It’s the beginning of a new year and so, once again, I’ve been thinking about goal setting. At the start of 2021, I realised that my goals for 2020 were a tad too ambitious for the year we ended up with. Now that I’m reflecting on 2021… Yeah, similar issues. I’m not sure they can give you a PhD if your life hasn’t fallen apart at least a little as you’re working on it. I’ve definitely taken a few hits this year, but I’m hoping that things are getting brighter now. I just might be a little more cautious in my goal setting this year – give myself half a chance of getting what I want this time!
As with last year’s goal setting post, much of my focus in this blog post will be on writing and research goals. Keeping up with the personal brand, you know? But, as you’ll see in my 2022 goals, there are other things in my life that I also want to think about and feel hopeful for. I’m trying to learn from this year, after all! So, rather than focus on the failures and the way things might have been, let’s look at the successes of 2021 and get on with goal setting for 2022.
Goal Setting 2021: Achievements
SHARP 2021: Moving Texts
I didn’t get to do as many conferences as I have in previous years this year, but I did finally meet my goal of attending the SHARP conference. Run by the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading & Publishing, this is probably the biggest conference in my field and it was entirely virtual for 2021. I was exceedingly nervous about it for a couple of reasons:
- Big names I recognise everywhere. Not only in the panels I went to see, but also in my panel. Sending me private messages through the chat while I’m presenting. Giving me tips on an area I should look at more in my research. Talking in the “coffee” area. Just running around, beyond the confines of the papers I’ve cited.
- I felt out of practice. It didn’t help that my presentation was pre-recorded, meaning I hadn’t had the chance to gauge my audience properly and, if I’m totally honest, I was still in the midst of developing the research I was talking about at the time of recording. I only realised after I’d submitted that I casually used the term TERF… Oops?
- Big conferences have not previously been my thing. My last big conference was clique-y as hell and ultimately hadn’t felt worth the time or stress. I got far more out of the smaller conferences I attended.
But SHARP was wonderful – look, I presented on the Friday! I haven’t attended an in-person SHARP yet, but the online space felt very equal and supportive. The chats going on through the panels were full of additional information that could build on what the panellists were discussing and I came away with a TBR pile a mile high. Could my presentation have been better? 100% yes. Any perfectionistic squirming was worth it to have found an academic environment that felt so natural to slide into though. Hoping I’ll go again this year!
SEO
Moderate improvement? I have a handy tool that helps me on this blog, and I’m learning how to just give it what it wants naturally. (It’s stayed green all the way through this post!) It still feels a little like mystical witchcraft. And, funnily enough, the posts it thinks are written worst are some of the best performers on this blog. But I’m still calling this one a win for 2021’s goals.
PHD Status: Half draft
I wanted to do a full draft by the end of 2021. I knew how much work redoing my lit review was going to be, along with all the other bits I want to fix, so wanted to make sure I would have time. Unfortunately, life has very much not gone that way this year. But I’ve decided that getting halfway through is still an achievement worthy of celebration. Unless my supervisors are being very nice to me to boost my confidence, the work I’m producing is pretty good. It’s interesting. I’m still interested in it (rather shocking for a write-up year PhD candidate). It will get there, just maybe not in the timeline I wanted.
Goal Setting 2022
I did my 2022 planning a bit different this year, using both Notion and my bullet journal, and spread my Goal Setting across two pages. This meant I could use one page as a kind of look to the future and self-care and the other as my more typical academic and personal goals. But this time I’ve added in tasks to do!
Academic: PhD
Everything on the PhD side revolves around finishing. I’m ready to not have three jobs and a PhD to juggle! As mentioned above, I’d guestimate that I’m about halfway done with the written side of things. My next chapter is going to focus on some of the cultural shifts that have taken place in books/authorship due to the internet, particular in relation to author identity and #ownvoices. Am I slightly afraid of the autoethnographic elements that will come in here? Yes! I’m even more afraid of the section after that, since I’d really hoped to avoid obsessing too much over the publishing industry. But it could be worse: I could be stuck writing about reader-response all over again! With those two/three chapters done., I’ll be able to reword my lit review, edit everything, and write intro and conclusion. Then maybe I’ll get around to the viva?
Academic: Career
Publish or perish makes me stressed but, if I want a job at the end of this, I should probably be aware of it. I’ve worked on an edited collection, but I really need to start churning out journal articles. Thankfully, the past me with a semi-working brain took notes, and I have some ideas of how to turn my chapters into articles. I also want to publish more creative writing to build up a better portfolio. If anyone has suggestions of avenues to go down, I’d definitely appreciate the tips!
While the publishing side of things is probably most important, it’s getting my HEA Fellowship this year that I care most about. I’ve had some good teaching successes this year – teaching on a new module, supervising dissertation students, and being nominated for a teaching award – and I want to build on this by finally sorting my qualification. I’m a good teacher but I’ve got to show it!
Personal Goal Setting
I’ve divided this section up into wants and tasks this year. Some things are aims I hope to achieve – like reading more and writing for pleasure – but there are also things I just need to get done. I’ve been avoiding getting my driving licence for years now… Should probably get that sorted. But, most importantly, I want to keep building myself up. I’m going to set myself mini goals each month that revolve around self-improvement. That make me a better writer, or a healthier human, or just make me happy. The past two years have been rather draining, so it’s about time I did things to help repair the damage. Anyone know a good hairdresser?
Over to You: 2022 Goal Setting
2021, like 2020, was not the year I’d hoped for. And, from what I’ve heard, I’m probably not alone in that. But we can have hope for 2022. What kind of goals have you set this year? What are you looking forward to? And happy new year!
