Planning during uncertain times
Academics are no stranger to planning, whether planning for an upcoming semester, planning to complete a dissertation, or planning to go on the job market. COVID-19 has thrown the world (and higher education) for a loop this year. You might feel that planning for the future is really difficult or overwhelming right now.
If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone! Planning during times of uncertainty can be really hard – but (and this is important) it’s not impossible. You can still take small steps towards achieving your goals.
I recently developed a free resource for academics seeing support in purposefully planning their goals. “Plan with Purpose: A Quarterly Planning and Goal-Setting Workbook for Academics” is a PDF workbook that walks you through a step-by-step process to reflect on and plan your goals. Below, I’ve listed some steps and suggestions from the workbook that may be helpful in planning during times of uncertainty.
1) Focus on a specific time period. Planning several years out might feel too overwhelming right now. In planning your goals, choose to focus on a time period that feels meaningful and relevant to you right now, like the next semester, the next quarter, or even the next two weeks.
2) Prioritize. When I’m feeling motivated, I sometimes have the urge to do #allthethings. That's not a realistic expectation to place on myself even during the best of times, but certainly not during COVID. Consider what’s drawing your energy or would relieve your stress. What are your “must-do” goals, and which ones are less crucial for the time period you’ve specified?
3) Be realistic. Consider the responsibilities on your plate, your physical and emotional needs, and anything else in your life that’s impacting you right now. What’s currently feasible for you? As above, try to prioritize and be realistic with what you can achieve in the time period you’ve specified.
4) Reflect. Ask yourself questions about your goals, like what do I need in order to achieve this? How will it impact my life if I achieve this goal? What barriers or obstacles might I encounter in trying to achieve this goal? And how will I combat them?
5) Break it down. Take your larger goals and break them down into smaller steps that you can check off your list throughout your specified time period. Schedule when during your specified time period you will complete these smaller steps.
6) Track your progress. Use a system that works for you, whether that’s digital, pen and paper, or something else. Track your progress towards your smaller steps and larger goals. Also, consider scheduling in a time to check in with your goals and see if anything needs to be adjusted or recalibrated.
7) Above all else, be kind to yourself. Try to be flexible and adjust your plans as needed. You might be overly ambitious with what you hope to achieve, and it’s okay to adjust your plans! Also, try to engage in positive self-talk and be encouraging with yourself. A mantra that’s been really useful for me during the pandemic has been “Starting small is still starting.” Baby steps are still progress!
If you want additional support in planning during this time of uncertainty, I highly recommend downloading a copy of my free PDF workbook “Plan with Purpose: A Quarterly Planning and Goal-Setting Workbook for Academics.” This workbook walks you through the steps I’ve outlined above and provides structure in purposefully planning your quarter to achieve your goals.
