Towards 2011

I'm not big on new years resolutions, and, as I've done before, will rather focus on the future. I like to visualize what I want to achieve, and how to get there.

Lets start with work and career, and then move slowly to home life:

Currently, I am a lowly post-doc, although quite happy with my current project and general situation. My long-term goal is a tenured position. In 2011, I want to position myself such that I have a realistic shot at a TT position.

That means 2011 will be a year of hard work. If all goes well, I can get one, maybe two, first tier first author pubs from my post-doc project, plus 2 low tier, plus 2 second author ones. I've still got some phd project pubs to get out of the door, but none of them is very promising so they are low priority.

My research plan is ready for me to apply for three major grants as PI, and there is a fourth opportunity for the end of this year if all three fail, which is fairly likely for two of them, given the success percentages and my pub list. Nonetheless, most of my plans for this year revolve around gathering prelim data for my big research plan, which I can do alongside my post-doc project. So 2011 will be full of writing, - pubs and grants.

If TT job openings appear on my radar, I'll apply. Actually, I already applied for my first TT position last year (haven't heard back yet), but it scared the shit out of me so I didn't blog it.

One problem with TT openings is that our two body problem now materializes more than ever. MIA starts looking for post-doc opportunities, so I can't apply everywhere but only to locations where groups he could fit in are in commuting distance. Going long-distance is not really an option for us at the moment; it would probably be more difficult than persisting on a single salary somewhere for a while. Also, I sort of feel like the spouse who puts her career first and that of her partner second. I don't want that, and if something great shows up for MIA, I want him to go get it. I have enough stuff to write up for a year even if without a job, so if he earns enough, fine with me.

Furthermore, our two body problem is really a five-body problem, since daycare is not affordable everywhere. This significantly reduces locations where we could go.

Personally, I have little new to expect from 2011. Kids first: I hope #3 will continue to be our little sunshine of the day - absolutely cute-overload, makes me want to have a fourth, but rest assured, that will NEVER happen. I can't wait for #1 to learn to read books, it was such a revelation for me, reading, once I started, I never stopped. Books made me what I am now, and I hope they will be as important to him. #2 is also doing great, although I sometimes worry whether being sandwiched isn't a bit too hard on her.
I wish MIA and I could spend some more quality time together, but he's got loads of stuff to work on, too. Sometimes, I dare dreaming of a core-family-only holiday, but that's no realistic idea for this year, neither financially nor time-wise.

Very personally, I wish there would be an easier way for me to get rid of the extra baby weight I put on, but, as a saying goes, 9 months on, 9 months off. Well, for me it's 12 months off. And I have a sample size of 2.5. I am now at the inbetween stage, where saggy clothes are way too large, but really nice clothes are just a bit to narrrow to be comfortable, and just don't look right yet. It's nothing major, but it annoys me. And if I want to loose weight, I know I've got to do it slowly. Tell this my impatient me..

But, in all honesty, if in 2011, I can improve my pub list as expected, and TT-positions won't look as far away as they do now, I'll be satisfied.

Pretty unexciting, he?