A reset

Here’s a practice to try during any “reset” period, like the start of a new academic year or when new opportunities come into your life and require re-arranging and rebalancing expectations. This is adapted from a reflection in week 40 of the pandemic.

First, take stock of where you’ve been. Write down all the things that went well over the last 6-12 months. If you’re struggling with losses (including of opportunities, the “if only”s), consider making a separate list and make space to grieve them. Keep the list of what went well accessible (on your fridge or desktop) and keep adding to it over time.

Second, spend a few minutes checking on your priorities. What are you enjoying or dreading in the last few weeks? What will getting to the next stage in your career require, and what does that imply for how you should allocate your time. What impact are you trying to have in the world?

Third, go for a walk and get some exercise. This next step may require creativity or emotional bandwidth.

Fourth, figure out what to do with current portfolio or loose ends. For example, if there are things that are way behind schedule – wow, are you not alone. In 2021, I recommend forgiving yourself for being a human surviving an (ongoing) global pandemic amid a social reckoning and political firestorm. Next, consider re-evaluating if those things behind schedule are still worth doing. Do they still align with things that bring you joy, or your professional advancement, your mission? If no, see if you can give them up or give them to someone else to finish. I have more than a few abandoned manuscripts, a few even after they had been submitted once. If the undone projects do continue to align with things important to you, make a plan for getting them done in the coming months.

Fifth, evaluate your portfolio of ongoing responsibilities and projects to see how they align with your current priorities. Can you get help with the things you dread or hand them off to someone else? Can you re-invent them to be better aligned with your current priorities? Can you add a friend to the collaboration to make it better? Can you give a larger percentage of your energy to the projects that better align with your personal mission and professional values?