Urmimala Sarkar
Resistance Ikigai

Dear friends,

Sending strength and solidarity to you in this time of upheaval. In the face of such broad-scale dismantling of our values and institutions, I have been pondering how to effectively resist. I do think the most important form of resistance is to carry on our work in the face of these existential threats, but I want to do more. Like many of you, I have been signing petitions and calling my representatives and making donations and showing up at protests. Taking these actions has not brought me the same energy that it did in the past. The problems are so overwhelming that taking any action at all can feel futile. Is this the most effective way for me to stand up for my values?

Productivity
Urmimala Sarkar
The Long View

Dear friends,

Does it feel like spring yet? I’m writing this on yet another cold and rainy day, cheering myself up with a cup of tea and wildflower daydreams. I hope April brings sunshine to all of us!

The Long View
Productivity
Urmimala Sarkar
Sound the Retreat

Understanding that we as humans have seasonal rhythms, and taking these into account, has made me both happier and more productive. The pace of work slows down in summer to accommodate vacations, social gatherings, and weather that lures us away from our desks. Instead of setting goals that don’t match this reality, I suggest a work retreat.

Resilience, Productivity
Urmimala Sarkar
Taking Off Our Masks

How are you? It’s been a long, hard pandemic slog, but June- Pride month- is great time to find our optimism. As a Gen Xer, I’ve seen a revolution in my lifetime in how we think about our LGBTQIA friends, neighbors, and colleagues, and it gives me hope that we can make progress towards racial and gender justice. I’m starting to feel like I can see my way through the fog of the past 15 months, and it’s a good time to take stock.

Productivity
Urmimala Sarkar
Switching Costs

This month’s topic was inspired by a mentee question about managing simultaneous deadlines. What do you do when you have multiple papers and a grant to push out the door? How do you efficiently work on more than one writing project? The more senior you become, the more critical it is to master this way of working. I don’t have a perfect solution, but I can share a few strategies.

Midpoint Slump

Dear friends,

I hope the upcoming 4th of July holiday holds some rest and community for you. We are halfway through 2025 already- can you believe it? To me, it feels a bit de-motivating to be 6 months into the year and still have so much to do to reach my yearly goals. I have heard this  drop in momentum called “the midpoint effect.” For any project, it is quite common to slow down when you’ve exhausted your initial enthusiasm but you still have a long way to go towards completion. I am experiencing this right now at work. I feel like I am going through the motions rather than feeling engaged and inspired. It hasn’t gotten to the point of “quiet quitting,” but I would like to get my spark back.

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Find Your Fun

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Dear friends,

Somehow, it’s May. It is hard to overstate how difficult these times are, and I’m glad you’re still with me! The only way we will get through this is together. Many of you know that I am having an exceptionally challenging grant-writing experience right now. Given that my non-work life is always eventful, I have been overworked and tired. My solution- schedule time for fun!

Always Hopeful

Dear friends,

It has been a tough month, hasn’t it? At this time of year, I am usually enjoying the longer days and coming out of my winter hibernation. Since I last wrote you, though, I have been caught up in the chaos of our federal government. Even though I know it is their strategy to throw us off balance, I have still been affected by all of their terrifying and disheartening actions.

Resistance Ikigai

Dear friends,

Sending strength and solidarity to you in this time of upheaval. In the face of such broad-scale dismantling of our values and institutions, I have been pondering how to effectively resist. I do think the most important form of resistance is to carry on our work in the face of these existential threats, but I want to do more. Like many of you, I have been signing petitions and calling my representatives and making donations and showing up at protests. Taking these actions has not brought me the same energy that it did in the past. The problems are so overwhelming that taking any action at all can feel futile. Is this the most effective way for me to stand up for my values?

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Fewer Goals More Wins

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Dear friends,

I hope this message finds you rested and recharged! For me, the turning of a new year sparks a confusing and contradictory mix of feelings. The opportunity for a fresh start appeals to the optimist in me, and at the same time, my inner critic reminds me that I have inevitably fallen short of my ambitious goals for the year before. I feel the urge to make resolutions, even though I always aim to resist the relentless, burnout-inducing cultural push to do more and be better.

A Lingering Season

Dear friends,

We are closing in on the end of a rollercoaster year, and I hope you have some rest ahead. I know the future seems very uncertain right now, and I have been alternating between distracting myself and feeling paralyzed by existential dread. The best comfort I have found is in community, focusing on what matters. We are lucky to be doing work that can make the world better, which is its own form of resistance.

Tricks and Treats

Dear friends,

How are you? I hope fall is bringing you joy, as it is for me! I am looking forward to festooning my house with Halloween decorations and thinking about how to bring spooky spirit to work. This month I have some random musings rather than a singular topic, and I hope these words are still useful to you. I am on the airplane, flying back from an energizing workshop on Diagnostic Excellence and Health Equity at the National Academy of Medicine.

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Chaos Theories

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Dear friends,

Happy summer! Even in San Francisco we are enjoying some lovely sunshine, and I hope you are too. How is your work pace? I was looking forward to a summer lull, but it hasn’t happened yet. My days seem more packed than ever, and my usual planning strategies are not keeping me from falling behind. So let’s talk about coping with, if not exactly embracing, work chaos. I’m talking about that feeling of having multiple demands come at you unexpectedly, going from meeting to meeting without surfacing long enough to think through a logical plan, and burning through the work time set aside on your calendar without getting the important stuff done.

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Don't Be Eaten

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Dear friends,

It’s rainy, cold, and gray as I look out the window of my home office, and I find myself searching vainly for some inner sunshine. I expect I am not the only one looking forward to longer, warmer days! I hope this March finds you thriving, or at least getting by. The title of this month’s post comes from a saying in Bengali, my first language, which translates to, “If you do people favors, you’ll be eaten by tigers.”  Let me tell you the story that brought this colorful expression to mind.

Your Boundaries Or Mine?

Hope the cold dark winter days find you warm, cozy, and safe! I find the month of December to be particularly challenging, as everyone tries to clear their to-do list before taking a break. Over the years I have tried several strategies to mitigate this year-end game of hot potato. Here are three practical ideas: (1) block off some work time pre-vacation; (2) put your auto-reply up a couple of days in advance of leaving this office; (3) set a turn-around time with your team and collaborators (e.g., any requests I receive after December 12th will be addressed in the new year.)