By Kimine Mayuzumi
“What should I accomplish this term?”
You may have asked yourself this question a few weeks ago, as the new academic term approached. You might have made lists — teaching, research, service, administration, community engagement — and mapped out deadlines, meetings, classes, conferences, writing projects, and other commitments across the weeks ahead.
And now, a few weeks in, you may be starting to get a sense of what this term will actually look like.
Perhaps your calendar already feels fuller than you had hoped. Perhaps some things have taken more time and energy than you anticipated. Or maybe you’ve discovered that you have more space than you expected.
Wherever you are, this can be a good moment to pause and look again.
Because planning doesn’t have to happen only at the beginning of a term. We can revisit our plans, notice how things are unfolding, and ask ourselves not only “What do I need to accomplish?” but also:
“How do I want to move through this term?”
At Being Lazy and Slowing Down (BLSD), I often talk with academics about how we can move through a busy term with a bit more ease, staying aligned with what matters to us and doing so on our own terms.
I call the six practices that guide this approach WEBCAM.
What does a webcam have to do with planning?
WEBCAM had already become my acronym for these six practices. Then one day, my daughter reminded me of what a webcam actually does. It captures your face (or your whole body) and reflects it on the screen for someone on the other end to see.
My daughter made the connection, and I immediately saw how well the metaphor fit.
WEBCAM can remind us to pause, see ourselves more fully, and notice how we are moving through our work and lives, not just what we are getting done.
When we plan, we often focus on deadlines, meetings, projects, and accomplishments. But what if our plans could also help us see ourselves, the whole person moving through the term?
That’s where WEBCAM comes in.
W – Look at the Whole YOU
You are more than your academic work.
It sounds obvious, but it’s surprisingly easy to forget. Your calendar may show teaching, research, service, meetings, and administrative responsibilities, but not your relationships, body, interests, rest, home life, creativity, or community.
So as you plan, look beyond your professional responsibilities.
Ask yourself:
What else matters in my life right now?
Your academic work is part of your life. It is not your whole life.
E – Keep Empty Space
When you look at your calendar, how much empty space do you see?
Empty space can feel uncomfortable; we may see an open afternoon as an opportunity to add another meeting, task, or commitment.
But empty space is not wasted space. It gives you room to breathe, respond to the unexpected, and rest, think, connect, or simply do something because you want to.
As you plan, notice where you might leave something undone.
Could you delegate, say no, do less, or protect time that doesn’t need to produce anything?
A spacious calendar isn’t necessarily an underused calendar. It may be a calendar that leaves room for you.
B – Consider Your Being First
We often begin planning with:
What do I want to accomplish?
What if we began with:
How do I want to be?
Maybe you want to feel grounded, clear, connected, curious, energized, spacious, or present, and move through the term with less urgency and more joy.
These desired ways of being can become a compass for your plans.
Instead of asking only, “Will this help me accomplish more?” you can also ask:
Does this support how I want to feel and be?
The point isn’t to accomplish everything while remaining perfectly calm. It’s to let your desired way of being guide decisions about your work.
C – Treat Yourself as a Child
Think about how you would respond to a child who was overwhelmed by everything they had to do.
You probably wouldn’t say, “You should have managed your time better.”
You might sit beside them, help them take one step at a time, or suggest a break.
What if you offered yourself that same kindness?
When you fall behind, change plans, lose focus, or lack energy, speak to yourself with the same gentleness you would offer someone you care about.
You don’t need harshness to keep moving. Sometimes, kindness creates more room to begin again.
A – Assess and Adjust
A plan is a guide, not a contract.
Life will happen. Priorities will shift. Projects may take longer than expected, and the unexpected may ask for your attention.
So keep checking in.
Is this still what matters?
Is this plan still serving me?
What needs to change?
Adjusting your plan isn’t failure; it may simply mean that you are paying attention.
Planning is not something we do once at the beginning of a term. It can be an ongoing conversation with ourselves.
M – Be Mindful, Trust the Process, and Let Go of Outcomes
And finally, there is the practice that sits at the heart of BLSD: Be mindful. Trust the process. Let go of outcomes.
Once you have identified what matters and made your plans, live in the present moment. Notice your body, surroundings, and emotions.
Even when urgency starts taking over, remind yourself that you don’t have to know exactly how everything will turn out.
Take the next step, trust the process, and loosen your grip on outcomes beyond your control.
This doesn’t mean that outcomes don’t matter. Of course they do. It means that our sense of wellbeing doesn’t have to depend entirely on achieving them.
So, what will you accomplish this term?
Maybe the question is still worth asking.
But perhaps it doesn’t need to be the first question.
Before filling your calendar, pause.
Look at the whole you.
Leave some empty space.
Consider how you want to be.
Treat yourself with kindness.
Be willing to adjust.
As you move through the term, stay present, trust the process, and let go of what you cannot control.
That’s what WEBCAM reminds us: to keep seeing ourselves as we move through the work we (want to) do.
So the next time you open your webcam, perhaps you’ll see it a little differently 🙂
And perhaps, when you look at your term plan, you’ll remember to look for you there, too.
Featured Image Credit: Kento Higashimura