Dear friends,
Does it feel like spring yet? I’m writing this on yet another cold and rainy day, cheering myself up with a cup of tea and wildflower daydreams. I hope April brings sunshine to all of us!
Resolution Do Overs
Your Boundaries Or Mine?
Hope the cold dark winter days find you warm, cozy, and safe! I find the month of December to be particularly challenging, as everyone tries to clear their to-do list before taking a break. Over the years I have tried several strategies to mitigate this year-end game of hot potato. Here are three practical ideas: (1) block off some work time pre-vacation; (2) put your auto-reply up a couple of days in advance of leaving this office; (3) set a turn-around time with your team and collaborators (e.g., any requests I receive after December 12th will be addressed in the new year.)
If It Ain't Broke, Fix It!
Dear friends,
Well, the new (school) year is here, and it’s time for fresh starts and new ideas! Wishing you well as work picks up after the summer. I recently took on a new role at work, leading a successful program with a long and illustrious history. I’ve been really excited about this new gig, partly because I think the best time to make change is when things are going well. When we decide not to fix things because they’re not broken, we fail to reach our potential.
Go And Stop
Dear friends,
Hope you’re enjoying the last long days of summer! I am in that pre-vacation rush, fighting to get as much done as possible before I leave. I’m going on a hiking trip, and I have been training for the last couple of months to get ready physically. In increasing the duration and intensity of my exercise, I had two realizations that apply to intellectual work as well.
TGIF
Dear friends,
Hope this message finds you being kind to yourself amid all the tumult in the world right now. Can you believe 2023 is half over? I find myself thinking that time is too short to spend on trivialities. Let’s keep committing to the work we are called to do, every day, in the second half of 2023.
Guilt Doesn't Mean Guilty
Whack-A-Mole
Here we are, February 2023. I am sending solidarity to all of you as we contemplate mass shootings, anti-Asian hate, and the terrible police-perpetrated murder of Tyre Nichols, among other injustices and crises. There are no words- just remember that you are not alone. Reach out to me anytime, be kind to each other, and be patient with yourself. Everything going on in the world continues to make it hard to focus on work.
Resolve To Do Less
I hope all of you had an opportunity to take a break at the end of 2022 and are as well as possible. This time of year, with cold weather and short days, can feel challenging. For me, it is not a natural time to make resolutions or feel motivated. I feel out of sync with the culture- everyone is packing the gym or setting out to maintain their daily meditation streak, and I just want to read in bed with a cup of tea.
Rest Please
It’s December, and if your workplace is anything like mine, everyone is scrambling to meet year-end deadlines and hand over work to colleagues before heading out to winter break. In past years I have tried to manage this increased workload and stress by asking mentees to send me work earlier in December, by blocking off meeting-free time, and by planning way ahead for time-consuming holiday tasks like addressing Christmas cards. This year, I am opting out. I recently read Rest is Resistance, by Tricia Hersey, and it has given me a new understanding about incessant work demands.
Worth a Thousand Words
Vacation Revelation
I hope you found time for rest and fun this summer! I'm back after an extended vacation- the longest one I've taken in over 20 years. It was surreal to be completely disconnected. I didn't check email for six weeks, and I did not do any work whatsoever. We had wonderful family adventures, and the most meaningful experience was spending uninterrupted time with my teens.
Summer Reading
I am writing this post far in advance, before my extended, much-postponed travels. I fervently hope that when these words reach you, we are not reeling from more collective trauma. The fatigue and grief have been real. As I prepare for my trip, I’m keeping in mind the words of poet Toi Derricotte, “joy is an act of resistance.”
Don’t Power Through
The days are getting longer and brighter, and I hope your mood, like mine, has been lighter of late. I’ve embraced a new hybrid schedule. It feels amazing to be together in person as a team, and I love running into people unexpectedly at work. I appreciate my remote work more as a quiet contrast to the office, so my entire work experience has improved, for the first time since March 2020. I wish the same for you.
Don't You Forget About Me
I hope spring is bringing you some peace and optimism as our challenging times continue. This month I want to share some advice that I gave a colleague who is going on sabbatical. Like many of you, this person excels in their work and loathes the idea of self-promotion. We have talked about bragging effectively and using peer amplification to get the word out. I thought of another strategy for staying top of mind that felt acceptable and feasible: the AWARE Share. And yes, it's an acronym (Awareness of Work and Achievements through Relevant Emails). Consider sending quarterly updates to key stakeholders who should be aware of you but are not in your immediate mentoring circle. Here are my tips.
The Best Policy
It’s March 2022, and I can’t say whether time moves quickly or slowly any more. The state of our world is hitting me hard right now, and I am sending solidarity to all who share this feeling. I spoke to a small group of mid-career faculty recently, and they followed up after the meeting with the following question: “We suggest a future blog post on techniques and strategies for supporting excellence on research teams. We admire your ability to maintain high standards for your team.” My first thought was that I don’t do anything to make my team perform at such a high level- they do it themselves. I shared this question with Sarah Lisker, our lab’s program manager, and to my surprise, she pointed out three things that I do that support high standards for our team’s work. Based on our conversation, here’s my advice.
Try Try Again
The Proof Is In the Pudding
I’m writing to you over winter break, looking out at the snowy Sierra landscape. I hope when you’re reading this you feel recharged and ready for 2022. As you may know, I don’t agree with the “New Year, New You” mentality. I like the person you are, and I hope you do too. At the same time, I endorse wanting to learn and grow over time. Setting goals is critical for my personal growth, but when I fall short, I can succumb to unhelpful self-criticism. I want to offer you a different way to think about past and future goals.
One Step At A Time
The end of the year can be a crazy time. Everyone is pushing to get through their pre-vacation to-do lists, and that means things land on your plate just before you head out of the office (figuratively). I am also finding it time-consuming to navigate holiday fun- so many last-minute changes in plans and venue! On top of that, we are still working as though we are in lockdown. I have been asking colleagues how they manage the year-end rush, and here is the best answer I got: “All my strategies went out the window in 2020.”
Hello World
It’s November, and the recent vaccine approval for children has me feeling especially thankful. Let’s hold on to optimism as we look forward to the holidays. Since I last wrote to you, I’ve stepped out into the world several times- I attended two scientific meetings and my college reunion. After all these months of isolation, being with others has been a blessing that has left me mentally overloaded. So, I’m really writing to myself as I process what it has been like to start to re-enter the world professionally.