From Transitions to Traditions: Your Guide to November's Academic Juggle 🍂
When 'just one more thing' meets 'not enough time'...
Hey hey friend!
Remember last week when we talked about making the most of transition periods? Well, here we are in that distinctive November moment when ‘transition time’ crashes headlong into ‘tradition time’ – and suddenly every calendar alert feels like it's competing in the academic olympics. 🎯
There's something tragi-comical about these late autumn days. Just as we're finding our rhythm with term-time commitments, the holiday traditions begin their siren song. Each one sounds so lovely in isolation: ‘Of course I'll help with the department party! Yes, I'd love to coordinate the postgrad winter social! Absolutely, count me in for the community carol service!’
(Future-you would like a word with present-you about all these cheerful commitments... 😅)
When Transitions Meet Traditions: The Great Time Squeeze
Here's a truth I'm learning to accept: November and December never have enough hours. It's not poor planning on our part – it's simply that we're trying to navigate three concurrent seasons:
- The final push of autumn term deadlines
- The first whispers of holiday preparations
- That persistent voice reminding us about our 2024 goals / that we should be thinking ahead to 2025.
And just to add an extra twist? This is precisely when our usual academic support systems start to fray, as colleagues and supervisors begin their gradual migration into holiday mode. (Just try getting feedback on that draft after 15th December... 🌑)
Creating Your Transition-to-Tradition Navigation Map 🗺️
Here's what I'm doing right now to stay grounded (sharing my current strategies, coffee stains and all):
1. The Holiday Availability Audit
Before everyone disappears into their end-of-year bubbles:
- Map out when key colleagues/supervisors will be truly available (not just technically "working")
- Identify any hidden gaps (‘Oh, I'll be around until the 22nd’ often means ‘but I'm mentally checked out and not in the department from the 15th’)
- Work backwards from these dates for any needed feedback or signatures
2. The Reality-Based Essential Tasks List
Let's be honest about the actual working hours we have left:
- Count the real days (excluding ones already claimed by festivities)
- Subtract a few more for unexpected seasonal chaos
- Now look at your remaining goals with fresh eyes
- Key question: What absolutely needs to happen before the break, and what can genuinely wait?
3. The ‘Just One More Thing‘ Pause Button
When that next tradition-shaped invitation lands (and it will):
- Wait 24 hours before responding (yes, even if it sounds delightful)
- Check your Holiday Availability Audit first
- Remember: Every ‘yes’ now is secretly a contract with your December self, who will be way more tired and overwhelmed than you are now.
Finding Your Transition-to-Tradition Rhythm 🕯️
Rather than fighting against this seasonal shift, try:
- Scheduling focused work for your peak alertness hours (often earlier in the day now)
- Using the early darkness for reflection and planning tasks
- Building in transition time between commitments (everything takes longer in winter!)
The Permission Slip You Need
Here it is, friend: You are allowed to protect your peace during this transition. That might mean:
- Saying ‘I wish I could!’ to some truly lovely traditions
- Setting an Out-Of-Office message a few days before you actually leave, to allow you to clear a backlog, and deter people from clearing their backlog into your inbox (yep, I see you, colleagues who do this)
- Choosing store-bought mince pies over homemade for that department event
- Scheduling focused work time in your calendar with the same commitment as any other meeting
Remember: Just as the trees aren't wrong for losing their leaves, you're not wrong for having limits. This transition from autumn routines to winter traditions has its own rhythm, and fighting against it only leaves us exhausted.
Let me know - what's one boundary you'll set this week to protect your essential work time? And equally important – what's one seasonal tradition you'll intentionally make space for? 🌟
Warmly,
Eleanor
p.s. Next week, we'll explore practical tools and strategies for winter mini-writing retreats (even if you can't actually retreat anywhere). Because sometimes the most productive spaces are the one we create inside our everyday chaos... ✨