posted on 31 December 2015 by Lisa Meloncon<\/p>\n
As we\u2019re winding down a year, it\u2019s of course time to think through our plans and resolutions for the coming year. I\u2019ve always thought of the winter break as my \u201cdo over\u201d time because not only does it bring with it the new year, it also brings it with the chance to just re-focus and re-prioritize what I need and want to do. If done correctly, the spring plans can launch you successfully into a summer where projects move forward instead of languishing.<\/p>\n
So here\u2019s some of the things I do during the \u201cbreak\u201d to set myself up for successful spring term and yes, even a successful summer.<\/p>\n
Make to-do lists <\/strong><\/p>\n For me that means making 5 different lists.<\/p>\n In the spirit of getting things done philosophy, I write down every task associated with each thing on the different lists. Once I have everything written down, I start to figure out what can actually be accomplished and what can\u2019t so I can start to make peace with that AND to let others know.<\/p>\n Log everything into a planner or schedule or electronic something or other than you will use (the last part is key) Some of you have heard my sob story of when I tried to join the 21st<\/sup> century and go electronic, which turned into the most unproductive time of my life. So in the middle of the year, I finally went back to the old fashioned, book like planner, and my life has just now started to gain more stability and focus. I use the Passion Planner<\/a> and I like it a lot cause of the way you can log lists and reflect on the past month. Just as important, I can still use my sticky notes (which I sort of have a problem with #postitnoteposse FTW)<\/p>\n I log into my planner all the confirmed meetings from teaching to service so I can start to see my spring schedule unfold. I plug in conferences and then immediately back date to put in time where I will work on the conference presentations and papers. Then I log in teaching times, office hours, and course prep times.<\/p>\n I then prioritize the research projects (starting with those with deadlines) and lay out days to work on specific tasks that I have identified. I\u2019m doing several projects that involve interviews and observations so I know when some of those things are scheduled so I add those.<\/p>\n I, also, mark out time to exercise just as if it were a meeting. I\u2019m doing that right now! I\u2019ve also marked down a weekly get together with some friends that we\u2019re all trying to commit to.<\/p>\n Then I put in the priority service items that have set meeting times, and I also know that I need to block out some time to do work associated with some of those commitments. For example, Mondays are basically set aside for service. I do nothing other have meetings or do actual tasks associated with different service commitments.<\/p>\n Being Realistic<\/strong><\/p>\n Now that I have many things logged in, I can start to eliminate things that I know I will have no chance of getting accomplished during the term or even in the summer.<\/p>\n So how do I know this?<\/p>\n Well, partly out of experience, and partly out of a growing understanding of the true amount of time things take. I have four conferences and a couple of invited talks. There\u2019s no way in hell anything extra is happening so nothing on the Research list that isn\u2019t committed is going to get done. I also know that I can\u2019t say yes to any new service commitments until I get rid of one. That\u2019s my deal with myself.<\/p>\n Much of my research now is pretty labor intensive since I\u2019m in the collecting data phase (on certain projects) and analyzing and writing it up (on others). Both sides are hard and messy and time consuming. Throw in dealing with people (research subjects, collaborators, other stakeholders), and it takes more time. I\u2019m not complaining because that\u2019s just how research goes. You just have to account for these things. A good rule of thumb is to add 1\/3 to every task. So if you think it will take a 3 days, add a day, and that\u2019s a conservative estimate. We tend to always underestimate the time it takes for all sorts of reasons. Experience helps you begin to get better at these things, but no amount of experience can offset those days where you truly can\u2019t say no to things and you have to set aside your time to take care of other things.<\/p>\n I also know looking at the big picture that I need to have a conversations with a series of people (my Dean, whom I work for in a partial administrative role, my Head, some collaborators)\u00a0 because there\u2019s no way some things are going to get done if I\u2019m going to get other things done. So I\u2019ve already sent messages requesting those meetings. The point is in laying it all out and then being painfully realistic about it I know that I have to make some changes and make some decisions for the spring and summer.<\/p>\n Resolutions<\/strong><\/p>\n And finally, at this time of the year, I do write down some resolutions. I put them on an index card and I include three personal and three professional things that I want to accomplish. Often times, at least one of these things, is something that no one else knows about; it\u2019s like a secret resolution to help encourage me or challenge me or comfort me. These resolutions I put in a sealed envelope and I open on the following New Year\u2019s Eve. I\u2019ll be opening the ones I wrote last year later today.<\/p>\n So in 2016, here are some of my resolutions:<\/p>\n\n
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\nThere\u2019s nothing specific about exercise or eating or anything. Just the overall need to remember and to remind that we all need to focus on self-care.<\/li>\n
\nIt\u2019s hard to re-wire ourselves not to worry (if you\u2019re the worrying kind) so it may be easier to try and focus on those things that you can control. You cannot control reviewers, but you can control what you send them. You cannot control the toxic colleague, but you can find ways to limit your interaction with them so that their toxicity doesn\u2019t wear off so much.<\/li>\n
\nmy passion planner has a spot on each weekly spread to write down \u201cgood things that happened.\u201d In a job in which we have to deal with so much rejection,<\/a> it\u2019s good to have this reminder that lots of good things happen too. Writing down the things we\u2019re thankful for and being certain we thank those people who have been kind and generous to us really goes a long way to better mental health and happiness.<\/li>\n
\nA dear and wise friend of mine told me once that she every morning she asks herself, \u201cwhat can I do to make myself happy today?\u201d This sort of mindfulness can be useful to help us focus on what we need and want to do.<\/li>\n
\nthere is much to be said for finding a way to give back. Be it in a professional capacity or for a personal cause. Making time to pay it forward does bring with it so many rewards.<\/li>\n
\nKindness costs nothing and goes a long way to building goodwill and building good relationships. (Or to follow the old rule our parents told us: if you can\u2019t say something nice\u2026.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n