This post is part of a series on Optimizing Focus. Finding it hard to focus is normal. Self-flagellation does not work to improve your focus. Furthermore it takes time and energy that takes you away from your writing; it is another distraction. I firmly believe that you can approach your work compassionately rather than violently. […]
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The relationship between writing for scholarly audiences & for wider audiences
My approach to academic publishing is focused on its importance for communicating what you have learned from your research with others. I also argue that writing (and publishing) for scholarly audiences is important and is often quite different than what you would write for practitioners, activists, policymakers, or other wider audiences (see What is the point […]
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Your colleagues aren’t any better at saying no than you are
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Your colleagues aren’t any better at saying no than you are Do you struggle to prioritize and set boundaries? Do you have so much to do that some of the most important things are not getting the time and attention they need? Has someone advised that you need to […]
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What is the point of publishing peer-reviewed articles if you care about changing things out there in the world?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Peer-reviewed articles and changing things out there in the world I want to write more about some of the practical applications of the general point I made in Communication vs Validation: Why are you publishing?. In particular, I want to connect my approach to writing and publishing with the […]
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How to use advice to develop your own practice
This post is part of an occasional series about how yoga influences how I work with clients. I don’t expect you to do yoga. Ever. In your whole life. The point of this series is that yoga has taught me some interesting things about how to approach other things. I have a daily yoga practice. […]
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How much teaching preparation is enough?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · How much teaching preparation is enough? Teaching is an important part of your job. You are committed to doing it well. At the same time, you may often resent how much time it takes. You really wish you had more time for research than you do right now. Content […]
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About the Short Guides Series
As I was finalising the third volume in this series of books, my editor suggested that I might want to write a series introduction. I published the first volume, The Scholarly Writing Process in November 2016. The 2nd volume, Finding Time for your Scholarly Writing was published in April/June 2018. Volume 3, Scholarly Publishing, was […]
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The work you wish you didn’t have to do
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · The work you wish you didn’t have to do Something that a couple of members shared at the end of A Meeting With Your Writing session reminded me of an important point. Sometimes the reason you think you’ve not accomplished much (in your writing, or in your work in […]
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Selecting a Journal
The third volume in the Short Guides series, Scholarly Publishing, was published in January 2019. In this edition, I focus on the big picture of publishing for scholarly audiences. After discussing the purpose of publishing for scholarly readers and what is meant by making a contribution to the advancement of knowledge, I look in detail […]
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Where does confidence come from? Part 3: Support
This is part 3 of a series about confidence. In Part 1 of this series, I talked about meaningfulness. In Part 2, I talked about security. The introductory section is repeated so you don’t have to read them in any particular order. Or, listen to the whole series in one track here: Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide […]
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Optimizing Focus: Select the task you most want to work on
In Optimizing Focus: 3 elements to consider, I outlined three elements that affect your focus during a writing session: the task itself, how you are feeling, and the context. I have written a series of follow up articles going into more detail about what that framework looks like in practice. I use the term “optimize” […]
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Where does confidence come from? Part 2: Security
This is part 2 of a series about confidence. In Part 1 of this series, I talked about meaningfulness. Part 3 is about support. The introductory section is repeated so you don’t have to read them in any particular order. Or, listen to the whole series in one track here: Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · […]
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