Well it’s a new year, right, totally different from last year, right, maybe?!? As we dropped the kiddos off at school, hoping they can keep their masks up and avoid the Omicron tidal wave, and I enter my office for the first time in 2 weeks, I’m taking stock. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I actually shut down my computer for a full 7 days. And, sadly, it wasn’t enough. I thought I’d arrive and be ready to go, get a ton done, but alas I completely unmotivated. I’ve been sitting at my desk for the last 2 hours, fiddling with my website, looking up electric cars, figuring out if we can go down to just one electric car and one electric bike…And, I have 8 items on my list that have to get done today.

The BURNOUT is real y’all.

These last two years of anxiety and stress, the loss of three of our beloved family members, the start of two cohorts of graduate students in our GG Scholars program under duress, online, in person with masks, worrying about how things will play out for the spring and the absolutely devastating lack of productivity on my research, where is the silver lining?!? Here’s how I’m going to bring in this New Year!  I’m going to pick small goals and see if I can ramp up my research, and if I can’t get ALL 3 grants in, maybe getting one in is good enough. I’m going to spend each Sunday completely unplugged, no social media, no work. And, as many Saturday’s as I can, I’m going to make an entirely French inspired meal from my new cookbook: A Table!  That’s it, that’s how I’m going to bring in the New Year. It’s not earth shattering, it’s not much, but I hope it will help me keep balance, avoid lack of motivation, and enjoy the heck out of my kids. WE are the lucky ones, we survived so far, and we’ve got to find ways to honor all we’ve lost by enjoying this life we’ve got!  I’ll return to more about academics. This one was personal.

Burford Reiskind OUT!