Time Management, Family, and Quality of Life Issues

Anne Condon

U. British Columbia

Guiding principles

• Life– Make the most of it - it's wonderful!– Enjoy my family and be good to them– Respect friends and colleagues– Be gentle to the environment

• Work– Make the most of it - it's wonderful!– Work on theory problems (hopefully solve some)– Figure out how to predict RNA structure– Be a good teacher, advisor, citizen

Current passions

• Solving a cool theory problem with Lisa Hellerstein

• Figuring out how to predict RNA secondary structure

• Developing ideas for an intro to CS textbook

• Gardening ... it's spring!• Planning a family escape to Nelson,

B.C. in July

Current Chores

• Writing/grading my final exam• Finishing up an external review report • Revising two submitted papers• Reading a Master’s thesis• Catching up on paper reviews• Working on my son’s manners

A brief history…1979 Started university in Cork, Ireland

1982 Started graduate school at U. Washington

1984 Met Scott

1987 Started as assistant professor at U. Wisconsin

Married Scott

1988 Married Scott (again)

1990 Fiona is born

1994 Tenure and promotion to associate professor

Emil is born

1996 Sabbatical in Seattle

1999 Promotion to full professor

Move to U. British Columbia

2005 Sabbatical coming up!

6.00 Wake up, time for

coffee, “busy” work

7.15 Get the kids going

8.45 Cup of tea,

get “task” done

10.40 Bike in to work

11.00 Meetings

12.00 Prepare for, conduct, class

2.00 More meetings

4.00 Bike home, pick up food etc.

4.30 More cups of tea, combine

“busy” work, kid duty

6:00 Cook, eat, drink, talk

(nag if needed)

7:30 Do what I feel like (I’m fried!)

(relax with family, read,

do theory...)

10.30 Bedtime

** Mon/Wed are teaching days Tues/Thurs mornings are research time Fridays are meetingless days :)

Typical teaching day**

Using time effectively

• Schedule "synergistic" tasks together• Build a research group in which people help each

other (setting good example yourself); extend to your academic community

• When "on a roll" with something, keep with the momentum even at the expense of other things

• Conversely, when a task seems like a grind, push a little, but then switch to something more productive

Handling the “chores”

• A strategy for saying "no" is to first say "let me think about it”; then assess and consult

• When you do say "yes", be clear up front about the scope of the job and the level of commitment you can bring

• Use the opportunity to take on something new as a chance to let go of something else

• Work with people who seem to be good at getting things done; it does rub off

On family

• find the things that you enjoy and can share with your family

• find the things you can do in parallel (oversee kid homework crises while cooking)

• foster kids' independence in daily tasks• share responsibility around the house • figure out which things can "give" - no need

for perfection!• remember your time becomes yours again as

your kids get older - balance is regained!