Keeping a High Level of Motivation in 2012! - My Goals for 2012 (Reflections from 2011)

Readers, 

Happy NEW YEAR! I am energized, excited, and ELATED to spend this next year in higher education (and blogging). During the weekend, I started thinking about my goals (research, teaching, and blogging goals) for 2012!

2012 Goal #1 - Keep a steady focus on my research interests (social media and organizations, communication technology, work-life balance of the millennial generation) and write at least one journal article every three months (a minimum of four in total by December 31, 2012).

2012 Goal #2 - Keep a high-level of organization in my personal and professional lives. Using my Google Calendar, personal labeler, color-coded file folders, and Post-it notes will definitely help me to keep my life organized.

2012 Goal #3 - Involve at least 100 students in undergraduate research endeavors (inside and outside of the classroom environment). At least three of these students' papers need to be accepted for publication.

2012 Goal #4 - Take some time for myself. I love gardening and reading non-fiction books, but sometimes my professional life takes priority over these simple pleasures. I need to carve some time in my schedule for those tasks that help me to reduce my stress.

2012 Goal #5 (Goal Extension from 2011) - To promote my blog and to gain at least 50 additional followers. (I will need some help with this one).

2012 Goal #6 (Goal Extension from 2011) - To promote my business and to gain at least 5 additional speaking engagements this year.

2012 Goal #7 (Goal Extension from 2011) - To lose at least 10 pounds by next December 

Here are my goals from last year (2011)...

New Year's Goal #1 - To write at least one journal article every two months.

Done! Four of the articles were published this year! I am very thankful!

New Year's Goal #2 - To read at least one non-fiction book a week.

Done! I LOVE non-fiction books and there are MANY new books focused on organic gardening.

New Year's Goal #3 - To promote my blog and to gain at least 50 additional followers. (I will need some help with this one).

Not complete. I created a Facebook page this year, but I need to gain more additional followers, but I still think that this is an attainable goal.

New Year's Goal #4 - To promote my business and to gain at least 5 additional speaking engagements this year.

Not complete. I enjoyed traveling to various conferences this year and reviewing Adobe products, but I am interested in working with some additional companies and affiliate programs. Any suggestions?

New Year's Goal #5 - To lose at least 10 pounds by next December (to accomplish this, I am giving up bread for Lent and beyond)...

Due to unforeseen circumstances and LOTS of work, I am definitely planning to reach this goal by June 2012, but we shall see! ;)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Healthy Meals for Professors-on-the-Go (4/5) - Academic Travel and Cooking in Your Hotel Room/Eating Between Conference Sessions

Readers,

Every year, I present sessions for at least five to six local, regional, and national conferences. Fortunately, our university offers a slight amount of funding for academic travel, but the other sources of funding have to be either funded by external grants or our personal funds. During my first year out of graduate school, my family had to drastically reduce our personal household budget to accommodate my conference travel. As a result, I have had to adopt a very frugal lifestyle when it comes to attending academic conferences. However, this year I have to focus on living a frugal, yet healthy lifestyle when attending my conferences.

Usually, I travel with the following items:

- At least five pieces of fruit and veggies (bell pepper, avocado, bananas, grapes, etc.)

- A plastic bag filled with Planters Nut-rition goodies!
- A plastic bag filled with five or more Honey Ginseng Green Tea packets from the Republic of Tea.

- Instant soup and oatmeal packets.

- An empty reusable bottle.

- Kashi Granola Bars

- My hubby's Texas A&M Coffee Mug (great for instant soup and oatmeal)

This instant breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner kit helps me survive the long conference days and the equally long grading sessions at night for my online classes. It is very interesting how some professors stop communicating with their students and grading papers when attending academic conferences. I set boundaries with e-mail response times and I might have to alter my virtual office hours, but I never stop communicating with students (even when my schedule becomes quite hectic).

Recently, I started exploring additional ways to become more productive in my hotel room while maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Here are some great (yet extreme) videos focused on how to cook in a hotel room. Some of these might be great for you! :)

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Healthy Meals for Professors-on-the-Go (3/5) - Wandering Wednesdays - The Healthy Professor Blog

Readers,

Today's Wandering Wednesday's post is focused on "The Healthy Professor Blog". This blog is written by Dr. Nina Marinello for one of her local newspaper's websites. She is the Chair of Nutrition at the Sage Colleges and her posts focus on her classroom, her personal (and healthy) interests, and several tips for the community!

One of her most recent posts is titled "Fatigue, Food, and Friday". Here's the funny thing, I experience this phenomenon every Friday. During my 3pm slump, I have to find some nourishment and my body says...SOMETHING WITH SUGAR PLEASE! So, lately, I have been prepared to answer this daily message from my body with grapes and a cup of green tea.

I can tell that she LOVES her job, but I realize that sometimes we can become so focused on our work that we forget to eat and our bodies can definitely remind us of our mishap by growling or completing shutting down at 3pm/5pm. I can relate to many of her messages and I hope that she will continue posting messages to this blog!

Here's one of her most recent video-based posts. My husband LOVED the video and he plans to use it in his Biology classroom.

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Healthy Meals for Professors-on-the-Go (2/5) - Quick and Easy Recipes in a Mug!

Readers,

Lately, I have been eating breakfast (usually two slices of cheese toast and a glass of water) in the car while commuting to work. However, by 9:00 a.m., my body has used all of the energy from the cheese toast and I am hungry again. So, my doctor wants for me to integrate more protein in the morning to avoid any negative health consequences in the morning. So, my husband and I decided that I need more eggs and peanut butter.

Here's a recipe that I am definitely going to try this week! It is called the Microwave Egg Scramble and I can make it in my office before my morning classes!

This recipe is from the Incredible Edible Egg website:

Ingredients Needed:

2 Eggs

2 Tbsp Milk

2 Tbsp Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

1. COAT 12-oz. microwave-safe coffee mug with cooking spray. ADD eggs and milk; beat until blended.
2. MICROWAVE on HIGH 45 seconds; stir. MICROWAVE until eggs are almost set, 30 to 45 seconds longer.
3. TOP with cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Also, here are some additional "egg mug" recipes from the Hungry Girl website:

- All-American Egg Mug

- Egg Bene-Chick Mug

- The Hungry Girl Special Egg Mug

Enjoy!

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41

Healthy Meals for Professors-on-the-Go (1/5) - Stocking Your Office with Healthy Snacks for Your Busy Lifestyle

Readers,

This semester, my health goals have focused on eating fruits, veggies, and fast/healthy goods in my office while working on my action items for the week. For the first few weeks, I started the backwards slide towards sugary items after the 3pm office slump. However, this week I started the week on the right foot and I brought several healthy items to the office including the following:

- Justin's Almond Nut Butter (Small Packages)

- Kashi Pita Crackers (A GREAT product!)

- Planter's Nutrition Mix

- Green Grapes, Red Plums, and Avocados

- Two Lean Cuisines - my fridge can only hold TWO meals :(

- A Large Bottle of Ozarka

As you can see, this week is dedicated to educators who are actively seeking more energy and small start towards living a healthy lifestyle when they have limited time to do so. This week, look forward to several quick tips and recipes focused on fast meals that you can integrate into your morning and afternoon routines.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

J. Edwards

Millennial Professor - Jennifer T. Edwards, Ed.D.

Become a fan of Millennial Professor on Facebook - http://goo.gl/gnN41