A number of folks have been taking the opportunity offered by the start of the new year to do some "New Year's Resolutions."

And while on actual New Year's, I'm not much of a resolutions kind of guy, prefering to revel in the possibilities of newness rather than the expectations, I feel like this year it's important for me to set some up: because in the second year on the tenure track, I am not burdened by pure newness, but must be aware of setting bad habits. How I conduct myself this year I think may end up saying a lot about how I conduct myself for a long time. So those goals:

Research

• General goal: Clear off the smaller projects that are keeping me away from the larger projects:


• Getting both articles on parody ready to be published


• Getting book reviews ready to go


• Getting the MLA paper written by 12/1 deadline


• Cleaning up this paper for publication in the online proceedings


• Doing work on the larger projects that will make next summer more productive for getting those closer to publication


• Apply for a Senate Research Grant


• Draft a book proposal to shop around at MLA

Teaching:

• get to a comfort level with the graduate class, and in the spring with the theatre tour class, where I feel like I am teaching the students material without totally and completely holding their hands...


• Keep the level of the teaching high in my Brit II classes, even though by next May, they will be in danger of becoming virtually rote

Service:

• Stay on top of the work for the two major committees I'm on this Fall.


• Say no to something, especially if I'm not interested in it. This one is going to be very very hard for me to do.

Personal

• Do all of the above without completely sacrificing the healthy exercise habits I've developed for the first time in my adult life


• Refuse to use the above to excuse myself from doing my share of the housework, childcare, or decision-making


• Avoid at all costs begrudging my children the time and attention they demand, as if the above were more important than they are


• Sleep and eat as well as possible

I am, frankly, anxious about the load I've taken on for myself this year (primarily this fall), and anxious about the toll it will take on me and my life outside of school. I'll try to check back in later on in the semester to see if I'm doing any good at any of these, but I'm most worried about the last category. Wish me luck.