Happy New Year!

I hope you had a relaxing break with at least some good food, trashy TV/movies/novels, good company or whatever restores you.

It seems like everyone had some interesting weather. We had freezing rain on Boxing Day, and I keep seeing photos of England with lots of snow that stays for days. Very odd.

But whatever the weather, the show must go on.

Term has started. Students have returned. Meetings will happen.

And writing …

You haven’t just put that to one side have you?

Did you pick some up over the holidays? Did you try ignoring the grading and immersing yourself in the ideas that got you into this business in the first place for a while?

How did that work?

Is there any way I could help you keep doing a little of that even now? In the snow? Even with the students and the meetings?

I hate goals.

I don’t find them motivating at all.

If setting goals works for you, go ahead. You are in good company at this time of year.

But if goals just make you panic about not achieving them and being a failure, I give you permission not to set any.

I don’t care if you write an article this term. Or if anything you do in your 30-minutes a day can be shown to anyone.

Are you on the road you want to be on?

Photo from wildxplorer

Forget about the destination. You’ll notice you can’t even see the destination in that photo. But doesn’t it look like an inviting road?

Some things that might be on your road

• intellectual stimulation
• time to think big thoughts
• interesting books
• stuff you want to dig into in detail

That stuff might be historical documents, interviews with breadwinning moms, climate change politics, the writings of Plato, or any number of other things.

What are the things that define your road?

Write them down.

Be as detailed as you like.

Include things you aren’t getting right now but you want to be on your road. (Share your description of your road in the comments if you want.)

Now that you know what the road you want to be on looks like, you can think about things you can do that will keep you on that road.

You don’t have to be going anywhere.

You can just amble along slowly looking at the scenery. Really looking.

Can you find time to take a stroll down that road?

What would that look like?

Make more notes if you like. Share them, too, if you want.

If you’re worried about setting an intention to stroll down the road every day and then feeling like a failure because you can’t even take this tiny step, then step back.

What is the smallest step you can take?

Can you stand at the crossroads and look down the road?

Contemplate thinking about strolling down the road?

Take one small step on the road, knowing you could turn around and come right back?

Walk a little way down the road and then stop for a while?

And if you need help, let me know. I’m rooting for you.