End-of-year Challenges

The end of the academic year is always very hard. This time, it’s particularly heavy because we are preparing to have our department disbanded. I have twice the number of meetings I normally have. And to me, every meeting is an unnecessary meeting.

Years ago, I came up with a system of challenges that help me stay afloat during the end-of-year rush. On Sunday, I write out the challenge for the next week. It consists of 3 things I must do every day. These must be enjoyable things. Painting, reading one of my right-wing philosophers, walking in the gardens, doing a face mask, staring motionlessly at a candle, reading a story in German, decorating my planner, driving through the neighborhood that is my place of power.

In order to complete the challenge, I have to squeeze all these activities between the meetings and the rest of the work stuff. This re-orients me from thinking about the meetings to thinking about the fun challenges. April becomes not the month of boring administrative stuff but the month of the enjoyable challenge.