decided that it would help me, and gave ma a gramework for my talk. I also spent time looking at ILL books as they came in that might be important when I'm writing the paper, but have decided they are more footnotes. Nothing on the book review -- I didn't even think about it.
Analysis: This was meeting week on campus -- no students, but every day there were meetings (sometimes two), and other people who wanted things from me. That has combined with a bit of drama in the lives of people close to me, which has affected me in various ways. While there are elements of 8th grade stuff, and Peyton Place, there are also real professional issues at stake for one person, and I've struggled to figure out how to deal with it. (Struggled as in not sleeping, knotted stomach.) Just when I thought I knew, another shoe dropped. People, would you just please be responsible adults? Over time, I'm trying to schedule all meetings in the afternoon, so I have mornings for work. But I don't control all meetings, so it's not going to work entirely. Once I deal with the personal stuff, I should be able to better concentrate on work.
Goals for next week: Go back to the book that helps me; try to pick up the book for review again. But I may instead end up going through the huge pile of journals on my desk, just to get it clear.
How do I focus on research? With difficulty. I'm much more likely to do things with immediate deadlines than research which has a longer time frame. I spent many years in a non-traditional university, and it means I haven't got well developed patterns of behavior.
Oof. That sounds like a lot of drama, so congrats on getting through what you did. Remember that desk-clearing can be a fantastic accomplishment and motivator to do more! Good luck next week!
DeleteI did do the syllabi and I did not do very well on research OR on life or on my mood. I did "touch work."
ReplyDeleteGoals this week: Prepare all classes and materials for them in an organized way, well paced and well enough ahead of time. Always do exercise and sleep, too. AND 25 minutes of research, at least, every day. This is going to be a rough week so saying 2 hours or 2.5 hours could scare me off starting the 25 minutes, so I am saying 25 minutes, but more is of course allowed if there is such time. I also want to take good time off and spend no time eating my own entrails, so to speak, which I have a tendency to do as I am under the delusional impression that this is part of discipline or something.
Analysis: I want to be more structured. Organized by nature and fairly spontaneous I do not need rigid discipline, but I do need to guard against being thrown off course by others. And I want more research time. Matilda, above, is right but I put in the amount of time I should on service on research, and vice versa. That is where to carve it out of.
Well, from the sounds of it, you are certainly not alone in needed to guard against being thrown of course, whether it's by ourselves or by others! Good luck next week.
DeleteLast week's goal: Two mornings up early for work.
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: Yep! And I got a few extra minutes because I wasn't running last week (tweaky knees and cold weather!).
Analysis: I love my mornings for working even though I'm more tired at the end of the week. I had wanted to squeeze in a bit of extra time, too, for typing up notes, but I didn't do that. I did all of my syllabi though, and I gave a few workshops and presentations and took care of a bunch of curriculum stuff and attended some meetings. And today I started prepping a new first day lecture on the Medieval period. So it was a productive week!
Next week: Two mornings of work, an hour each morning, and catch up with annotated bibliography
I think that teaching fewer classes often means spending even more time per class on teaching because there IS more time. Teaching will expand into however much time one allows for it. So I would echo the suggestions for limiting the allotment. I have also worked on "mindful inflexibility" in which I schedule my research writing time in a fairly rigid way. Right now, very early mornings seem like the only time I can be guaranteed the chance to focus on my dissertation work. And at 6:00am, I don't feel guilty not working on teaching stuff. But it's really difficult for me to find sufficient time for research and writing. I hope I don't have to start rising at 4:00 am in order to actually complete the dissertation.
I think about a little diagram I once saw about time management. It was a grid with four quadrants with the following descriptors:
Not Urgent and Not Important
Not Urgent and Important
Urgent and Not Important
Urgent and Important
The problem with research and writing is that it is often Important, but not Urgent (i.e., not due tomorrow). On the other hand, class prep and grading is often urgent ("I need it for tomorrow") even if it's not that important (quiz grades). Nevertheless, the urgent constantly grabs our attention.
What a productive week! I admire your resolve in getting up that early, even if there is no way I could force myself to do the same. Definitely not a morning person!
DeleteGoals: aim for half an hour of reading each day (emphasis on "aim for"), do at least an hour of brainstorming/writing about focus for ASC.
ReplyDeleteResult: complete fail. Well, OK, I did some reading, but otherwise, fail.
I am thinking that I'm going to change my overall goal for this reading group. It's becoming pretty clear that I'm not quite ready to start another scholarly project right now (which is ironic, because I've been commenting on blogs lately about how much I want to do scholarly work outside of an academic job proper). I'm doing work that's relevant to the next thing I want to do, but it's not writing and it's not quantifiable, and I suspect that for this future planned Written Thing, accountability is not yet what I need. It needs to marinate for awhile longer.
I am taking what will be a pretty emotionally loaded trip in February, and the mental prep for it is kicking up a lot of poetry writing. I'd like to shift my goal to getting a first draft of a poetry chapbook manuscript put together. Not necessarily submissible yet, just, together. I have a half-finished one that's been languishing, in need of, well, another "half" of poems, and I'd like some accountability for that project. Not that I can write poems on command, but if this were my larger goal, I'd at least have a kind of permission for letting the poems arrive.
So, goal for next week: write for half an hour a day; read one book of poetry; try a writing exercise.
I think it's good that you've recognized you aren't ready for one project, but there is still another one you are ready for/need to do for you own mental health. The accountability and support of a writing group can only do so much, but if a project isn't ready, there's no point in trying to force it.
Deletegoals: a) spend 15 minutes with paper A on three occasions and b) 2 x 15 minute free-writings (because they are satisfying).
ReplyDeleteachieved: - Overcome by Inertia and Grading. NADA.
analysis: Many excuses, no real reasons. I'm still not 100% well, though improving slightly which is a relief, and I have grading with a longish deadline which I SHOULD do which means that I spend a lot of time looking at it, and not letting myself start anything else because then I won't grade, and not starting the grading. I am chipping away at it slowly, and the deadline will come and it will all be done, but... yeah. Owning My Failure here!
goals for next week: a) spend 15 minutes with paper A on three occasions and b) 2 x 15 minute free-writings (because they are satisfying). Finish all the grading!!!
this week's topic: One of the difficulties is that teaching/service/meetings are mostly about other people's needs, and research is in many ways about one's own needs, whether it's the need to do the work for itself, or the need to have the papers on the c.v., or the need of getting out of grad school at last. Many of us - especially the women - are full of both appropriate impulses to be part of a community and inappropriate socialisations about the relative importance of others needs and our own. So research, even if it feels like a positive and necessary thing, has an undercurrent of 'shouldn't spend too much time on selfish, self-benefiting things.'
The College Misery mantra - don't care more about a student's education than the student does - is very useful. Except when the inertia mice get into the wheels...
I'm finding
The College Misery mantra - I love it! I may need you to remind me of it again in about 10 weeks or so. The funny thing about grading is...well, nothing. It's terrible. It's my least favorite part about teaching. I tend to languish in my misery and stare at the pile of grading for about 11 days, feeling sorry for myself that I have all this grading to do without actually doing it or anything else for that matter because, like you said, then I won't grade. Then, in a blitz of sheer agony, I'll get the grading done just before the deadline, living on lots of caffeine and very little sleep, all the while grumbling to anyone who will listen about how much I hate grading, even though I did it to myself really. I think this means I need a TA. For my life?
Delete"I spend a lot of time looking at it, and not letting myself start anything else because then I won't grade, and not starting the grading."
DeleteI do that. Did that. This was the big shift of last fall: I grade first thing in the morning, before I wake up enough to realize I don't want to, before decision-fatigue sets in, for no more than one hour. And then I'm done. That's it. No more grading in that day. Fun stuff later, including scheduled research time. I know research is supposed to come first, but I love research and hate to stop, whereas I hate grading and am happy to move on to something else, so this works for me.
Sorry for the late check in -- it slipped my mind!
ReplyDeleteGoals for last week -- finish seminar; plan chapt 5 revisions.
Both achieved; seminar because it had to be; chapter 5 work because I forced myself.
My work life is very "messy" atm -- too many things to sort out, practical problems, emails about tiny issues that take a long time to resolve. My focus needs to be revising this chapter. The plan is 4 hours a day on it, every day, without letting the otehr stuff get in the way.
Goal for next week: First draft of revised chapter finished.
Good luck!
DeleteLate to report, but still here and actively working.
ReplyDeleteLast week:
1) Goal: 750 words-toward-draft. Actual: 500. One good writing day, one interrupted.
2) Goal: finish off analytical source & get to related articles. Actual: 50% of major source work, and that was all.
3) Goal: 6x250words - Actual: DONE.
I’m calling this another 60% week, with about the same gaps in production. On the plus side, I did manage to stay focused in one of the awkward patches of time between classes and finally produced words-to-draft. Finally, dammit. (That last sentence was the little critical bastard voice in my head.) Reprioritizing the goals worked.
Next week, reduced expectations because of family concerns and three days lost to travel (my work weeks are organized as Friday-Thursday.) I’m posting this after the travel, so I can say unequivocally that I failed to do anything on this trip. That’s what I’ve planned into my Week 3 goals, but it still gets to me.
Goals: 750 words-to-draft; 4x250; 3 solid hours with “major analytic source”; post writing group report by Saturday.
Congrats on putting that time between classes to good use! It's really hard to do. Good luck next week, especially with your family/travel issues.
DeleteDr Crazy (reassignedtime) says 60% is a good rate for list-completion, and if it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me. So good going on the goals.
Deleteoops I'm late! I was sick all weekend and yesterday was a holiday in the US. Better late than never right?
ReplyDeleteLast week: Finish and turn in fellowship application. Annotate and read the referee paper.
Achieved: I finished and turned in the fellowship app!! I'm so relieved that got done. However, I failed miserably at the referee paper. I was so sick last week that I just focused on what I absolutely had to get done.
Analysis: Deadlines are the only thing that seems to work for me. Sigh. I wish I had more motivation.
Goals: (1)Read/Annotate referee paper. (2) Write review of referee paper. (3) Spend 30 minutes a day writing/reading (can be combined with 1 & 2).
Topic: I'm hoping that scheduling time for reading/writing will help me stay on track. It's so easy for other things to take up all my time-- especially since writing isn't my favorite.
As last time... just a quick late check-in and I hope that next week I will have time to process this more!
ReplyDelete-I did work on both of my goals last week. Goal 1: to draft a methods section-- was not at all met but I worked on it and it might be less scary than before, a big thing for this particular paper. Goal 2: to incorporate edits-- was in fact done, though now I am procrastinating on the cover letter and re-checking references. anything to avoid the peer-review process, I suppose!!
This week's goal: Get that methods section DONE to the point where I can use next week to create questionnaires.
I think I have to really, REALLY make progress on the methods section-- I have to get it done at least to the point where I can plan the next studies that depend on it. It's super-complicated (it's old data and boy do I wish I'd kept better records and methods-drafts back then) but it just has to be done, or I can't do the interesting things I want to do afterwards!!