📖 looking back
- What am I most proud of accomplishing last academic year?
- Where did I surprise myself in terms of growth or resilience?
- What habits or routines supported me best — and which ones drained me?
- When did I feel most engaged in my research, and why?
- What feedback (from profs, peers, or even students you taught) really stuck with me?
🌱 checking in (present self)
- What’s my current relationship with academia — am I excited, burnt out, curious, doubtful?
- How am I feeling about balancing teaching, research, and my personal life this semester?
- What fears am I carrying into this year, and what’s within my control to address them?
- What values do I want to centre in my work (fairness, creativity, balance, etc.)?
- How do I want to show up for myself as both a scholar and a whole person?
🚀 looking ahead
- What are three specific goals I want to accomplish by the end of this semester?
- If future-me at the end of the year wrote me a thank-you letter, what would they be grateful I did?
- What would “success” look like this year outside of grades or publications?
- What boundaries do I need to set to protect my energy?
- How do I want to celebrate small wins along the way?