Good Habits Start Early

Today's blog is inspired by a recent post by Jodi McDavid, who suggested that academics should Stop Working and Go Knit (visit her blog, show her some love).

This blog hit home for me. I have many different interests and a long list of hobbies (cake decorating, baking, cooking, crafting, swimming, playing board games, participating in a seasonal book club...). Sometimes it can be a challenge to find time for leisurely pursuits while juggling academic projects, looming deadlines, and CV-building activities. More and more, though, I am prioritizing them.

I remember chatting with a professor during my doctoral studies about things I like to do outside of academic pursuits. She replied, "I only read fiction when I'm on a plane." Whether she intended it or not, it came across as if it were some badge of honour to deny oneself the pleasure of fiction in all other contexts. I interpreted it as a commentary on the place of hobbies and other pleasure pursuits in the life of an academic, as well as the workload expected. I'm not saying that she believes that academic pursuits should expand to fill your entire life, but I think it's often taken for granted that they will -- and many don't question that (which is a little ironic, since we're trained to question everything, no?).

I remember promising myself that day that I wouldn't lose myself to my career. And I remember saying to a senior ethnomusicologist who has become a mentor and friend, that I couldn't be that person who "only [reads] fiction when [she's] on a plane." He supports me completely -- he knows as an academic administrator that such work-life balance is critically important for a sustainable career.

So, I make time to do things I enjoy. And I prioritize socializing with friends (even if it means I end up working late into the night to meet a deadline after having some fun).

It's a delicate balance. But good habits start early. So, as you push forward on your thesis, don't lose sight of your mental health and the things you enjoy. You'll need them to sustain you through your career.

Saying No

It can be very difficult to say no when someone asks you to do something. It could be a short contract for that favourite professor of yours, it could be a favour for someone you'll need for a job reference in the future, or it could be your friend who is searching for volunteers for an upcoming fundraiser. It's important to be realistic about whether you can take something on and to say no when the request will impact your writing schedule or have little benefit to you.

Before committing to anything, I always find it helpful to first ask a question. "When would you need it by?" Then I decide whether that would work for my schedule and respond accordingly. For example, I was contacted by the editors of a book to review a chapter on Saami music. Since they hadn't included a deadline in their email request, I immediately replied asking what their timeline was. It turned out that they expected a turn-around of two weeks. Since I had several other commitments during that period, I replied that I couldn't possibly provide a review until a date four weeks later. They agreed to my timeline and I booked time in my schedule to prepare the review by the deadline I had suggested. Of course, if they said they were firm on the two week turn-around, I would have suggested they contact someone else and I would not have agreed to do the review.

It's also important to consider whether the request is reasonable. Is it coming at the last minute or is the person contacting you early enough to allow you to find a way to work it into your schedule? Is it a relatively quick task that you can accomplish in a few hours, or are you likely to invest 40-50 hours of your precious time to complete it? Are you being asked to do it pro bono or will you be paid fairly for your work? I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't invest your time in worthy projects as a volunteer. I'm just saying you should know what you're getting into up front and make an informed decision.

You must also consider the true impact and benefit to you, your CV, and your future employment. There may be trade-offs and they may be worth it, but be sure you're realistic about it. For example, if you're a doctoral student and you're offered a course to teach part-way through a term because the professor teaching it has had a medical emergency, you need to think things through. It will result in a significant impact on the time you have available to complete your own research and writing goals (class time, office hours, prep time, marking, email exchanges with students, etc). However, if you are thinking about university teaching as a career, the course will look great on your CV, you'll have course evaluations to put into a dossier, you'll get to find out whether you really like teaching, and it may open the door to other teaching opportunities. The benefits may outweigh the impact to your research and writing schedule. In contrast, sitting at an info booth as a volunteer for four days during a conference may in fact have very little benefit for you, though you may feel good for having helped out and the organizers may have appreciated your work. Only you can decide whether that is worth the impact.

Again, I'm not saying that you shouldn't volunteer. Volunteers are critically important to society and volunteering is often the mark of a well-rounded individual in job searches. What I am saying is that you should do things that you love and are passionate about, and that will also have some benefit for you (such as feeling good about your contribution, having the opportunity to take on a leadership role, or learning a new skill). I'm also saying that you must be certain that you can fit whatever you commit to into your schedule and that it won't negatively impact your research and writing goals.

If you decide a request isn't reasonable, that it will negatively impact your own academic progress, or that it has little benefit to you, it's ok to say no. "I'm sorry, I'm not able to take on any additional commitments right now." If you know of someone who would genuinely be interested in the opportunity, you could also say, "You might want to check with so-and-so. She's been looking for a volunteer outlet recently."

It's true that saying no takes some practice. One strategy when asked to do something is to not respond immediately so that you don't feel like you're on the spot. My colleague who has lots of wisdom to share noted that she has started responding to requests by saying, "I'll have to check my schedule and get back to you." That takes the pressure off of having to answer right then and there. Instead, she really can take the time to check her schedule to see if she's free. It also buys time to think through the benefits and impacts of saying yes before making a decision. It's important with this strategy, however, to get back to the person as soon as possible with your decision -- don't use it as an avoidance tactic.

Finally, it's easier to say no if you already have a list of the types of activities you will not do or do not have time for. One of my colleagues calls this a "Not To Do List." It is a list of the types of things she is frequently asked to do that are of little benefit to her, don't align with her own volunteer priorities, or that she just doesn't like to do. For example, when I was a graduate student, I often would agree to write CD reviews for a quarterly publication of a music society. I did it because it would build my CD with something until I had legitimate publications based in my own research. I also did it to be involved in the society. Now, however, CD reviews are on my "Not To Do List." In the context of my CV, they offer very little benefit other than adding bulk. I am now a director for that society, so I am involved in other ways. Finally, I don't remember the last time I actually held a CD in my hands and, when you move as often as I have, they just become something else to lug around from one apartment or one province to the next. Now if I'm asked to review a CD, I say, "I'm sorry, I don't review CDs. Perhaps one of the graduate students in Memorial's ethnomusicology program would be interested?"

So what should be on your "Not To Do List"? Only you can know. Perhaps you won't add any new volunteer opportunities or you'll choose one cause (say, Multiple Sclerosis) and only volunteer in relation to that. You  might limit the types of volunteer activities you engage in (for example, if you feel really awkward selling tickets because you have no family in the area to force them upon). Maybe you feel like a book club would be "good for you" but you actually hate reading the books and going to discuss them -- just don't do it! The important thing here is to identify activities that you won't do and then actually write them down and post them somewhere near your schedule. That way, if you're asked to do something, like join yet another committee that will meet a lot and accomplish nothing, you can respond, "I'll have to check my schedule," and while you are checking your schedule, you can re-check your "Not To Do List."

Do you have a "Not To Do List"?

Getting a Handle on Time

How many times have you told yourself that you don't have time to write? To go to the gym? To read that novel for your book club? Like most people, you probably are busy and perhaps even over-committed. Because you're running around from school to work to extracurricular activities, while also trying to have a social life and manage your living space so that you don't end up on an episode of Hoarders, it can seem like there's no time left. The first step to getting a handle on time is a time audit.

The concept here is pretty simple: you map out all of your existing commitments (big and small) to identify space in your schedule for writing (or whatever other activities you need to do to accomplish a particular goal). If your main commitments are generally consistent from one week to the next, you can probably do this audit once a term or season. If, however, your commitments shift -- for example, if your work hours as a cashier at a retail store change every week or two -- then you'll want this to be more of a living document and update it more frequently.

You can download a blank schedule and complete it in paper form or you can open up a spreadsheet or document on your computer or tablet and create your own. The important thing is to be thorough when identifying and blocking activities and commitments. Include classes, work hours, exercise time, time for studying, time for commuting (especially if you take the bus or live a significant distance from school or work), time for meals, other personal time, recurring appointments or meetings, etc. In fact, if there is one television show that you absolutely must watch each week, add that in as well (just don't schedule in multiple shows per day or a show for every night of the week). And if you have responsibilities related to other people, such as taking mom to church or the kids to hockey, then you'll need to include those activities as well. Colour code if you like. When you're done, you'll have your own version of something like this:

Following this process, which really doesn't take a lot of time and is time well spent, you quickly see where your pockets of open time exist -- and hopefully you do have some. Some people will have more open time than others, of course, and open time will change as circumstances do. For example, if I had done this time audit in June, there would be much less white open time in my schedule: 5pm-9pm Sunday through Thursday would have been filled with course prep and teaching. So, when I said during the summer that I'd like to be swimming in the evenings, but I didn't have time, that was an accurate statement. Now that the fall has arrived and I'm not teaching, it is in fact a lie that I've been telling myself.

Pockets of open time identified, you now have the power to block off time for writing (or, for me, swimming). Even if it's just an hour or two that you can commit, it will get you started on your goal.

Now, some of you  undoubtedly are thinking, what if my time audit reveals no open time? I suppose that is possible (though in most cases I don't think it's probable). Nevertheless, if you do find that there is no white in your colourful time audit, you have some decisions to make. The only way to finish a major research paper, thesis, or dissertation is to actually commit some time to it. If you can't find a few hours a week, then you need to make time. This may mean taking a temporary leave from your volunteer activities, cutting back on work hours, asking family members or friends to take the kids to hockey, or spending one hour at the gym instead of two. Only you can decide what activities you'll compromise on to make time for writing. If I may, though, I would suggest that you attempt to maintain a healthy amount of sleep, time for prepping and cooking food (instead of turning to fast fixes), and some sort of physical activity, since these are important for general health and well-being.

One last point: once you've blocked writing time in your schedule, remember to defend it. Treat it as if it's your job or an appointment with a specialist -- don't be late and don't think you can just not show up without repercussions. And if someone asks you to do something, like volunteer for a very worthy cause, during your writing time, politely say no because you are already committed at that time.

Tasks Take Time

How long have you had that To Do list? Have you managed to scratch anything off it? Or does it just keep getting longer?

While it's true that making a list of the things you need to do is an important starting point when attempting to better manage your time to achieve your goals, most people miss the critical next step: blocking time in your schedule to actually do one of those tasks. Without a dedicated time for a task, especially if it is a significant one like conducting a literature search or transcribing an interview, it easily becomes something that floats from one day to the next, haunting you like a ghost. Should you call Ghostbusters? You could, but they wouldn't be much help.

Instead, try sitting down with your task list. Identify which tasks are quick and easy, and which ones will require more time or are likely to be more difficult. If anything can be accomplished immediately (make a hair appointment), then do it. For everything else, book time your schedule -- and be realistic about just how much time you need.

For example, I recently was discussing writing with a colleague who wanted to revise a paper for publication. In addition to addressing the reviewers' comments, she needed to transition her citation style from one (say, Chicago) to another (say, APA). Because she was unfamiliar with the new style required, and because online guides are often incomplete, she needed to obtain a paper or electronic copy of the complete citation style guide. Now, this may seem like a simple task, but weeks had passed and she still hadn't obtained it. I suggested that she book time in her schedule to either borrow or purchase the guide. The library option would probably take 15 minutes some day that she was on campus, while the purchase options could range from 5 minutes for an online vendor to 45 minutes if she went to the mall. If she committed the time in her schedule to "just do" the task, not only would she complete it (which brings its own sense of accomplishment), but she would also get rid of that ghost that was haunting her (at least temporarily).

You see, when we carry these incomplete tasks around with us, they take up mental space and they often result in feelings of guilt or inadequacy. But if you systematically tackle them, one at a time, you gain the upper hand, you gain control, and you feel better.

And when you do complete each task, remember to congratulate and reward yourself for a job well done.

A New Blog for Thesis Strategies

Recently, two graduate students I know organized a group here in Sydney called the Cape Breton Graduate Research Community (CBGRC). The idea emerged from a conversation we had about how difficult it can be to focus on writing once you've finished all of your course work. Any number of challenges may confront you, including general procrastination, a lack of motivation, or time management issues when part-time or full-time employment becomes necessary. It's also important to note that writing is often a solitary activity and just what goes into writing a major research paper, thesis, or dissertation often can't be understood unless you've been through the process. Consequently, family and friends may struggle to understand how best to support you through the process.

As we discussed these challenges and strategies for dealing with them, I mentioned that during my master's program at University of Alberta, a group of us met weekly at a coffee shop to discuss our work and vent about whatever needed venting. It brought a social element back to our work and established a support system. For many of us, though admittedly not all, it was an important source of motivation and helped us achieve our goals (we had a 75% success rate in our group of four). Perhaps a similar group would help graduate students in the area? Enter the CBGRC.

The CBGRC exists both as a virtual group on Facebook and as real, live social group that meets at the Cooperative Study Club on Monday nights. While the group has only met twice and hasn't fully decided how it will run, its founding members decided that once a month they would invite a guest speaker who could present on some relevant topic, such as breaking through writer's block or editing strategies. I was only too happy to accept the invitation to be the first speaker on the topic of time management, which is critical for success.

And so on Monday of this week, I brought to the CBGRC a list of the tips that I thought would be useful for time management. I also shared my personal electronic calendar with the members so they could see how I manage my time (colour-coded by priority areas). I also encouraged them to do a time audit to determine just how much time they have in their lives for writing once other responsibilities and commitments were accounted for (eating, sleeping, exercising, working, attending classes, etc). I invited them to create their own "Not To Do List" (shout out to JMcD) to help them say no to new projects or tasks that may encroach on their writing time. Hopefully, everyone took something useful from the session.

Having reflected on the presentation I gave, I've decided to establish this blog for the participants in the CBGRC and anyone else who is writing a major research paper, thesis, dissertation, or any other academic work. I hope to provide a few practical strategies based in my own experience and motivate the members to persevere when writing gets tough. And anyone with alternative or complementary strategies or personal experiences to share is invited to contribute them.

So, stay tuned for the first strategy next week in a blog titled "Tasks Take Time."