Welcome back, everyone! I have had a wretched week and, in addition, am battling to keep my voice because I've come down with a stupid cold. After barely making it through class on Wednesday, I decided to show a documentary in class today. It was a total cop-out, but coughing and hacking is not conducive to discussion and I couldn't stand the thought of that happening for four classes in a row.
I'm handing this week's discussion off to all of you, though, with apologies. Here's a post from The Three Month Thesis with tips on how to be a happy writer (I don't think it should be limited to thesis writers alone). Read the post if you'd like and comment away if anything strikes your fancy as, perhaps, something you need to keep in mind or something that's worked or hasn't worked for you. We've talked about quite a bit of the same ideas already, but the last tip, about staying connected, reminded me of kiwi2's comment last week on using "slices of life" as rewards for achieving goals and how messed up of an idea that is, which it is, but a lot of us do it and some of us are worse off because of it. And, yes, I recognize that this is very similar to last week's theme (some of you late posters had some great comments, by the way!), but I'm hoping you'll forgive me because I'm sick and my brain isn't functioning and I really, really need a nap.
Roll call!:
Amanda@ladyscientist: no check-in
Amstr (writing account): 2500 words of Ch. 4; type changes to intro and rewrite chapter summaries; 500 words of conclusion; photocopy ILL and organize research for Ch. 4. (Bonus: type up some notes.)
Another Postdoc/living academically: left the group?
Bardiac: no goal set
Contigent Cassandra: continue both research and drafting, writing on M, W, and Sa mornings, and researching/retrieving on at least one of Tu/Th (but not overdoing any of the above).
Dame Eleanor Hull: At least 1 hour a day; 10 lines of the IPM; start checking Chunk 2 of the translation (at least 1/2 hour, 3 times); check in at least once with MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-3, and try to do one concrete thing for each of them (this can be something as small as "write one sentence").
Danne: 1) write at least a page of notes a day. 2) Go on spending 3 hours a day on research 3) Write a short presentation for the doctoral group 4) If a positive answer is received from the new uni, achedule a day off for reading, and celebrate.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell: Read Chapter Two of Wendy Belcher’s Writing Your Journal Article.
emmawriting: My goals for this week will be to simply start emerging out of last-minute mode: a)Surveys finalized and started collecting; and b) list of recently ignored responsibilities made, and some traction gained.
Good Enough Woman: Two early mornings, M and W, an hour each. I should probably focus on re-reading the chapter to find big whole and problems with what I've writing so far. Also, two hours of article research on Friday
heu mihi: no check-in
humming42: I really do still want to apply for travel funding this week
Jane B: find 30 minutes every day that I am in the office for something research related.
Jason: 1000 words-to-draft; make damn sure that goal #1 is prioritized; 2 hours with analytic sources; 2 hours with contextual sources
Jodi: 2,000 words
kiwi2: same as last week: work on the exotic synthesis. Break it down to: a) read and take notes on 5 of the relevant documents and b) incorporate these notes into the rough structure. And, touch it every day, even for 5 minutes.
kiwimedievalist/zcat_abroad: Write 3,000 words
luolin88: 15 minutes TWR, 30 minutes Friday
Matilda: read a few articles and revise my conclusion. revise footnotes.
meansomething: 1) Four 12-minute sessions 2) One book ms. submission (AND GOING TO MEET THEM THIS WEEK)
metheist: T/R 3hrs
nwgirl: no check-in
Pilgrim/Heretic: 1,500 words.
profacero (Z): NEH, 1 other application, update vita, abstract for conference, and those 500 words or more.
Susan: left group?
tracynicolrose: Work a little on the TS paper so it doesn't go stale, write the final abstract
Zabeel: Finish chapter 5
Goals for last week: 2500 words of Ch. 4; type changes to intro and rewrite chapter summaries; 500 words of conclusion; photocopy ILL and organize research for Ch. 4. (Bonus: type up some notes.)
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: The intro is done! 138 words of the conclusion. Typed some notes.
Analysis: Not a total failure, but I think I'm suffering from fear of Chapter 4, and just a general overwhelm from personal stuff and from a major landscaping project that's starting. We had planned to wait until I was done with the thesis to landscape (and wisely so), but for a bunch of reasons we went ahead. It's proving to be enough extra that it tips the scales and I find it hard to focus. (Although there are plenty of other things I could blame for my lack of focus.) It was lovely to work with no responsibilities on my mini-retreat, and I probably need a few more of those in the next couple months. I did rediscover my timer this week. I used to religiously set a timer on my computer for 20 or 30 minutes and write for that long before a break. I need to make use of the timer and plan my time more specifically. I'm also committing to starting back to swimming this week. It will be painful after a couple months off, but the pain should only last a couple weeks and the benefits will be enormous.
Goals for next week: 2000 terrible words of Ch. 4; 500 words of conclusion; photocopy ILL and organize research for Ch. 4. (Bonus: type up some notes.) Exercise.
Topic: I like the idea of being happy while writing a thesis, and I have only rarely neglected my self/life/family for work on it. But it is difficult for me to find that sweet spot where I'm free enough to focus well on work at work time and engaged enough with other parts of life to keep those in motion.
Yay for progress! And definitely setting a terrible words goal is a great way to get into a difficult chapter...
DeleteDouble yay for progress! Focusing on the present is difficult when you are stressed and overwhelmed with work (who isn't?). Maybe swimming (and yoga for me) will help with staying present and focused!
DeleteCheering you own toward defense!
DeleteI like the "terrible words" goal. It sounds like Chapter 4 is becoming a bit of a bogeyman; anything you can do that will get it back into the doable range sounds good.
DeleteAnd yes, this sounds like just the time to get back into something like swimming.
Last week: 1) write at least a page of notes a day. 2) Go on spending 3 hours a day on research 3) Write a short presentation for the doctoral group 4) If a positive answer is received from the new uni, achedule a day off for reading, and celebrate.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: 1) Mon 1, Tue 2, Wed 4, Thu 5, Fri 2, Sat 2. 2) 2.75 hours a day. 3) Ended up improvising and writing afterwards, which was actually great. 4) Still waiting, it's been a whole month now and I'll go mad soon.
Analysis: It looks like I'm hitting my stride! The week was incredibly productive since after improvising a presentation of my project ( I NEVER normally do that!) I ended up having tons of ideas for my thesis and worked almost effortlessly for four hours on Thursday morning and four more this morning. I feel like I'm breaking through, coming up with new concepts and defining my corpus after all this time of not knowing where I was. It's a great feeling.
Next week's goals:1) write at least a page of notes a day. 2) Go on spending 3 hours a day on research 3) Read current book on space 4) If a positive answer is received from the new uni, schedule a day off for reading, and celebrate.
Topic: I don't think it's always possible to be happy since it's a fleeting feeling, but I aim for meaningfulness in life as in work. I try to remind myself what I am working for and give myself the support I need. I especially liked Rule 5 in the article: Give yourself time to think.
Yay for finding the flow! Definitely a Glow of Achievement for you...
DeleteIt's fantastic that you're starting to hit your stride! It's so motivating! Rule 5 was one of my favorites, too. Panicked, hurried words just to get words down can be detrimental in the long run, when you end up having to revise, revise, revise, and revise some more.
DeleteHurrah for hitting your stride! And I, too, liked #5.
DeleteWell, it turns out that rule 5 had a catch: I'm down with the flu this week with lots of time to think but no energy to work...
DeleteOh no! I hope you feel better soon.
DeleteGoal: Finish ch. 6.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: yes.
Analysis: Ch. 6 is the last chapter of the book, so it was a big milestone to get it done. I feel like started scrimping towards the end, and simply tidied up what I had rather than ripping apart and redoing as I had in earlier sections of the book. But ... not sure I care any more! Book submission is still going to happen at the end of the month, but I want to give myself a little "time to think" (I like that bit, too!). So I'm going to spend a week working on another project, then do a final 3 week polishing.
Next week: Section 3 of article.
Topic: "Happiness" in writing could certainly be framed in a number of different ways: meaningfulness, a sense of satisfaction, continued engagement and enjoyment. Surely it comes down to a kind of sustainability -- the ability to cultivate a set of habits which mean that one *wants* to keep writing. And a modicum of self-knowledge, se you know when to push yourself a bit harder, and when just to let yourself off the hook for once. I like that idea of taking care of self in a variety of ways. Environment (no. 2) is one of those things so often overlooked -- I keep a vase of flowers in my office for that very reason: if I'm going to spend a long period of time somewhere, I want that place to be attractive and comfortable so that I actually want to be there.
Congratulations on finishing the last chapter! That's very exciting and must feel wonderful! I agree with you about the necessity of sustainability and self-knowledge. I think these tips do, too. They're a kind of checklist of building habits that make you not want to bang your head against the wall anytime you need to write. At least, that's what my medicine-addled brain thinks of them right now.
DeleteWow. I hope to one day too, in the not too distant future, have a finished book in hand. What an awesome accomplishment!
DeleteCongratulations on reaching the milestone. It must feel good. I like your let-it-sit-and-then-come-back strategy; I'm planning on doing that, on a much smaller scale, in a few weeks.
DeleteAnother bad week here too. This semester is not going well...
ReplyDeletegoal: find 30 minutes of writing time on each day in the office
achieved: no bouts in the office, one bout at home.
analysis: another week of mixed being unwell/'inclement mental weather', bureaucracy and interruptions. OBE(verything). I feel like a rather poor writing group host right now...
goal for next week:next week continues hectic and disrupted, unless a miracle happens. I'm aiming low - one 30 minute session. And keep reminding myself that in two weeks' time most of the students and all of the timetabled classes go away for a blessed three weeks of 'Easter vacation'. a.k.a. writing, administration, grading and sorting out project students having crises time (all our students do year-long honours projects in their final year, and these are due in shortly after the Easter break).
On topic - I will read the article and come back to it, but just to say, I don't like happiness as a goal - to me, being happy is a transient thing that happens when it's not looked for, when you're in the flow of life, or when the sun hits a drop of water just right, or whatever. I aim to live a useful and content life - contentment, enjoying and appreciating what you have, seems a healthier and more realistic goal (if a rather unfashionable one, at least before you've made a few million and acieved international stardom...).
Oh no! You, too? I was feeling like a terrible co-host, too. Things *will* get better for both of us. They have to, right? It's March now (yay!) and that means sunshine is coming (even in northern England!), flowers will be popping up soon, and that will be help immensely, maybe not with OBE, but just with our outlook in general and that's, perhaps, more important. Good luck next week!
DeleteYou are marvelous hosts, and greatly appreciated. I hope circumstances will brighten for you both.
DeleteThanks!
DeleteAnother thanks for your hosting, which, as far as I'm concerned, has been exemplary (as with teaching, there's a lot to be said for just regularly being there, and keeping the structure going). And I, too, think I prefer the idea of aiming for contentment, and finding unplanned/unanticipated moments of joy, to the idea of *trying* to be happy (even if "the pursuit of happiness" is one of those American ideals -- but I'm not sure our founding fathers meant quite what we mean by "happiness." We've blown it up into a much larger goal somehow, and then are discontented when we don't achieve it).
DeleteThanks for the compliment and for joining us. As I just discussed with my class, I'm not sure the Founding Fathers knew what they meant by "the pursuit of happiness," but you do make a good point. Maybe contentment is happiness and we just don't see it as such because we're looking for something more and then what we think of as happiness is something more than happiness. I don't know. I don't even know if that makes sense. I just don't want to be miserable, I suppose. Thank goodness it's March!
DeleteThank you both for hosting. I agree with CC: you've both been exemplary. And at the risk of saying "me, too," I prefer to aim for contentment rather than happiness -- to live a useful and contented life. Happiness is something that happens along the way.
DeleteAnd I hope you both have a better week. March is here. Spring is almost here. Bring on the sunshine, please.
DeleteGoals: NEH, 1 other application, update vita, abstract for conference, and those 500 words or more.
ReplyDeleteActually done: NEH, 1/2 of other application, updated vita, abstract for conference not done yet but will be by Sunday, those 500 words or more are started but not done.
Next week goals: Finish other application, finish abstract for conference, actually finish those 500 words or more.
Congrats on finishing the NEH application - those are always daunting!
DeleteYay!
Delete*Confetti*
Oh, how I hate to see that "no check-in"! I think I may have been Overcome By Events in the last two weeks. Or Overcome By Midterms, perhaps. Too much grading + snow that didn't get school canceled but *did* lead to babysitter cancellations, excuse excuse excuse.
ReplyDeleteTwo weeks ago, I did do some work; I wrote for a few hours, and made good progress.
This week, I did nothing at all with the article.
For the coming week, I want to write on 3 days, make notes on a recently finished book, and start reading a related book.
Let's see if I can get myself back into the swing of things....
OBE is the pits, but hopefully you can turn things around this week. Good luck!
DeleteI agree. I do not like to see that "no check-in" after my name. Glad you're back, too. Good luck getting back into the swing of things.
Deletegoal: apply for travel funding
ReplyDeleteachieved: application completed, will submit Monday
analysis: Simply, I would not have done this if I had not committed to do so here. Thanks, y’all, for the structure of accountability that let me get something important done.
next week’s goal: finish and send in conference abstract/draft to panel chair
comments: I have Three Month Thesis in my RSS feed, and appreciate a lot of the posts there. It’s good to have reminders that, ideally, the process of research and writing should be creative and deeply satisfying. Often it’s quite difficult to image that, because there’s so much other stuff that goes along with it and interferes with the pleasure of writing. I do think it’s possible, and I think I have to be able to frame it that way in order to be a happy writer, which happens sometimes when I commit to the time and get in to the flow of writing and research.
"Often it’s quite difficult to image that, because there’s so much other stuff that goes along with it and interferes with the pleasure of writing." - I couldn't agree more!
DeleteCongratulations on finish the funding application!
Fingers crossed for success with the funding application...
DeleteGoals: finish the conclusion part and check footnotes etc.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: finally, I've finished the paper.
Analysis: well, there are still some bits here and there I need to revise, but anyway I completed the paper and sent it to proofreading. It took so many months to finish this, but it was a good experience.
Next goal: revise the proofread paper. Start to plan on my next paper!
Comment: I read the interesting post and some I agree, some I doubt. Anyway I admire that declaring 'I was happy during I was writing my thesis'. Of course, people are happy when they submitted the thesis, but before that...?
Jodi and JaneB, you are wonderful hosts! Thank you very much for hosting and I always enjoy visiting your blogs!
Sorry to hear your sickness, Jodi. When I lose my voice with cold, I handed out papers to my students, writing on the board:'do them, if you have questions, ask me. I whisper to you'. These things do happen, unfortunately.
Woohoo! Congratulations on finishing the paper! And thanks for the appreciation - I promise to stop feeling sorry for myself very soon. After all, it's March now and March is a much better month than February!
DeleteYay, congrats! A whiole finished paper - definitely Glow of Achievement worthy
DeleteLast week's goal: continue both research and drafting, writing on M, W, and Sa mornings, and researching/retrieving on at least one of Tu/Th (but not overdoing any of the above).
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: continued both research and drafting, wrote on M&W (but deciding that another dreaded/procrastinated-on chore -- i.e. taxes -- was higher-priority today), research/retrieving on Th.
Analysis: I'm happy. I'm continuing to make steady, if not particularly quick, progress, and also am staying more or less on top of grading, which, if I can keep it up, will allow me to do some concentrated writing (i.e. whole mornings, without having to switch to grading after the first hour or two of work) done over spring break, which is the week after next. I think I've also now got a clearer calendar in my head: I need to finish a full draft by the end of March (preferably *before* the last weekend in March, which is Holy Week, which tends to get busy), so I can then take the first two weeks of April to prepare an hourlong course lecture I agreed to do (this probably wouldn't/shouldn't take so long if I did it more frequently, but I don't; this is a guest appearance, on a fairly broad topic that I have to boil down), then return to polishing the draft of the chapter in the last 10 days or so of April (it's due May 1). So,
Goal for next week: continue making at least incremental progress, writing M, W, and perhaps Sa; do whatever research/retrieval is necessary to have the materials I need at home over Spring Break; keep up with the grading so as to be able to devote Spring Break to writing (and a bit of rest).
Topic: I think I'm in the "happiness is a byproduct, not a goal" camp (hey; I was raised in, and to some extent still follow. the/a Calvinist tradition; admitting that it's perfectly fine, even desirable, to be happy is pretty good). I'm also finding the idea of a three month thesis a bit amusing (though it sounds like the writer is not only in a different place -- the UK -- but possibly also in a different sort of field. I do have friends in the sciences who spent 3 months writing up several years of research. In the humanities, I'd say that a 3-month chapter would be a pretty good achievement). I like most of his ideas, though, especially the ones focusing around self-care and being realistic and not panicking. Some of them, I think, might reveal a perfectionist streak (or perhaps raise the danger of bringing out a perfectionist streak in those who are vulnerable to same), and, while I agree that it's important to set up one's work for the next session at the end of the last one (or at least before one goes to bed the night before), I'm not so sure "tidiness" (a very British ideal) is necessary for everyone (though the line between productive and debilitating chaos is, admittedly, thin, and I'll admit to having crossed over a few times). I'm also not so sure about "finish things as you go"; though you certainly don't want to leave a trail of half-done work, it sometimes makes sense to move away from a part that's giving you trouble, and work (consciously) on something else, while letting your unconscious work on the sticky part (once again, I have the feeling that the author of this advice might be in a field where one "writes up" research after doing it, rather than discovering meaning *while* writing). I guess I'm more of a "shitty first drafts" proponent. "Take pride in your work" (#6) also seems like a possible trap for perfectionists (though it does go nicely with the "not panicking" idea, so I'm on the fence about this one). Finally, if one really is writing a 3-month thesis, then "focus on the present moment" makes sense. If one is taking years to finish a Ph.D., then stopping now and then to think about why one is doing it, and whether it's likely to lead where one hopes it will, and/or how the project fits into ever-evolving scholarly conversations, matters a bit more. Actually, for several points, I find myself thinking that he's describing the writing process as if it were uniform throughout, when actually, at least for me, it involves oscillations between only thinking about what I want to say to thinking about what others might think and/or what practical use I can make of the writing, writing just to get stuff on paper and shaping/polishing (or, to use Peter Elbow's terms "believing" and "doubting"), even letting my physical workspace and/or draft get chaotic as I gather and work out ideas, and cleaning up and organizing and planning. Some people even do well binging on work and then collapsing, but I think that tends to be a young person's game; for most people (though not all), as we get older, and our schedules and responsibilities get entwined with others', a more regular pace, such as he describes, probably does work better.
DeleteHis degree was in physics: http://3monththesis.com/positive-thesis-perfectionism/
DeleteI also have really mixed feelings about not just writing the thesis in three months, but some of his advice, as well. The whole "take pride in your work" can be really debilitating for me, since I worry - I mean, obsess - that my work isn't good enough and that leads to a spiral of fear that stops all progress and results in me refusing to get out of bed for a day...or longer.
DeleteI know several physics/maths people who wrote their PhD theses in less than three months. It's a different world... when I did my STEM PhD (which took maybe 6 months to write, i.e. there were about 6 months when writing was the main/only work I did, although there had been other kinds of writing going on earlier), my partner was doing a PhD in the humanities, and he seemed to do nothing but write (and spend time in the really nice tearoom in the main library talking about how much he had to write with other humanities people).
DeleteMy aim with my writing is to get it DONE, then worry about how good it is... I don't always manage because the Judgey McJudgerson Head-Bugge is very vocal sometimes, but there's no point in having an aim which you easily reach every day, right?
I'm of two minds about having goals you can easily reach. On the one hand, what's the point in not challenging yourself? On the other hand, if you challenge yourself and don't meet those goals on a regular basis, it gets depressing and then all the doubt and everything starts creeping in and messes with your head. Plus, if you have reasonable goals and meet them, well, how great does that feel? It keeps you motivated, too. I don't think really low goals help, but maybe he has a point about keeping them reasonable. Of course, I'm struggling to write 1,000 words a week right now, so how much more reasonable can I get???
DeleteLast goal: At least 1 hour a day; 10 lines of the IPM; start checking Chunk 2 of the translation (at least 1/2 hour, 3 times); check in at least once with MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-3, and try to do one concrete thing for each of them (this can be something as small as "write one sentence").
ReplyDeleteAchieved: I have written some topic sentences for MMP-1 and started work on improving the organization of MMP-3. No translation, no transcription. Oh, I have also read one and a half texts that are companion-texts to the main text that I discuss in the MMP-work. Manuscript-context background. So that's useful, even if not a stated goal.
Analysis: Count me in the dragging-through-February group. I've been insomniac, grumpy, and low on motivation (for anything at all) all week. But it's now March, so I'm hoping for some improvement. I'll just repeat last week's goal and see if I can do better this time.
Next goal: At least 1 hour a day; 10 lines of the IPM; start checking Chunk 2 of the translation (at least 1/2 hour, 3 times); check in at least once with MMP-1, MMP-2, and MMP-3, and try to do one concrete thing for each of them (this can be something as small as "write one sentence").
February is the worst! Here, here for March!
DeleteMarch is here, and my office hours are now full of terrified students who've noticed that if March is here, April - and the deadline for their year-long honours projects - can't be far away. Sigh. I usually like September. Roll on September!
DeleteAnd I finished reading the second text. I hear you on the "Hear, hear!"
DeleteHa. I can't believe my spelling! *so embarrassing* Must. Focus. Now. Congrats on finishing the second text!
DeleteJaneB, don't you take away my summer! Well, unless "Roll on September" means I can fast-forward to September, too, and have a finished dissertation. That would be lovely.
JaneB--that scenario sounds familiar. I was a grad student at a school where the undergrads are all *required* to complete the equivalent of an honors thesis (not the best plan, in my opinion; the faculty end up spending more time than it's worth dragging students who just want to drink, graduate, and head off to Wall Street -- or the family business -- through the process, and not spending as much time as they might with students who actually care about their projects). I worked in the writing center there. March was always very busy (at least I was paid by the hour). Good luck with administering the proper proportions of calming them down, lighting a fire under them, helping them out of the weeds and onto a hill that offers a bit of a prospect, etc., etc.
DeleteAnd wish me luck getting my own students through the process of finding topics for much shorter papers that fit my (admittedly rather exacting, though perfectly reasonable) expectations. I keep thinking I've got them all on the right track, and then they wander off again (or a straggler who I thought had dropped shows up).
Last week’s goal: Read Chapter Two of Wendy Belcher’s Writing Your Journal Article.
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: Done.
Analysis: It has been one of those times when the ideas are coming fast and furious. After a meeting with a colleague, I was handed yet another idea. This one would be a long article, perhaps multi-part, but it is an area in which I have some expertise and an abiding interest.
There's no news from the further medical tests yet, and none coming for two more weeks, sigh. I am being very Scarlett O'Hara about the whole thing now.
Goal for next week: Read Chapter Three of WYJA.
Topic: I find that I agree with Contingent Cassandra and others on many points, including taking issue with number 9: Finish things as you go. I think that forcing oneself to flog a section that has dried up is counterproductive. Sometimes one has to let things rest, and percolate.
Also, in the humanities, there are always the goldarned things one has to look up, verify, or cite. Should one leave them all to the end? No, since some of those tasks are such drudgery they will never get done without being leavened through the rest of the work. But I suffer from being dragged into the rabbit hole of internet far too easily, so if it something I need to look up, I will mark it and move on while the words are flowing. There will be time enough to look things up when the words are coming, which will happen several times before the end.
As for happiness, I’m with Jane B in looking for contentment, not happiness. in writing, perhaps I am just too jaded. I enjoy researching, I enjoy the occasional felicitous turn of phrase, but I do not seek my happiness in writing.
One Glow of Achievement for getting that chapter read - and for new ideas!
DeleteFinding happiness in ANY task seems a bit too idealistic to me - especially a pretty much constant happiness. I do enjoy writing first drafts, and I quite like reverse-outlining and reorganising, but the detail refining and polishing and reference-checking and figure making, is just so much drudgery for me...
OK, I give up... I'm a little short of my goal this week, and many times I've soldiered on over the weekend to get my goals in, but that's just not going to happen today. I aimed for 1,500 and reached a little over 1,000, so I will declare that to be Good Enough for Now (and hope to get caught up a little over break, week after next.)
ReplyDeleteNext week's goal: 1,500 again, though it's going to be a challenging week.
As someone who routinely failed to write 500 words during AcWriMo, I see 1000 words as "Excellent for Now!" I know it's not the goal you set, but still a significant bout of writing done.
DeleteSome more solid progress! It's frustrating not to reach a goal, but in trying to reach it you've probably done more than you would have done without a goal at all (at least, that definitely applies to me!).
Delete1000 words is nothing to sneeze at! That's 1000 more than I wrote this week.
DeleteLast week's goals: Work a little on the TS paper so it doesn't go stale, write the final abstract
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: Decided not to submit the final abstract (but submitted the other two) and finished the TS revisions and sent to co-author
Analysis: This week was as bad as I thought it would be. I'm glad I gave myself really small goals (and decided to get rid of one altogether). It gave me a little space to recoup from the week without feeling like I was neglecting my work. Next week looks a little better so I can set a slightly higher bar. However I'm also leaving for a trip at the end of the week/weekend, which is usually when I get most of my writing done, so I'll try not to let my expectations get away from me.
Next week's goals: Submit TS paper (dependent upon co-author); revise LM paper for new submission; write abstract for Frameworks presentation; work on BE findings.
Topic: I am usually happy when I write. I am unhappy when I feel like other people's agendas are keeping me from writing.
One Glow of Achievement for getting things done (I definitely count making a decision not to submit/write something as a thing done, after all it still moves the item off the to-do list) despite a busy week!
DeleteLast week's goal: T/R 3hrs
ReplyDeleteAchieved: I worked on Tuesday.
Analysis: I am in the middle of a three week lesson plan that I have never taught before so my time has been focused on that. It is also midterm so grades due, etc. I also received notice Friday that I have to have a mediation session because two TAs have problems with me. I have been in complete panic mode since then because I have no idea what is going on. I really, truly thought that the semester was going well. Other than some basic grading issues, it's been a good semester. I have no become that person who can't work well with others. It's disturbing to say the least and the fact that they (I don't know which two of the four it was) broke procedure and went straight to my boss, rather than coming to me first, suggests something is amiss and not just me.
Lesson for the week: finish this dissertation and get on the market again. And reevaluate my personality. What do I need to change and what do I need to let go.
Next week: T/R write all day and MWF at least one hour.
Well done on working on Tuesday. But what a stressful sequence of events! I would hold off on the 'reevaluate my personality' bit until you know what the problem is - for example, they might have gone over your head because they find you scary, but it might also be because they just don't really understand the processes, or saw the HoD first, or felt awkward because they really like you but have this one niggle... It is mid-terms time, so they're possibly stressed about their own duties as well. Hope the writing goes well and the classes continue to run smoothly - as long as the students' are getting taught well, that's the most important thing - to balance the rest.
DeleteI agree with JaneB. Don't let it stress you out too much until you find out what the problems are and remember, too, that a lot of times TAs feed off of each other's misery, making whatever problem it is seem a lot bigger because they just keep stewing over it (can you tell I've seen this happen before?). Why they didn't approach you first, I don't know. It's also unfortunate that they weren't told to speak to you before attempting mediation, but maybe everyone was trying to avoid awkwardness. Who knows? I'm sure it will be fine. One complaint from TAs won't wreck your reputation.
DeleteApologies for being AWOL last week. OBE -- primarily thesis defenses and comps.
ReplyDeleteAchieved: I have a decent draft of the GT section, which was the last goal I set. I have three chapters that cover roughly the same period but from three distinct religious, gender, and geographic viewpoints. I've been struggling with the order of these three chapters and I think I've finally decided on an order. One chapter is edited to sync with the other two. The remaining two are close.
Next week's goal: Finish revisions on one chapter.
I'm in that dragging-through-February/thank-god-its-march group. Multiple thesis defenses, letters of rec, exams, etc., etc. made February a nightmare. But a good chunk of that wraps up this week.
Tying a knot and trying not to get swept overboard before spring break gets here.
Yay for progress, and for coming up for air long enough to pop in and let us know how you're getting on. Oh, Spring Break, how sweet the sound...
DeleteHang in there! Spring break is soooo close.
Delete:(
ReplyDeleteI admitted defeat on this paper for this conference, and withdrew.
The semester has beaten me down. I need to keep working on it, but it can't happen this week because we have big department busyness. I'm feeling pretty defeated by the semester.
I'm sorry that this semester is trying to kick your butt. You're certainly not alone. It's the start of a new week, a new month, almost a new season, so things are going to get better. Just keep reminding yourself that you are more than a semester!
DeleteOh, I'm sorry you're feeling defeated. But I hope you also feel a sense of relief by letting something go (unless, of course, it's the thing you had really wanted to hold onto).
DeleteHang in there.
Thanks, and yes to the sense of relief! It's huge.
DeleteHi all, laying low today wth a migraine, back next week. Last week, partial success only. Nee goal, revise polish intro. Kiwi2
ReplyDeleteOuch! Feel better!
DeleteLast week's goal: 2,000 words
ReplyDeleteAchieved: Yet again, no. Not one word.
Analysis: I don't think I so much as opened a file for the dissertation. This was a week from hell. Stupid February. I need to start saying hello to my dissertation on MWF, not just TR, just to keep it in my sights at all times. The majority of my lessons are in good shape for the rest of the semester, which frees up more time to write, too.
Next week's goal: 2,000 words (again) with 60 minutes a day MWF and 3 90 minute blocks on Thursday. Order ILL books to get here in time for spring break dissertation blast. Update cv.
Comment: Like I said, this week was horrendous. I planned to spend today writing because I hadn't done a single thing on it all week and didn't want to have another failed week. I dreaded it all day yesterday and early this morning. Then, my best friend called this morning and asked if I wanted to go to the aquarium with her and my niece and nephew. I was on the fence, feeling guilty about blowing off writing, until she said there were hippos at the aquarium. I can not resist hippos and if there is anything that can boost my mood, it's my niece and nephew. So, I played hooky and gave myself permission to spend the day with them, writing this week off as the utter crap that it was, and taking some time to reconnect with life in a good way. I feel much better, although I'm completely exhausted and plan on being fast asleep long before 10:00 tonight. A 4 year old and a 6 year old are too much for this 35 year-old hermit to handle!
Sometimes playing hooky is much better for you than sitting around feeling guilt because one SHOULD be working and yet NOT working. Hippos and kids sound like a much healthier way to spend the day, and to get ready for a new start this week.
DeleteAfter your feelings and experiences for the past week or two, it seems good that you spend time with people whom you cherish. And hippos!
DeleteThe hippos/babies (I still call them my babies) day was completely refreshing! Just today I updated my cv, sent a request for a reference letter because I found a few private high schools that are hiring history teachers for next year, ordered the ILL books, and finished lesson plans for the entire week after spring break. Woohoo!
DeleteYay for a hippo day! Sounds like it did a lot for your energy and enthusiasm levels. Good luck with the high school jobs!
Deletelast week's goals: 30 minutes Friday
ReplyDeleteachieved: nothing
analysis/comment of what worked and what didn't:
I was OBE. After a busy beginning of the week, I got thwarted dealing with some family issues and just stayed stuck for the second half of the week.
next week's goals:
15 minutes Tuesday, just to get going again;
30 minutes Friday
comments on the weekly topic:
I'm in a mood where the kind of tips in the linked article just make me grouchy, because knowing helpful things to do doesn't help if one doesn't do them (by "one" I mean "I").
I am interpreting my grouchiness as a sign that I need, at a minimum, more sleep.
"knowing helpful things to do doesn't help if one doesn't do them" - I get so annoyed with these kind of tips, too. Yes, they're helpful and good ideas (well, some are), but if I don't build those habits (when I'm trying to), I feel like a failure and get grumpy all over again.
DeleteLast week's goal: Two early mornings, M and W, an hour each. I should probably focus on re-reading the chapter to find big whole and problems with what I've writing so far. Also, two hours of article research on Friday.
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: Pretty much all of it! Maybe not quite two hours on Friday, but close.
Analysis: It didn't feel that productive since, as I mentioned last time, I'm kind of at a stopping point, and I'm trying to figure out what to do next. Edit what I have (which is really weak on research) to get a somewhat clean partial rough draft, or do more research so I can try to write the next section of the chapter.
Next week: The usual. Get up at 6:00am M and W so I can read/write for an hour (and run for 20 minutes) before the day gets rolling. Then work two hours on Friday. It's *possible* I'll have a hotel night on Thursday, but I'll have to see how the week rolls out.
Commentary on Topic: I feel happy research my topic, and I feel happy reading what I've written. I also feel sort of happy when I'm actually doing the writing, but I think that's because I'm in the early drafting stages. I'm pretty terrified of the part where I have to actually make it decent (or passable). Overall, the happiness comes from the interesting intellectual outlet provided by my topic. The work itself is going to get tedious for sure--not where I'll be finding my happiness, I doubt.
Progress is progress, even if it doesn't feel that way. Don't sell yourself short!
DeleteLast weeks' goal: 1) Four 12-minute sessions 2) One book ms. submission (AND GOING TO MEET THEM THIS WEEK)
ReplyDeleteAccomplished: 1) Three sessions. 2) Yes.
Analysis: Much closer than the last couple of weeks; I'll take it. Finally got a cold and am losing my voice, too. Where are our voices hanging out? Some lovely canyon somewhere?
Next week's goals: 1) Four 12-minute sessions 2) One book ms. submission
Instead of a reply to the topic, I'll say this: I regret not being more present here of late, but this group is still helping me so much. I'm still connected to my work even here at a rough place in the semester, and it's keeping me more even-keeled than usual. Thanks!
Congrats on getting closer to your goals this week! I'm glad this group is helping. I feel the same way. Even more so than just participating in a writing group, co-hosting makes me feel terribly guilty about not meeting my goals, so, besides these two weeks, it has really helped with my own accountability.
Delete