I’m grading right now. Well, obviously, right now I’m actually writing a blog post. But I have been grading and will continue grading today once I finish this up.
Because I’m grading, I’m also thinking ahead to the winter break — I’m going to have lots of flexible time once the semester closes, which is very appealing to me. But I know from experience what usually happens during my winter break:
- I set up an incredibly ambitious writing and research schedule.
- I think I’m going to dive right into this schedule, but in fact I also need to relax, clean my house, get ready for the holidays, etc. So I take that time, but feel guilty about the writing schedule.
- I start working and it’s great.
- And then, seemingly all of a sudden, the break is almost over and I have to get ready for next term’s classes. Self-criticism ensues.
Does any of that sound familiar? It’s an uneven and often uncomfortable pattern of setting up goals that I can’t possibly achieve, then feeling bad for not meeting them. At the same time, that pattern also means I haven’t paid enough attention to what else I might need over the break: maybe some down time, a chance to take care of household projects, etc.
I don’t enjoy that pattern, no matter how familiar or how wide-spread it is. How many people do you know who say in January “I didn’t get enough work done”? There’s no need for so many of us to start the new year feeling inadequate because we didn’t live up to impossible standards.
So I created the Great Winter Break Workbook: a series of reflective exercises that help you to identify what your true needs and goals are for the upcoming winter break and to design a plan to meet them. Central to my approach is to consider what kinds of action you can take — repeatedly or one time — that will help you feel the way you want to feel in January. Focusing on outcomes (an article, a chapter, an organized garage) often leads us into over-estimating what we can accomplish, because we’re not actually considering how much time and energy will be required for each one. By focusing instead on action, you can be and feel more successful.
As an example: instead of saying I’m going to prepare all my lecture outlines for the new course I’ll be teaching, which would certainly make the spring easier, but would require me to devote more time to teaching prep than I’m willing to do over the break, I’m going to say that I’ll spend five hours each week on preparing that course. That’s a specific, manageable amount of time that I’m willing to commit to. That amount of time will move me forward and should be enough to reduce my stress level at the beginning of the new semester, which is one of my goals.
The workbook is designed to be printed out and it includes space to write in your answers. Of course, you can also write in a separate journal or on your computer. You’ll want to set aside a block of time, probably about 45-60 minutes to work through the questions. You could also divide up your time with the workbook into several shorter sessions.
When you download this free workbook, you’ll also receive call-in information for the optional companion teleclass I’ll be hosting on Thursday, December 16 at 1:00 pm Central/11:00 am Pacific time. During the teleclass, I’ll explain a bit more about why I created the workbook and how best to use it. I’ll also answer any questions you might have about the workbook or about how you can have a great winter break!