How to end the season on a high note
Plus more dated pop culture references. It is kind of my thing.
Hello and welcome to Academia Made Easier. I am so glad that you are here.
Whenever I speak with people lately, I hear the same things: “Where did the summer go? Why is time moving so quickly? How is it almost September?”
And those are just my own comments.
I love summer in Saskatchewan. Saskatoon, known as the “Paris of the Prairies” (sorry, Paris!), is stunning over the summer months. It is hot, but not so hot that you want to hide inside. The river pathways are busy with people, dogs, and bicycles. The days feel like they will last forever, and I for one wish they would.
To quote Coldplay’s “The Scientist”, “Oh, take me back to the start.”
Back when I was (more of) an asshole to myself, I would start the summer pushing myself to Be Productive and to Get All of the Things Done, and then end the summer by punishing myself for being a human who needs rest. Now that I am older and kinder to myself, I like to end summer by celebrating it, even while I mourn its passing. (Coldplay again: “It’s such a shame for us to part.”)
If you feel like ending the season on a high note, I invite you to join me in this celebration.
One Small Thing to Try Immediately: Count Your Wins
For this exercise to be maximally effective, you will need a pen and paper, or some other means to record your responses. Audio recorder, video, electronic document, finger paints – you do you. If you are like me and prone to laziness, you may be tempted to just do this in your head. But I encourage you to fight that and grab something to record your responses with. I can wait.
(This is me, waiting patiently.)
(Seriously, go get something to record your responses with!)
(I may be less patient than I suggested above).
Okay, ready to go? Let’s roll.
1. List three or more things you did over the last three months that made you smile. Some items from my own list: Finished Better Call Saul. Went whitewater rafting with my family. Snuggled with my kitties. Discovered a new favorite ice cream location. (Saskatoon colleagues: check out The Daily Scoop!)
2. List three or more things you did over the last three months that fostered your personal well-being. Some items from my own list: Visited the Radium Hot Springs pools three days in a row. Went walking or running 5-7 times per week. Slept late for a week (which for me is anytime after 7 am). Set aside time for reading and audiobooks. Ate lots of ice cream (surely it has medicinal qualities with appropriate dosages?).
3. List three or more things you did over the last few months that moved your career aspirations forward. Some items from my own list: Completed a writing sprint with my coauthors. Said no to multiple things that were not well-aligned with my goals. Celebrated a new publication (it is open access - check it out!) with ice cream.
4. Decide how you want to celebrate these victories - and then do it. If you followed my instructions (you did, didn’t you?), you have identified at least nine wins from the last few months. That is awesome! That deserves a celebration!
One obvious form of celebration is, of course, ice cream. But other great options to consider include chocolate, a nap, a long walk, cupcakes, a morning/afternoon/day off, sleeping in, cake, spending time with your neighbour’s dog, visiting the bookstore, and cinnamon buns.
You undoubtedly have your own list, possibly with less emphasis on sugar.
Whatever it includes, be sure to select something and take time to enjoy your celebration.
If you want to take things further, please check out my newsletter on how to feel good about what you accomplished over the summer, which includes an end of summer debrief worksheet. You can celebrate completing that with ice cream as well.
Chipping Away: What I Have Been Up To
A quick update on some of my own activities since my last newsletter, since I have your attention:
Moving past curricular inertia can be a challenge for many units. This month, I had the pleasure of working with a department to discuss how they can identify and use their collective values as a foundation for curriculum renewal. I welcome opportunities to lead more workshops on this, so if you are involved in unit-level curriculum renewal please get in touch with me by replying to this newsletter.
I am honoured and humbled to receive the American Political Science Association’s Public Policy Excellence in Mentoring Award. Mentorship means a great deal to me and I am grateful to my nominators and to the many colleagues who have mentored and who continue to mentor me in my own career journey.
Three decades after I got Gordon, I finally saw the Barenaked Ladies in concert. It was a fun evening in a beautiful outdoor venue, and when they ended the show with “If I had $1,000,000”, I sprang to my feet to sing along, BIC Lighter high in the air. (But not a real BIC Lighter, that’s cruel.)
Until next time…
Despite my repeated moaning and groaning about the end of summer, I am excited about this fall. Autumn running is the best running. I have a number of projects I look forward to moving forward. I will be co-facilitating another offering of the Centre for Higher Education Research and Development’s popular online Heads and Chairs: Leading Academic Departments program. (If you are a department head or chair, an assistant or associate dean, or in a similar position, I invite you to check it out.) And, after two years of Covid postponement, I will be attending the Prairie Political Science Association (PPSA) conference, which is the best conference, period.
The days may be shortening, but the future can still be bright.
Stay well, my colleagues.
P.S. A photo for my fellow feline fans. Bandit shares my love of being outside in the summer. Isn’t he handsome? He does prefer the shade, for long-haired black cat reasons.
Want to help support my chocolate habit? You are very sweet. Buy me a coffee is a site that allows readers to show their appreciation for the unpaid labour of writers, artists, and other creatives. Check it out!
If you are interested in having me lead faculty and/or graduate student workshops at your campus, please ask your university to contact me by replying to this newsletter.
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Loleen Berdahl, Ph.D.: I am a twin mother, wife, runner, cat lover, and chocolate enthusiast. I spend far too much time on Twitter and binge-watching television, and my house could be a lot cleaner. During work hours, I am the Executive Director of the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy. I am the author of the University Affairs Skills Agenda column and my most recent books are Work Your Career: Get What You Want from Your Social Sciences or Humanities PhD and Explorations: Conducting Empirical Research in Canadian Political Science.